Make Filigree Earrings – 10 Design Ideas (Tutorial)

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

Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Raid Your Stash for This Project!

We’re going to make filigree earrings, with 10 different design inspirations – including a few asymmetrical ones.

Supplies:

  • Pairs of filigree stampings
    (I purchase them at Etsy.com – do a search there for “filigree stampings”.)
  • Your choice of other jewelry findings, beads, and components to attach to your filigree earring components.
    (Mine are from my stash; many of them came from various Etsy.com shops over the years.)
  • Jump rings.
    (I’m using 7mm and 9mm jump rings.)
  • Earwires of your choice.
  • Flat nose and chain nose pliers – for opening and closing your jump rings and earwires.

How to
Make Filigree Earrings – 10 Design Ideas Tutorial

These are the filigree stampings I’m using in this tutorial:

Filigree Stampings Used in Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

And these are the other components from my stash that I’ll be attaching to my filigree components:

Other Components Used in Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

How to Assemble Each Pair of Earrings:

Use your flat nose and chain nose pliers to twist open one of your jump rings:

How to Assembling Earring Components for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

. . . then hang your topmost jewelry component onto the jump ring:

How to Assembling Earring Components for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Add the next jewelry component to the jump ring:

How to Assembling Earring Components for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Then use your flat nose and chain nose pliers to twist the jump ring shut again.

Your two components should be attached something like this:

Geometric Waterfall Neckwire, Two Ways - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Finally, finish the earrings by attaching the earwires, using your flat nose pliers and chain nose pliers to twist open the loops of a pair of earwires.

Attach the earwires to the top loops of the pair of filigree stampings.

Then use your flat nose pliers and chain nose pliers to twist the loops of the 2 earwires shut again.

And your earrings are finished.  Now let’s get started creating!

Design Idea #1
Frilly Filigree Earrings with Colorful Tassels

For this pair of earrings, I’m using these frilly square filigree stampings measuring 28mm x 28mm (1.1″ x 1.1″):

Frilly Filigree Stampings for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

I’m pairing them with these fun, colorful tassels 35mm (1.38″) long, that you can make from my Colorful Tassel Jewelry Tutorial:

Handmade Tassels for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

And here are the finished earrings:

Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

What I love about this design:
The cheery tassels swinging below the ornate filigree components add a touch of mixed media, keeping the earrings from getting too serious.

Design Idea #2
Filigree Earrings with Metal Charms

For these earrings, I’m using the same frilly square stampings that we used in Design Idea #1, measuring 28mm x 28mm (1.1″ x 1.1″):

Frilly Filigree Stampings for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

This time I’m combining them with these round, dapped metal charms 20mm (0.79″) in diameter:

Dapped Metal Charms for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

And here are the finished earrings:

Filigree Earrings with Metal Charms, for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

What I love about this design:
Although the components in these earrings are all the same color, the filigrees are openwork, while the round charms are solid.

Design Idea #3
Large Leaf Filigree Earrings with Small Beads

For this pair of earrings, I’m using a pair of large leaf filigree stampings, measuring 30mm x 54mm (1.18″ x 2.13″):

Large Leaf Filigrees for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

I’m embellishing these large leaves with small, bright red glass flower beads, measuring 12mm (0.47″) in diameter.

String a small bead onto a headpin, and make a wire wrapped loop at the top of the bead.

Make two of these small wire-wrapped loop mini beads:

Small Beads with Wrapped Loops for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

And voila – Leaf earrings with a charming pop of color:

Large Filigree Leaf Earrings for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

What I love about this design:
Both components are botanical – leaf and flower.

Design Idea #4
Asymmetrical Filigree Leaf Earrings with Big Hoops

For this earring pair, I’m using medium-size perforated leaf filigree stampings, measuring 25mm x 38mm (1″ x 1.5″):

Perforated Leaf Filigrees for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

I’m pairing them with these large hoops measuring 40mm (1.57″) in diameter:

Big Hoops for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

These finished earrings are asymmetrical because I hung the filigree leaves in different directions from one another:

Asymmetrical Leaf and Hoop Earrings for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

What I love about this design:
The asymmetrical leaves, and the hoops that are super-size but delicate.

