These beaded earrings look like something that might have come from Japan during the 1940s. The little peyote stitch wrap for the large beads can also be used to make a delicate beaded bracelet, a sturdy amulet bag strap, or even a peyote stitch ring.
1. Materials and Resources
To make these earrings, you will need:
- 5 grams size 11 Delica beads, color-lined green lime, DB274
- 5 grams size 11 Delica beads, silver lined gold hex cut, DB42CUT
- 2 14mm green aventurine round beads
- 2 25mm green vintage Japanese glass beads
- 8 3mm gold filled round beads
- 2 3 inch gold filled headpins
- 2 3 inch gold filled eyepins
- 1 pair gold filled ear wires
- Fireline beading thread, 4 lb. test
- Size 12 beading needle
- Scissors or thread cutter
- Wire Cutters
- Flat nose or chain nose pliers
Resources:
- Delica beads, round beads, headpins and earwires: Fire Mountain Gems
- Similar vintage green beads: Beadin' Path, Earthly Adornments or Splendor in the Glass
2. Make the Dangle Using the Vintage Beads
Jennifer VanBenschoten
On a headpin, string 1 3mm gold round bead, 1 vintage glass bead, and 1 3mm gold round bead. Make a wrapped loop at the top of the headpin and set aside.
3. Stitch the Peyote Panel
Jennifer VanBenschoten
Using flat even count peyote stitch, stitch the beaded panel using the Delica beads.
Make sure that your strip of peyote fits snugly around your 14mm bead. When I tested this pattern, I found that I needed 8 complete peaks of the pattern to fit around my bead.
4. Zip the Peyote Panel Into a Tube
Jennifer VanBenschoten
Zip up the peyote stitch strip into a tube. Weave in the thread ends, knot, and trim close to the beadwork.
5. Slide an Eye Pin Through the Tube
Jennifer VanBenschoten
On an eye pin, string 1 3mm round bead.
Find a point in the center of the peyote stitch tube. Very gently, squeeze the eye pin through the space between two beads in the peyote stitch tube. It may help to use a pliers to guide the eye pin through one side of the peyote stitch tube.
6. Add the 14mm Bead
Jennifer VanBenschoten
Slide the 14mm bead onto the eye pin, and then slide the bead with the eye pin into the peyote stitch tube.
Find a space in the center of the peyote stitch tube and gently guide the eye pin through the top hole of the 14mm bead and through the two beads in the center of the peyote stitch tube. You can use a pliers to help you guide the eye pin through the other side of the peyote stitch tube.
String on a 3mm round bead, and make another wrapped loop.
7. Assemble the Earrings
Jennifer VanBenschoten
Open the eye pin and attach the dangle to the bottom of the peyote wrapped bead.
Open the ear wire and attach the finished earring.
Repeat these steps to make a second earring.