Inside Loop Earwires (Tutorial)
by Rena Klingenberg. © 2003-Present Rena Klingenberg. All Rights Reserved
Make these easy earwires for an extra touch of handmade style on your earrings.
They feature a pretty, rounded hook and long stem – and the loop for hanging the dangle is rolled gracefully to the inside of the hook.
Here you can see how your earring dangle will hang from this earwire style:
And here is the Inside Loop Earwire being worn in an ear piercing:
Supplies:
- Round soft wire, 20 gauge – 2 pieces, each 65mm (2.56″) long.
(I used copper wire.) - Wire cutter.
- Cup bur, wire rounder, or jewelry file – to round and smooth wire ends.
- Sharpie pen or other similar-size object – to use as a mandrel.
- Round nose pliers.
- Flat nose pliers.
- #0000 Steel wool – for final smoothing of earwire ends.
- Optional but recommended: Jeweler’s steel block and nylon, plastic, or rawhide hammer for hammer-hardening your finished earwires.
How to Make
Inside Loop Earwires
Cut your 2 pieces of wire, each 65mm (2.56″) long:
Use your cup bur, wire rounder, or jewelry file to round and smooth both ends of each wire:
Now we’ll work with just one of the wires, making one earwire at a time.
Starting with one end of your wire, wrap the wire around your Sharpie marker (or other mandrel), making one full loop:
Now your wire should look like this:
Next, we’ll make the little loop.
Grasp the curved end of your wire, just below the tips of your round nose pliers:
Now gently roll the wire end into a smooth loop:
Now your wire should look like this:
Now use your flat nose pliers to grasp the straight end of your wire:
Make a small bend in the wire:
Now your wire should look like this:
Make the second earwire the same way you made the first one.
Then use a small piece of #0000 steel wool to do the final smoothing and polishing of your earwire ends – making sure there’s nothing but smooth surfaces to go through your ear piercings.
Optional but recommended:
Use your jeweler’s steel block and nylon, plastic, or rawhide hammer to hammer-harden your finished earwires.
Place your finished earwire on the steel block and pound every part of the wire; then turn the wire over and pound the other side.
Your finished earwires should look like this:
