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Boho Steampunk Earrings (Tutorial)

by Rena Klingenberg. © 2003-Present Rena Klingenberg. All Rights Reserved

In this tutorial, we’ll combine Boho’s romance with Steampunk’s gears and grunge.

The result is a captivating, asymmetrical pair of earrings:

This is a fun opportunity to get a little wild with your choice of components – and to practice asymmetry in your designs.

Supplies:

Important: Choose very lightweight components and charms for this project.

Otherwise you may wind up with earrings that are too heavy to wear comfortably.

Also, mixed metals are great for this project – they enhance both Boho and Steampunk styles.

So this may be a good opportunity to use up some of your jewelry supply odds and ends!

• Thin grungy-looking brass or copper chain – a total length of about 20cm (8″).
  The chain links need to be large enough to accommodate thin jump rings.
  You’ll need to cut a total of 6 pieces of this chain:
  • • 2 pieces that are approximately 40mm (1.57″) long.
    • 2 pieces that are approximately 30mm (1.18″) long.
    • 2 pieces that are approximately 25mm (1.00″) long.

  

• Shiny or grungy jump rings in your choice of metals.
  You’ll need some small, thin ones and a few larger ones:
  
• 2 mismatched larger charms, about 25mm (1″) size – for the longest dangle on each earring.
  I used a large Victorian-looking brass heart charm on one earring, and a tiny heart charm paired with a larger round clock part for the other earring:
  
• About a dozen small gears / cogs from old wristwatches or clocks.
  You can find them on Etsy – do an Etsy search for “steampunk watch parts” – and then under “Item Type”, choose “Craft Supplies”.
  
• Other small charms or doodads that look Victorian, Boho, or Steampunk.
  I used this kind of stuff:
  
• A pair of earwires.
  I used this pair I made from my Inside Loop Earwires Tutorial:
  
• Flat nose / chain nose pliers for opening and closing jump rings.

How to Make
Boho Steampunk Earrings:

Are you new to using jump rings?

See my quick tip, How to Open and Close a Jump Ring.

Start by cutting your grungy chain lengths as shown above in the Supplies list.

Now we’ll make one earring at a time.

Start with one of your 40mm long pieces of chain.

Open a jump ring and attach it to one of your large dangle charms:

Now attach the jump ring to one end of your 40mm piece of chain:

Choose a Steampunk cog (or other component), and use a jump ring to hang it on a link of your chain that’s slightly above your large charm:

Use jump rings to add a few more goodies here and there this chain:

Now set this chain aside and move on to one of your 30mm chain pieces.

Choose a gear, charm, bead, or whatever component you wish, and use a jump ring to attach it to one end of your 30mm chain:

Use a jump ring to add another component above the first one:

And attach as many other components you like to this chain:

Set this chain aside and move on to one of your 25mm chain pieces.

Use jump rings to attach your chosen components to this chain:

Now all three chains for the first earring are finished.

Open one of your larger jump rings, and string your three finished chains onto it.

I put the longest chain in the center, but you can put them in whatever order you like:

String one of your earwires onto the jump ring, and twist the jump ring shut:

Your first earring is done!

Now let’s start on the second earring.

Hot Tip:

Instead of trying to match the first earring, have fun making the second earring noticeably different.

Asymmetry is natural and very enhancing on this type of jewelry!

Start with your remaining 40mm chain first.

I’m using two charms for my long dangle on this earring.

So I’ll open one of my jump rings and thread it into the large gear circle:

. . . and then add the small heart charm to the jump ring, and attach the jump ring to the 40mm piece of chain:

Add another component to this chain, above the bottom dangle:

And add any other charms and components you wish to this piece of chain:

Now set aside this 40mm piece of chain, and get your remaining 30mm piece of chain ready.

Again, attach your chosen gear or charm to one end of this 30mm chain:

. . . and attach your choice of components to the rest of this chain:

Now set aside this 30mm piece of chain, and get your remaining piece of 25mm chain ready.

I’m attaching a tiny brass locket to one end of this chain:

. . . and adding some watch cogs plus one of my wire-wrapped beads along the rest of this 25mm chain:

Now all three chains for the second earring are finished.

Open one of your larger jump rings, and string this set of three finished chains onto it:

String one of your earwires onto the jump ring, and twist the jump ring shut:

Your second earring is done!

Now your finished Boho Steampunk Earrings should look something like this: