Practice your chain mail

skills on an earring project

designed by Deanna Kittrell
Take time to add two pairs of chain mail
earrings to your collection. They go with
everything and can be embellished with
crystals for added sparkle.
CHAIN MAIL
Bead&Button Online Project 1
daisy chain
earrings

triangles
Jump ring
and
2008 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher.
stepbystep
Triangle earrings
Base
[1] Open 12 5 mm jump rings (Online
Basics), and close 18 3 mm jump rings.
Attach four closed 3 mm jump rings to
one of the 5 mm jump rings. Close the
jump ring (figure 1). Slide a second
5 mm jump ring through the 3 mm
jump rings, so that it is on top of the
first. Close the second jump ring. The
second 5 mm jump rings added in each
step are not shown in the illustrations.
[2] Slide a 5 mm jump ring through a
pair of 3 mm jump rings from step 1.
Attach six 3 mm jump rings. Close the
jump ring (figure 2). Slide another 5 mm
jump ring through the eight 3 mm jump
rings joined in this step.
[3] Slide a 5 mm jump ring through
the remaining 3 mm jump rings on the
first 5 mm jump ring and the two
nearest 3 mm jump rings on the
adjacent 5 mm jump ring. Attach four
3 mm jump rings. Close the jump ring
(figure 3). Slide a second 5 mm jump
ring through the eight 3 mm jump rings
joined in this step.
[4] Slide a 5 mm jump ring through
two edge 3 mm jump rings, and attach
two 3 mm jump rings. Close the jump
ring (figure 4). Slide a second 5 mm
jump ring through the four 3 mm jump
rings joined in this step.
[5] Slide a 5 mm jump ring through
the six 3 mm jump rings on adjacent
5 mm jump rings. Attach two 3 mm
jump rings. Close the jump ring
(figure 5). Slide a second 5 mm jump
ring through the eight 3 mm jump rings
joined in this step.
FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2 FIGURE 3 FIGURE 4 FIGURE 5 FIGURE 6
[6] Slide a 5 mm jump ring through
the four 3 mm jump rings on adjacent
5 mm jump rings. Close the jump ring
(figure 6). Slide a second 5 mm jump
ring through the four 3 mm jump rings
joined in this step.
[7] Open a 4 mm jump ring, and attach
it to an earring finding and the pair of
5 mm jump rings at the top of the ear-
ring. Alternatively, cut a 3-in. (7.6 cm)
piece of wire, and make the first half of
a wrapped loop (Online Basics) at one
end. Slide the top pair of 5 mm jump
rings into the loop, complete the wraps,
and trim the wire. String a 6 mm bicone
crystal, and make a wrapped loop. Open
the loop of an earring finding, attach it
to the wrapped loop, and close it.
[8] Make a second earring.
Embellishment
[1] On a head pin, string a 6 mm and
a 4 mm bicone crystal, and make a
wrapped loop.
[2] Cut a 3-in. (7.6 cm) piece of wire,
and make the first half of a wrapped
loop. Slide the head pin dangle into the
loop. Complete the wraps, and trim the
wire. String a 6 mm and a 4 mm onto
the wire, and make a wrapped loop.
[3] Open a 4 mm jump ring, attach the
dangle, and slide the 4 mm jump ring
through a pair of 5 mm jump rings at
the base corner of the triangle. Close
the jump ring.
[4] Repeat steps 13 to make a
second dangle, and attach it to the pair
of 5 mm jump rings at the other base
corner of the triangle.
[5] Repeat steps 1 and 2. Make a
third unit with one 6 mm, and
attach it to the top of the second
unit. Repeat step 3 to attach the
three-unit dangle to the pair of
5 mm jump rings at the base center
of the triangle.
[6] Repeat steps 15 with the
other earring.
Bead&Button Online Project 2
Deanna
Kittrell lives
in Citrus
Heights, Calif.,
in the U.S.
She teaches
at the 2008
Bead&Button
Show. Contact her at dsdesigns@
surewest.net. Or visit her Web site,
dsdesignsjewelry.com.
DESIGNERS NOTE:
The second-layer 5 mm jump ring
fits very snugly. To make inserting it
easier, only open the jump ring about
1
16 in. (2 mm).
Feed the end that is flush with your
work surface through the opening.
Grasp the jump ring from the back,
opposite the end you are feeding
through the opening.
Daisy chain earrings
Base
[1] Open eight and close three 5 mm
jump rings (Online Basics).
[2] Attach a closed 5 mm jump ring
to an open 5 mm jump ring. Close the
jump ring. Slide an open 5 mm jump
ring through the two closed jump rings.
Close the jump ring (photo a). Repeat
twice to make three jump ring clusters.
[3] Slide an open 5 mm jump ring
through two jump ring clusters
(photo b). Close the jump ring. Repeat
to attach the third jump ring cluster to
one of the connected clusters.
[4] Attach an earring finding with
a 4 mm jump ring, or a bead-
embellished dangle as in step 7 of
Triangle earrings.
[5] Make a second earring.
Embellishment
[1] On a head pin, string an 8 mm
round crystal, a bead cap, and a 4 mm
bicone crystal, and make the first half of
a wrapped loop (Online Basics).
[2] Slide the bottom jump ring cluster
of the earring into the loop of the head
pin dangle. Complete the wraps, and
trim the wire.
[3] Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the other
earring. w
a b
MATERIALS
both projects
bentnose pliers
chainnose pliers
roundnose pliers
wire cutters
triangle earrings
bicone crystals
16 6 mm
12 4 mm
26 in. (66 cm) 22-gauge sterling
silver wire, half-hard
6 head pins, 22-gauge
sterling silver jump rings
24 5 mm inside diameter (ID),
16-gauge
68 4 mm ID, 20-gauge
36 3 mm ID, 20-gauge
pair of earring findings
daisy chain earrings
crystals
2 8 mm round
2 6 mm bicone
2 4 mm bicone
2 bead caps for 8 mm crystals
6 in. (15 cm) 22-gauge sterling
silver wire, half-hard
2 head pins, 22-gauge
sterling silver jump rings
22 5 mm inside diameter (ID),
16-gauge
2 4 mm ID, 20-gauge
pair of earring findings
Bead&Button Online Project 3
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