Make Earrings from Grommets

Before: Washers from Grommet

Yesterday, we made a bracelet from brass grommets. The bracelet was so much fun to wear that we decided to make earrings using some of the still remaining grommet parts.

We used the large brass ring as the focal point to create dramatic earrings that swing as you wear them. We used the same style ear wire finding that we used in our earrings made from steel wire because we wanted the shape of the ear wire to echo the shape of the grommet. Same finding. Really different look.


Materials
Brass grommets
20-gauge round brass wire

After: Earrings by GeltDesigns

Tools 
Nylon jaw plier
Wire rounder
Round nose pliers or wire looping pliers
Flush cutter or a side cutter 
Three step wire looping pliers or mandrel
Steel bench block
Rawhide or plastic mallet

Step 1
Check the two grommets to be sure there are no sharp edges. Use 220-grit wet/dry sandpaper to sand away any sharp edges, if needed.

Step 2
Make the chain. We used 20-gauge brass wire and then made "S" links using the tip of our pliers because we wanted to create a very fine chain. In the last link of the chain, we made one very small loop and one very large loop so we could attach the chain to the grommet.

Step 3

Make the ear wires. Use nylon jaw pliers to smooth out and harden the wire. Make a small loop at the end of the 20-gauge wire. Wrap the round wire around a mandrel. For these earrings we used an orange block we "borrowed" from the toy box. Cut the wire with flush cutters after you wrapped the wire completely around the block one time. Bend the blunt cut end of the wire so it is parallel to the loop.

Use a wire rounder or a flex shaft ( or pin vise) and cup burs to file the end of the ear wire smooth. Place the ear wire on a steel bench block and hammer the ear wire to harden the metal and prevent the finding from changing shape when used and worn.

We used 20-gauge round brass wire and a mandrel to create the ear wire in the same style we used and demonstrated how to make in earrings made from steel wire. The middle portion of wire looping pliers are also a good size to create ear wires. Copper or sterling 20-gauge wire can be used to create an interesting color contrast, but today we decided to stick with brass.

Step 4
Assemble the parts.

Step 5
Repeat to create second earring. 

Related Tutorials
Make Your Own "S" Chain
Make a Bracelet from Grommets
Make Earrings from Steel Wire
How to Make Your Own Wire Wrapping Tool Kit
How to Care for Your Wire Wrapping Tools
How to Straighten Wire
How to Smooth Sharp Edges on Wire
How to Measure Wire
How to Use a Wire Gauge
How to Make Your Own Silver Bangle Bracelet
How to Store Beads 
GeltDesigns Tutorials by Topics

Further Reading
"Making Designer Jewelry from Hardware, Gems, and Beads": Nicole Noelle Sherman; 2008.
"Hardwear: Jewelry from a Toolbox"; Hannah Rogge; 2006.
"Making Wire Jewelry: 60 Easy Projects in Silver, Copper & Brass"; Helen Clegg, Mary Larom; 1999.

TGIF. Enjoy your weekend. :)
 
Day 27. Week 4. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent: 0
Found materials: Brass grommets
New Jewelry a Day.  

Make a Bracelet from Grommets

Before: Grommets

We had a box of grommets leftover from a project. Actually, there were only half of the grommets left (the washer side of the grommet)....but the parts that were left are brass and really, really pretty. Clearly, they were meant to be jewelry.

After playing with our bead board for a while arranging the washer side of the grommets into different patterns using different shaped and sized links that we made from brass wire, we decided we would make a very simple, but elegant bracelet using our 18-gauge round brass wire.

After: Bracelet by GeltDesigns

Materials
Brass grommets
18-gauge round brass wire

Tools 
Bead board
220-grit wet/dry sandpaper
Nylon jaw plier
Wire rounder
Round nose pliers
Flush cutter or a side cutter 
Steel bench block
Rawhide or plastic mallet 



Step 1
Check the grommets to be sure there are no sharp edges. Use 220-grit wet/dry sandpaper to sand away sharp edges, if needed. Wash the grommets to remove dirt, grease and grim.

Step 2

Make the links. We made links with three circles. Begin by running nylon jaw pliers along the brass wire to harden the wire and help the wire retain its shape once formed as a link. Wrap the wire around the base of your round nose pliers to make the first circle. Wrap the wire one and a half times around the base of the pliers to make a second circle. Wrap the the wire around the base a third time to make the third circle for the link. Cut the wire from the spool. Use your wire rounder to smooth the ends of the wire.



Step 3
Test the links to be sure the link will fit over the grommet and there is enough slack so the bracelet will move nicely. Repeat to create four more links (or the number needed to make the size bracelet you want).

Step 4
Make the clasp. We made the clasp so it is the same shape as the link. We used the same technique as outlines in step 2, except we left the last circle slightly open and shaped it into a hook. Test the hook to be sure it also fits over the grommet.

Grommet Bracelet by GeltDesigns

Step 5
Assemble the links, the grommets and the clasp.

Related Tutorials
How to Make Your Own Wire Wrapping Tool Kit
How to Care for Your Wire Wrapping Tools
How to Straighten Wire
How to Smooth Sharp Edges on Wire
How to Measure Wire
How to Use a Wire Gauge
How to Make Your Own Silver Bangle Bracelet
How to Store Beads 
GeltDesigns Tutorials by Topics 

Further Reading
"Making Designer Jewelry from Hardware, Gems, and Beads": Nicole Noelle Sherman; 2008.
"Hardwear: Jewelry from a Toolbox"; Hannah Rogge; 2006. 
"Making Wire Jewelry: 60 Easy Projects in Silver, Copper & Brass"; Helen Clegg, Mary Larom; 1999.

Day 26. Week 4. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent: 0
Found materials: Brass grommets
New Jewelry a Day.