How to Make Dangle Earrings With Adorable Bellflower & Oak Leaf Beads

Kellie Sutton
by Kellie Sutton
10 Materials
$10
1 Hour
Easy

Today’s tutorial is on how to make dangle earrings with beads! One of the comments I always get is that I make jewelry making look so easy.


Well, in my opinion, it is super easy and I want to show you just how easy jewelry-making can be. So today I want to show you how to make easy dangle earrings!

Tools and materials:

  • Round nose pliers 
  • Chain nose pliers 
  • Bent nose pliers 
  • Jump rings 
  • Oak leaf beads 
  • Bellflower beads 
  • Small chain 
  • Earring wire 
  • Wire cutters
  • Headpins
Adjusting the earring chain

1. Adjust the chain

Loop your earring chain through the earring hook. I find that this makes handling the chain much easier. 

Noting the direction of the chain links

The chain links are facing opposite directions. Some are facing toward you and some are facing away. 


You want the last link to be facing you. So if the last jump ring is facing the other direction, cut it off with a pair of wire cutters.

Threading a bead onto a headpin

2. Add a bead to a headpin 

Pass a single cone-shaped bead through the headpin. In this case, the bead is a bellflower. 

Making a loop in the wire

3. Make a loop in the wire

Bend the headpin right at the top of the bead until it is fully horizontal. We want a nice sharp angle. 

Bending the headpin with pliers

Use the round nose pliers to grip the pin right above the bead. 

Make sure there is only a small space above the bead and the pliers because you want to create a small loop.


The round nose pliers should be parallel to your body. 

Bending the pin around the pliers

Bend the pin up and over the pliers, then straight down. 

Rotating the pin and pliers to create the loop

Keep the pin in place, open your pliers slightly, and rotate them so that they are parallel to the table. 


Use your other hand to hold the pin and bead in place so it does not turn with the pliers. 

Pulling the wire to the back

Pull the remaining wire straight to the back. 

Wrapping the excess wire around the bead base

4. Wrap the excess wire

Rotate the bead so that it is right on top and pull the wire down a bit. 

Wrapping the remaining wire around the loop

Grip the loop with a pair of chain-nose pliers. Then, use your fingers or bent-shaped nose pliers to wrap the remaining wire around the base of the loop. 

How to make dangle earrings with beads

Grip the hook with the bent-shaped nose pliers and use the chain nose pliers to adjust and finish wrapping the wire around itself. This helps flatten down the burr. 

Cutting off the ends with a wire cutter

If you need to, cut off the ends of the wire with a wire cutter. Always use the flush side of the wire cutter. You want to make sure there is nothing sharp.


Repeat with all the beads. 

Opening a jump ring with pliers

5. Add the beads to the chain

Use the pliers to grip a jump ring on one side and the bent-shaped pliers on the other side. Twist the pliers apart to open the jump ring.

Adding the bellflower beads onto the jump ring

Loop one of the bellflower beads through the open jump ring. Then loop the jump ring through the bottom link in the chain. 


Remember to make sure that the bottom link is facing you, not the other direction. 

Closing the jump ring with pliers

Use the pliers again to close the jump ring, this time twisting the ends back together. 

Adding the beads to the chain

Next, add an oak leaf bead to a jump ring, and attach to the vertical link right above the bell flower. 


The oak leaves are going to go on the vertical links, and the bell flowers are going to go on the links that are facing you. 

What do I need to make dangle earrings?

Instead of attaching the bellflower to the next link that is facing you, you are going to skip the link and the next vertical link, and attach the bellflower to the next link that is facing you. 


We are skipping two links above the oak leaf. 

DIY dangle bead earrings

Skip the vertical link above the bellflower you just attached, and attach the next bellflower to the next link that is facing you.


This creates a cascading "waterfall" effect with the beads. Of course, you can attach them in whatever order or pattern you like.

Making DIY dangle earrings with beads

Attach the last oak leaf bead to the vertical link above the bellflower you just attached. 

Trimming the chain

6. Trim the chain

You want to loop your earring hook through a link that is facing you, otherwise, it will cause the entire earring to lay to the side instead of center. 


Then, use a wire cutter to trim the chain to the next link. If you are too afraid to do it all at once, then work your way down, cutting each link as you go. 

Adding the earring wire

7. Add the earring wire

Once you have cut the chain down, loop your earring wire through the remaining link on top. 

Closing the earring wire

Use your chain nose pliers to tighten up the earring wire. 


Repeat all the steps with the other earring pair. 

"Waterfall"-style dangle earrings


How to make dangle earrings

How to make dangle earrings

Here we have our DIY dangle bead earrings. This angle does not do these flirty and beautiful earrings justice! They dangle, and dazzle, they are just beautiful!


Let me know what you think in the comments!

Suggested materials:
  • Round nose pliers
  • Chain nose pliers
  • Bent nose pliers
See all materials

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