Design Idea #5
Teardrop Filigree Earrings with Small Hoops

These earrings use teardrop filigree stampings measuring 16mm x 30mm (0.63″ x 1.18″):

Filigree Teardrops for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

I’m mixing them with these small hammered hoops measuring 22mm (0.87″):

Small Hoops for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

And here are the finished earrings:

Hoops and Teardrops Earrings Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

What I love about this design:
The combination of components that have two different rounded shapes.

Design Idea #6
Asymmetrical Filigree Earrings with Metal Components

For these earrings, I’m using the same teardrop filigree stampings we used in Design Idea #5, measuring 16mm x 30mm (0.63″ x 1.18″):

Filigree Teardrops for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

I’m combining them with these mismatched components that share the same color, to make the earrings asymmetrical.

The dapped donut measures 19mm (0.75″) in diameter.

And the key measures 10mm x 42mm (0.39″ x 1.65″).

Patina Components for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

And here are the finished asymmetrical earrings:

Asymmetrical Filigree Earrings Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

What I love about this design:
The dangles with the same color, but very different sizes.

Design Idea #7
Rectangle Filigree Earrings with Triangle Filigree Dangles

I love the contrasting geometric shapes in these earrings.

They begin with rectangular filigree stampings measuring 14mm x 26mm (0.55″ x 1″):

Rectangle Filigree Components for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Then I add these patina triangular filigrees, measuring 15mm x 34mm (0.59″ x 1.34″):

Triangular Filigree Components for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

And here are the finished earrings:

Rectangular Filigree Earrings with Triangle Dangles for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

What I love about these earrings:
The strong, contrasting geometric shapes in these earrings.

Design Idea #8
Rectangle Filigree Earrings with Glass Cabochon Settings

For this pair, I’m using the same rectangular filigree stampings we used in Design Idea #7, measuring 14mm x 26mm (0.55″ x 1″):

Rectangle Filigree Components for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

This time I’m pairing them with these sapphire-colored glass cabs with metal settings, measuring 12mm (0.47″) in diameter:

Glass Cabochons in Settings for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

And here are the finished earrings:

Rectangle Filigree Earrings with Sapphire Glass Cabochons for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

What I love about this design:
The pop of sapphire-colored glass next to these bold lacework rectangles.

Design Idea #9
Filigree Earrings with Long Narrow Bead Stack

These earrings start with a pair of filigrees made from small marquise shapes (pointy ovals) measuring 25mm x 35mm (1″ x 1.38″):

Multi-Marquise Components for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

I’m embellishing them them with these long, narrow bead stacks with wire wrapped loops, measuring 48mm (1.89″) long:

Stacked Beads for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

And here are the finished earrings:

Filigree Earrings with Bead Stack Dangles for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

What I love about this design:
The turquoise beads are shaped similarly to the marquise shapes in the filigrees.

Design Idea #10
Filigree Earrings with Chain Tassel

These earrings start with the same filigree that’s made from marquise shapes (pointy ovals), that we used in Design Idea #9, measuring 25mm x 35mm (1″ x 1.38″):

Multi-Marquise Components for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

This time I’m dressing them up with these swingy, fluid chain tassels (salvaged from some long-ago piece of jewelry) and measuring 42mm (1.65″) long.

Or, for simpler chain tassels, you can easily make them by cutting lengths of thin chain and stringing one end of each chain onto a small jump ring.

Chain Tassels for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

And here are the finished earrings:

Filigree Earrings with Chain Tassels for Make Filigree Earrings 10 Design Ideas Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

What I love about these earrings:
The long, elegant chain tassels contrasting with the wider filigree shapes, and the added elegance of earrings in all one color.

I hope these design ideas inspire you to create your own fabulous fantasy filigree earrings with some of the treasures in your jewelry supply stash!

And as always, I’d love to see what you make from this tutorial. 🙂

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