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Ombre Autumn Earrings (Tutorial)

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

These Ombre Autumn Earrings are an homage to the essence of Fall – colorful corn, falling leaves, and a farewell to Summer.

The seed beads in these earrings create a lovely ombre effect (gradual changes in a color from light to dark).

Any sort of leaf bead or leaf charm would be wonderful as the dangle on these earrings.

I added a bit of asymmetry to these earrings by having the ombre color effect go a different direction on each earring.

Supplies:

• Seed beads in Autumn colors, size 6/0.
  My beads came from two different bead mixes by Bead Treasures – called “Autumn” and “Brown” (from a local craft store).
• 2 leaf beads or leaf charms.
  I’m using antiqued brass leaf charms – you can find them in many Etsy.com shops.
• Round soft or half-hard wire, 20 gauge.
  I used copper.
  You’ll need 2 pieces of wire, each 55mm (2.17″),
  and 4 pieces of wire, each 52mm (2.05″).
• Jump rings – 2 large and 2 small.
• A pair of earwires.
• Round nose pliers.
• Flat nose / chain nose pliers – for opening and closing jump rings.
• Sharpie marker – for marking your pliers.

How to Make
Ombre Autumn Earrings:

Start by cutting your wires:

Cut 2 pieces of wire, each 55mm (2.17″),
and 4 pieces of wire, each 52mm (2.05″):

We’ll want to make all of the wire loops in these earrings the same size.

So use your Sharpie marker to draw a line on one jaw of your round nose pliers, near the tip:

Now we’ll make one earring at a time.

Pick up one of your longer (55mm [2.17″]) wires.

Use your round nose pliers to grasp one end of the wire, so that the wire rests on the Sharpie mark you just drew on the pliers:

Now roll that wire end into a loop:

Now your wire should look like this:

Now we need to center the loop at the end of the wire, so it will be more like a “lollipop”.

Use the tips of your round nose pliers to grasp the wire, just inside the loop:

. . . and bend the wire until the loop is centered at the top of the wire:

Now put that wire aside, and set out two of your shorter (52mm [2.05″]) wires.

Make the same kind of loop at one end of each of these two shorter wires.

Now you should have 1 longer wire and 2 shorter wires that look like this:

It’s time to add the seed beads.

Set out your seed beads and choose which to use for your ombre Autumn color effect:

For my ombre pattern, I chose 4 different colors.

On the longer wire I used 3 beads of each color.

On the shorter wires I used 3 beads of each of the top 3 colors, and 2 beads of the bottom color.

Decide on your ombre pattern:

. . . and string the beads onto your longer wire (55mm [2.17″]):

Slide the beads down against the loop in your wire:

Now we’ll make a loop in the remaining end of your wire.

Make the loop the same way as you made the first loop in your wire:

Now we’re going to twist one of the loops so that it’s perpendicular to the other.

(This will make your leaf face outward instead of facing sideways when the finished earring is worn.)

Hold one wire loop with your flat nose pliers, and hold the other loop with your chain nose pliers.

Now twist one of the loops so that it’s perpendicular to the other:

Now your wire should look like this, with one loop facing front, and the other loop facing sideways:

Now string the seed beads on your two shorter wires.

Finish off each wire the same way you did with the longer wire – make a loop in the remaining end, and then twist one of the loops so that it’s perpendicular to the other.

Now you should have all 3 wires finished:

Set out your leaf beads or charms:

. . . and a small jump ring for each leaf:

Use your flat nose and chain nose pliers to twist open one of the jump rings, and thread the jump ring through the hole in the top of one leaf:

Then thread the jump ring through the bottom loop of your long beaded wire.

Use your flat nose and chain nose pliers to twist the jump ring shut again:

Now set out one of your large jump rings, and use your flat nose and chain nose pliers to twist it open:

Thread the large jump ring through the top loop of each of your three beaded wires:

Thread one of your earwires onto the large jump ring.

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

Your first earring is finished!

Now make the second earring the same way as the first one.

Your finished Ombre Autumn Earrings may look something like this: