Happy Mother's Day necklace, earrings & more!

It’s springy, it’s girly, it’s the new Mother’s Day collection of jewelry making beads and findings! The first word out of my mouth when I received the pieces below was “awww!”

  

I just LOVE the flower pendants. They’re really special and worth seeking out if you have a nearby Walmart. 

In fact, I’m going to be grabbing a few more of these pendants for myself and using them to embellish other things, like a new cell phone case, but that’s a story for another day! :)
After deciding which one to use on a necklace, I wondered what I could do with the FABULOUSLY 3-D white flower pendant.  I went immediately to “craft project!”

  

In fact, once I decided I could make a necklace for this cute journal I found at Walmart for $5.99, I decided it needed one more little touch, so I cut the “Mother’s Day” words off of the Cousin bead package and glued them to the front of the journal. Ha! A simple touch that just felt right. Crafters, you know what I mean, right?! 

So, back to the necklace and earrings. The design for the necklace is a bit of a go-to for me. Using the beads in this way you get a little bit of both worlds. You get interest and dangles in the front and simplified stringing so you can see the beauty of the silky looking pearls in the back!

The earrings just created themselves. The little enamel flowers were just crying out to be dangling from someone’s ears, don’t you think? Very sweet!

In case you’re interested in making these things or just looking for a little bit of inspiration to get started on your own project, instructions are below. To all the moms out there…Happy Mother’s Day!

Materials:

#AJM31112187 –  Pink pearl beads

#AJM31112195 –  Accent flower pendant & flower dangles

#AJM31112213 –  Accent multiple flower pendant

#34774090 – Jewelry Basics 96pc Metal Gold Starter Pack

#3202101 - 40'.45M 7 - Strand Bead Wire Gold

Tools Needed:

·         Round nose plier

·         Flat nose plier

·         Wire cutters

Techniques Used: (Include any stitch or sewing techniques)

·         Make a loop

·         jump rings

·         Crimp

 Instructions

Create four 1-bead 6mm pink pearl headpin dangles

1.     Add one pearl bead to a headpin, bend remaining wire at the top of bead to a 90 degree angle. Leave approx. 3/8” of wire above the bead and cut the rest off.

2.     Use round nose pliers to make a loop.

3.     Repeat 3 more times.

Create four 1-bead 8mm pink pearl headpin dangles

1.     Add one pearl bead to a headpin, bend remaining wire at the top of bead to a 90 degree angle. Leave approx. 3/8” of wire above the bead and cut the rest off.

2.     Use round nose pliers to make a loop.

3.     Repeat 3 more times.

Create six 1-bead 6mm pink pearl eyepin connectors as follows:

1.     Add one pearl bead to an eyepin, bend remaining wire at the top of bead to a 90 degree angle. Leave approx. 3/8” of wire above the bead and cut the rest off.

2.     Use round nose pliers to make a loop.

3.     Repeat 5 more times.

Create four 1-bead 8mm pink pearl eyepin connectors as follows:

1.     Add one pearl bead to an eyepin, bend remaining wire at the top of bead to a 90 degree angle. Leave approx. 3/8” of wire above the bead and cut the rest off.

2.     Use round nose pliers to make a loop.

3.     Repeat 5 more times.

Create two bead wire strands with nine 8mm & ten 6mm pearls

1.     Cut approximately 6” of beading wire.

2.     Slide the end of beading wire through a toggle clasp loop and bend gently at about ½”.

3.     Add a crimp bead and slide it up to cover the short and long ends of wire.

4.     Use crimping tool or smash crimp with flat nose pliers to secure wire.

5.     Add 19 pearl beads in a pattern: 6mm, 8mm, 6mm, 8mm, etc.

6.     Add a crimp bead to end of beading wire.

7.     Slide beading wire through the eyepin loop of a 6mm pearl bead eyepin connector and weave end back through crimp bead.

8.     Pull short end of wire until beads are tight on the wire.

9.     Use crimping tool or smash crimp with flat nose pliers to secure wire.

10.  Trim excess wire using flush cutter.

11.  Repeat bead strand for other side of necklace.

Assemble necklace

1.     Create five-bead connector strand (6mm, 8mm, 6mm, 8mm, 6mm)

2.     Beginning with one side of necklace, connect 6mm pearl bead eyepin connector to an 8mm eyepin connector opening/closing 4mm jump ring.

3.     Repeat by adding remaining 4 eyepin connectors with jump rings.

Repeat on other side of necklace

1.     On the middle jump ring between the two 6mm pearl bead eyepin connectors, add the multi-flower pendant by opening and closing jump ring attached to pendant.

Add dangles

1.     Add a 1-bead eyepin dangle to each jump ring connector. Add 6mm dangle to the jump ring on either side of the flower pendant.

2.     Add 8mm dangles on next jump ring, then 6mm, etc. See project photo.

Earrings

1.     Create one eyepin section for each earring by adding 6mm, 8mm, 6mm pearl beads to eyepin, bend remaining wire at the top of bead to a 90 degree angle. Leave approx. 3/8” of wire above the bead and cut the rest off.

2.     Use round nose pliers to make a loop.

3.     Add ear wire to one eyepin loop.

4.     On the other end, connect tiny flower charm using 6mm jump ring.

5.     Repeat for other earring.

Mother’s Day Journal Materials

·         Journal

·         #AJM31112216 –  gold tone necklace

·         #AJM31112195 –  Accent flower pendant & flower dangles

·         Packing Tape

·         Decorative paper

·         Glue

Tools

Hole punch

Flat nose plier

Instructions

1.     Find an inexpensive journal with a fairly thin “hard-bound” cover.

2.     Use hole punch to make holes for necklace wire.

3.     Remove clasp from each end so the necklace ends fit through hole punch. Slide necklace ends through holes.

4.     Using packing tape, tape down the necklace strands on the inside cover. Cut out a piece of decorative paper and glue over the taped section.

5.     Open jump ring to add large while enamel flower to chain.

6.     Cut “Mother’s Day” words from the bead package and use craft glue or glue stick to adhere it to the journal cover.

ENJOY!