1. Hobbies & Games
About.com
Beadwork

Disco Brick Stitch Earrings Free Beading Pattern

A Free Brick Stitch Beaded Earring Pattern

From , former About.com Guide

These are easy brick stitch earrings made with hex cut Delica beads, long bugle beads and rose gold metallic Charlottes.  Stitch up an easy brick stitch diamond and then embellish it with bugle bead fringes for a pair of earrings that look as though they belong on the dance floor.

1. Materials and Resources

To make these earrings, you will need:

  • 5 grams size 11 Delica beads, opaque black hex cut, DB10CUT
  • 1 gram size 11 seed beads, opaque black
  • 1 gram size 15 rose gold Charlottes
  • 22 bugle beads, opaque black, 20mm
  • 2 Czech firepolished beads, 10mm, jet metallic copper
  • 1 pair gold filled ear wires
  • Fireline beading thread, 4 lb. test
  • Size 12 beading needle
  • Scissors or thread cutter

Resources:

 

2. Start with a Ladder

Jennifer VanBenschoten
Leaving an 8 inch tail and using the hex cut Delica beads, make a ladder 7 beads long. Reinforce by weaving back through the beads to the beginning of the row.

Make sure that you leave at least 8 inches of thread for the tail, since this will be used to stitch half of the brick stitch diamond.

3. Stitch the Bottom Half of the Diamond

Jennifer VanBenschoten
Working in brick stitch, work the bottom half of the diamond, decreasing at the beginning and end of each row. You should have two beads in your last row.

Pick up 1 charlotte, 1 bugle bead, 1 charlotte, 1 Czech fire polished bead, and 1 charlotte. Skip the last charlotte and pass back through all the beads just strung.

Stitch through the Delica bead next to the one you were exiting at the end of the last row of the diamond.

4. Adding the Fringe

Jennifer VanBenschoten
Stitch back up through the diamond so that you are exiting from the edge bead of the ladder, with the thread going down towards the narrow end of the diamond.

Pick up 1 charlotte, 1 bugle bead and 8 charlottes. Skip the last 7 charlottes strung and pass back up through the charlotte, bugle bead and charlotte. Pull snugly to form a small loop at the bottom of the bugle bead.

Pass back up through the Delica you were exiting when you started the fringe, over one Delica, and then down so that you are exiting from the next edge Delica, working towards the bottom of the diamond.

5. Fringe the Rest of the Diamond

Jennifer VanBenschoten
Continue adding fringe until you reach the bottom of the diamond. Work your way back up the diamond and then come down the other side, adding fringe along the other side.

Weave in your working thread, knot, and trim close to the beadwork.

6. Stitch the Top Half of the Diamond

Jennifer VanBenschoten
Using the thread tail from the original ladder, stitch the top half of the diamond. Make sure that you decrease at the beginning and end of each row. Your last row should have two beads.

7. Add a Loop for the Ear Wire

Jennifer VanBenschoten
Exiting from one of the top Delica beads, pick up 10 size 15 seed beads. Pass down through the Delica bead next to the one you were exiting and pull snugly to form a loop. Pass up through the first Delica and repeat the thread path once or twice more to strengthen and secure.

8. Add the Ear Wire

Jennifer VanBenschoten
Using a chain nose or flat nose pliers, open the ear wire and slide it onto the earring. Close the ear wire.

9. Repeat for the Other Earring

Jennifer VanBenschoten
Repeat these steps to make a second earring.

©2013 About.com. All rights reserved.