Beaded Easter Basket Earrings

Create delicate beaded Easter basket earrings in seed bead colors perfect for spring. This thorough tutorial from Rings & Things makes the process of beading your own Easter earrings easy. Wear these to Easter brunch.

Materials (Available from Rings & Things):

• 1pr 34-223-1 Surgical Stainless Steel Earwires- White
• 70 20-228-013 Japanese Seed Beads, size 11/0- White
• 52 20-228-153 Japanese Seed Beads, size 11/0- Pink Ceylon
• 12 20-228-313 Japanese Seed Beads, size 11/0- Ivory Ceylon
• 7 20-228-462 Japanese Seed Beads, size 11/0- Lt. Sapphire
• 80 61-119 Nymo Cord
• 1 65-030-12 Needle, size 12 "sharp"

Instructions:

1.  Using half the cord, string the needle.
   1. Anchor a bead at the far end of the cord, about 1" from the end by stringing any bead and tying it in place. (DO NOT knot it firmly; this bead comes off later in the project.) This anchor bead will make holding the project easier and stop beads from falling off. This end will be considered the left side of the project. Try to keep left & right in mind as the earring is made.
   2. Starting with the widest row (Row 1), string a White bead, a Pink, 2 Whites, a Pink, 2 Whites, a Pink, 2 Whites, a Pink, and another White (for a total of 12 beads). Push the beads toward the end of the cord, about ½" from the anchor bead. Now string back through the second bead from the end of the working cord (the cord end with the needle). Be sure to go through the left side of that bead.
   3. Now continue going through each bead in line. Be sure to go in the left-side hole first. When finished, the working cord should be next to the anchor bead.
   4. Pull tight. Beads should now be facing with their holes up and down.
      
      
2. Start the brick stitch.
   1. Starting from the last bead on the left (the side with both pieces of thread), string a Pink bead and hook the needle through the cord between the 1st and 2nd beads. Pull thread through and then pull needle back down into that bead, going in the same hole that the needle just came out of.
   2. Pick up another Pink and do the same as the above step. Continue down the row (Row 2) until you have 11 total beads- a Wh., 2 Pinks, Wh., 2 Pinks, Wh., and 2 more Pinks. Be sure to pull the beads tight and close to one another.
   3.  For Row 3, working back towards the left, add a Pink, 2 Wh., Pink, 2 Wh., Pink, 2 Wh., and another Pink. Notice that each row gets smaller as they are made.
      
      
   4. Make the following rows...
      Row 4- 9 Whites
      Row 5- 8 Ivory
      Row 6- a Saph, Wh., Saph, Wh., Saph, Wh., and a Saph
      Row 7- 6 Whites
      Row 8- 5 Whites
      Row 9- 4 Ivory
      
      
   5. After Row 9 is complete, string the needle back into the 2nd bead from the left end. From there go up through the rows coming out the very first bead in Row 1- the bead with the anchor cord coming out of it.
      
       
   6. Tie a small knot with the 2 cords and carefully cut off the remaining anchor cord. DO NOT cut the working cord!
      
3. Make the Handle.
   1. Needle should now be coming out of the 1st bead in the 1st Row. String approx. 30 White beads on to the cord. Pull needle down into the very last bead of Row 1.
      
      
   2. Continue down into the last beads of Row 2 and Row 3, then over to the next bead of that same row (a White bead). Now pull back up and again into the last beads of Row 2 and Row 1.
      
      
   3. Now make the handle more secure. Thread through the whole handle again. Needle should now be back on the left side of the project.
      
      
4.  Secure the working wire. Zigzag down and around various beads in the basket. When it feels snug and won't pull free, carefully trim the working cord.
   
   
5. Make the Bow:
   1. String 7 Pink beads and a Saph on to the newly cut working wire. Push beads towards the end leaving about ½" of cording at the end.
   2. Now run needle back through all of the Pink beads. Notice that leaving the Sapphire bead alone causes it to turn on its side. This will be the bottom of the bow.
   3. At the 1st bead, tie the 2 cords together in a small knot and carefully cut the end of the cord. (DO NOT cut off the working cord.)
      
      
   4. String another Saph bead and 12 Pink. Pull needle back into the Saph bead, making a loop of the Pink beads.
      
      
   5. String 12 more Pink beads and again pull through the same Saph bead to make the second loop of the bow.
      
      
   6. Add 7 Pink and a Saph to complete the other end of the bow. Push beads snug and then string needle back up into all 7 Pink beads and the middle Saph bead.
      
      
6. Attach the bow to the basket.
   1. The needle should be coming out the back of the bow and through the Saph bead. Arrange the bow in the desired spot on the basket and pull needle into that bead on the basket.
   2. If this is the desired spot for the bow, continue to secure it in place by zigzagging the cord throughout the beads of the basket.
   3. Trim cord when snug.
      
7. Attach earwire.
   
   
8. Complete the other earring.