Hardware Earrings
Supplies:
Hardware! (nails, screws, nuts, etc.)
Jump rings
Wire (Two 4 inch long pieces)
Hooks
Needle-nosed pliers
Wire cutters
Step 1:
Secure a jump ring to the top of the nail (or screw) by sliding it onto the wire, then wrapping the wire around the head and spiraling it down under the ridge of the head. The easiest way I found to do this was to start with a 1/4 inch section next to the ring, bend that down around the head, then (while keeping the wire across the diameter of the head), wrap the wire around the nail, making sure to cover the first end. Once you finish the spiral, use the pliers to clamp the end to the nail.
Repeat for all the nails you plan to use for the earrings.
Step 2:
Connect the nails with jump rings. I found that sticking the pliers into the ring and prying them open was the simplest way to open them, and I used my fingers to close them. I used 3 rings between each nail to have then end up staggered.
Step 3:
Attach the hook to one of the jump rings. You may want to dangle the nails before attaching them to see how the nails fall when attached to the hook on different links.
Enjoy! I know this is unclear, but this is a tricky process (especially wrapping the wire). Don't give up if it doesn't look perfect after your first try! I made several pairs after the pair with nails and became much more familiar with my tools and materials.
Good luck!
Here are the pairs I made afterwards:
