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Our first jewelry making project is to make a simple pair
of earrings. Making simple earrings is as the name applies, simple.
If you can make a bead dangle and you can open and close loops, you can
make these simple earrings. The required jewelry supplies are two head pins,
two or more beads, some jewelry wire, and a pair of ear wire findings.
 For those that are unfamiliar with findings, a finding is a metal
component that is pre-made and sold as a complete component. A head pin is
one type of finding. Ear wire findings come as "French" style
ear wires, post style ear wires, kidney shaped ear wires, ear clips and many more.
You can view several styles of ear wire findings
here.
 Begin by making two bead dangles using the techniques discussed in
page 7. Now open the loop on your ear wire
finding using the techniques discussed in page 6.
Add the loop in the bead dangle to the loop in the ear wire finding and
close the loop in the ear wire finding. Now you have a simple
earring.
 Let's first modify the simple earring by adding a jump ring, or a
simple circle of wire to connect the ear wire finding to the bead dangle.
You can open and close the jump ring to connect the two components.
Please note the orientation of the loop in the bead dangle and the loop in
the ear wire finding. They will be rotated 90 degrees to their
original orientation.
 Finally, connect the ear wire finding to the bead dangle by a figure 8
connector and not that the orientation of the loop in the ear wire and the
loop in the bead dangle are the same as when we directly connect the ear
wire to the bead dangle. Given that the orientation is the same, is
there a reason for using a figure 8 connector? The simple answer is
yes, there are several reasons. The figure 8 connector adds a hinge
in the ear ring that allow the bead dangle to move in more directions that
if directly connected. The figure 8 connector also adds distance
between the ear wire and the bead dangle.
Complete this jewelry making project by making a pair of earrings using the same combination of bead dangle,
ear wire, and connector (either none, a jump ring, or a figure 8
connector.)
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