Make Leather & Lampwork Glass Bead Earrings

Before: Imitation Leather

I made the beads for these earrings years ago in a lampwork class. The instructor asked the class to make a basic blue bead and then add dots. Making the first bead was easy. Making a matching second bead...not so much. The beads sat in a bin in our workshop until we decided to use the beads to

After: Earrings by GeltDesigns.com

make them into earrings for our New Jewelry a Day project.

Materials
2 lampwork glass beads (or beads of your choice)
Leather, imitation leather or other stringing material
2 fish hook brass ear wires (or findings of your choice)

Step 1
Make or select two lampwork glass beads.

Step 2

Slide lampwork bead on leather

Cut a piece of imitation leather, leather or other stringing material of your choice five inches long. Slide the ear wire onto the cut stringing material until the finding is centered. Fold the stringing material in half so the finding is at the top of the folded material.

Step 3
Measure 1/2 inch and make a knot below the finding so the finding is secured in a loop.

Step 4
Slide the lampwork bead onto the stringing material until it sits just below the knot.

Tie knot below lampwork bead

Step 5
Make a second knot just below the lampwork glass bead.

Step 6
Trim the stringing material, if needed, so that the fringe at the bottom is even and about 1-inch long.

Step 7
Repeat to make the second matching earring.

Related Tutorial
How to Make an Ear Wire Jig

After: Earrings by GeltDesigns.com

Related Projects
Make a Glass & Knotted Leather Necklace
Make a Ring from Gimp
Make a Leather & Button Bracelet

Further Reading
"Leather Jewelry: 30 Contemporary Projects (Lark Jewelry Books)"; Nathalie Mornu; 2010.

Knots & Knotting
"Mod Knots: Creating Jewelry and Accessories with Macrame"; Cathi Milligan; 2009.
"Decorative Knot Craft: Over 20 Innovative Knotting And Macrame Accessories"; Kim Sang Lang; 2008.
"Elegant Knotted Jewelry: Techniques and Projects Using Maedeup"; Becky Meverden; 2009.

Lampwork
"Flameworking: Creating Glass Beads, Sculptures & Functional Objects";  Elizabeth Mears; 2003.
"The Complete Book of Glass Beadmaking";  Kimberley Adams; 2005.
 "Beads of Glass"; Cindy Jenkins; 2010.
"Making Glass Beads"; Cindy Jenkins; 2004.
"Creative Glass Techniques: Fusing, Painting, Lampwork" Bettina Eberle; 2005.

Lampwork Jewelry
"Creating Lampwork Beads for Jewelry"; Karen Leonardo; 2007.
"Making Handmade Lampwork Beads & Glass Jewelry"; Danny Ronat, Hava Ronat; 2008.


Day 46.  Month 3.  Jewelry from Found Objects.
Found materials: imitation leather, lampwork orphan beads
New Jewelry a Day.