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Square Hoop Earrings (Tutorial)

© 2003-Present Rena Klingenberg. All Rights Reserved

These square hoop earrings are a fun alternative to round hoops.

Each earring is made from a single wire, including a built-in earwire.

This is how the earring looks when it’s being worn:

After you’ve made a few of these wire hoop earrings, you can make a pair of them in less than 5 minutes.

You can also use a jump ring to attach a bead, charm, or other dangle to the bottom of the square hoop.

Supplies:

• 2 pieces of 20 gauge round half-hard wire – each 15cm (5.9″) long.
  I’m using copper wire.
• Ruler – for measuring and marking your wire.
• Sharpie marker – for marking your wire.
• Wire cutter.
• Cup bur / wire rounder – to smooth and round your wire ends.
• Small piece of #0000 steel wool – for final smoothing of the earwire tip of your earrings.
• Round nose pliers.
• Flat nose pliers.
• Chain nose pliers.

How to Make
Square Hoop Earrings

Start by cutting two pieces of wire, each 15cm (5.9″) long:

Now we’ll straighten the wire, using your nylon jawed pliers (or your fingers) to straighten each wire.

Hold one end of the wire firmly with your flat nose pliers, and pull the entire length of wire through the nylon jawed pliers (or your fingers), pulling the wire straight and tight as you do so:

Next we’ll use a cup bur / wire rounder to smooth and round the ends of your wire:

Now we’ll make five marks on each of your wires.

Use a ruler and your Sharpie marker to make the marks on each wire.

The blue marks below show where to mark your wires:

Each wire should now look like this:

Now we’ll make one earring at a time.

Use the tips of your flat nose pliers to grasp one of your wires, with one edge of the pliers jaw right next to your second 2cm mark on the wire:

Then bend the shorter end of the wire straight upward, making a 90-degree angle in the wire.

Now the second 2cm mark on your wire should be right in the middle of the 90-degree wire bend:

Your wire should look like this:

Use the tips of your flat nose pliers to grasp your wire, with one edge of the pliers jaw right next to your third 2cm mark on the wire:

Then bend the longer wire end straight upward, making a 90-degree angle in the wire:

Your wire should look like this:

Now use the tips of your flat nose pliers to grasp your wire, with one edge of the pliers jaw right next to your fourth 2cm mark on the wire:

Then bend the longer wire end straight upward, making a 90-degree angle in the wire.

You should be able to see the square hoop shape now:

Your wire should look like this:

Now we’ll bend the long wire end straight upward from the top of the square, because that wire will become the earwire part of the earring.

Use the tips of your flat nose pliers to grasp the long wire end, with one edge of your pliers jaw right next to the 5mm mark on the wire:

Make a slight bend so that your wire looks like this, with the long wire end pointing straight upward from the square:

Now we’ll use the short wire end to make some wire wraps around the base of the long wire end, to finish off the wire square.

Use your flat nose pliers to grasp the top of the square, just below where the long wire end points straight upward.

Then bend the short wire end so that it makes a 90-degree angle with the long wire end:

Now we’re going to wrap the short wire around the base of the long wire, making about three wire wraps.

Use your fingers or the tips of your chain nose pliers to grasp the tip of the short wire.

TIP: To get uniformly tight wire wraps, keep the short wire pulled taut and wind it firmly around the long wire – being careful not to pull the wire square out of shape.

Your first wire wrap should look something like this:

. . . and your wire should look like this:

Make a total of about three wraps, so that your wire looks like this:

Use your wire cutter to trim the leftover wire end, pressing the flat side of the cutter blades against the last wire wrap:

Then squeeze down the cut wire end, using either the tips of your chain nose pliers, or the round slot in your crimping pliers (I’m using crimping pliers here):

Your wire should look like this now:

Now we’ll make the earwire part of the earring, using the long wire end.

Use the widest part of your round nose pliers to grasp the long wire, just above the wire wraps you just made:

Wrap the long wire smoothly and firmly over one jaw of your pliers, so that the tip of the wire points straight down behind the wire square:

Your wire should look like this:

Now we’ll make a little bend at the end of the earwire, so it’s easier to insert the earwire into the wearer’s ear piercing.

Use the tips of your flat nose pliers to grasp the tip of your wire:

Make a small bend in the wire end, bending the wire tip away from the earring, so that it looks like this:

Use your small piece of #0000 steel wool to do the final smoothing of the earwire tip of your earring.

Your first earring is finished:

Make the second earring the same way as the first one.

Then use a few drops of rubbing alcohol onto a scrap of paper towel to remove the Sharpie marks from your finished earrings.

Your finished Square Hoop Earrings may look something like this: