Oh you guys, I’m so excited to be adding new contributors this month to Make It and Love It!  It really is so fun to share this space with some talented (and super darling) gals, who also love to create!  Today’s newest contributor is Tara from Suburble, who can make anything look pretty! She crafts, cooks, designs, decorates…and then takes gorgeous photos and shares it!
WELCOME TARA!! Â –Ashley
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Hello everyone! I’m so excited to be joining the team of Make It and Love it contributors. I’ve been following this blog since long before I started my own little haunt on the internet. My name is Tara, and I blog at Suburble – a blog about life in the ‘burbs. One thing that immediately connected me to Ashley way-back-when was when I learned that she and I both have big feet. I have size 11s and she has 12s. Both equally hard-to-find shoe sizes.
She’s my “sole sistah”.
Okay. That was a terrible pun. I’ll stop.
Today I’m going to share a very simple, perfect-for-dipping-your-toes-in earring tutorial. If you’ve always wanted to make your own jewelry, but were overwhelmed by the idea – don’t be. It’s actually an easy and moderately addicting hobby.
Simple and classic, a small drop earring is the perfect accessory for a casual outfit – or as a gift for a friend!
First, you’ll need some pliers. The easiest way to do this is to buy a kit with everything in it. But if you already have a set or two kicking around, you will need:
Flat nosed pliers (two sets)
Round-nosed pliers
Wire cutters
To make these uber-simple turquoise earrings – I will admit to you, turquoise is one of my favourite colours and stones to work with – you will need a few supplies. Hooks and headpins fall under a category called “findings” – you can also buy large kits of a variety of hooks, backings, head pins and jump rings in your metal of choice.
Beads are something you should always be on the lookout for. If there’s a sale at Joann, or if you’re cruising the thrift shop, always keep an eye out for interesting beads or necklaces to deconstruct.
Earring supplies:
You’ll start by making a charm. That means slipping your turquoise and gold beads onto the headpin, and then bending the tail in a 90 degree angle over your round-nosed pliers.
Once you have that bend, you will use your flat-nosed pliers to help curve the tail around the round nose to make a loop.
Wrap the tail around neck of the wire – just under your pliers – Â a couple of times and then snip off with your wire cutters.
You can use your flat-nosed pliers to press down any extra bit of wire that may be sticking out.
Boom! Charm done. That’s how quick it is!
Now do it again, so that you have two for your pair of earrings.
These earring hooks are awesome, because they have a little loop that is perfect for quickly opening and slipping on a charm. That little bead just moves away from the joint, and with both of your flat-nosed pliers, open the loop, add the charm, and then close again.
The best way to get a secure close is to use the flat-nosed pliers instead of your fingers. You get a tighter loop and you’re less likely to get a weird bend in the wire.
In no time at all, the earrings are finished!
You’ll find that once you start making jewelry, and you feel the pride in finishing your first piece, you won’t look at retail pieces the same way again!
It opens up a whole new world!
-Tara
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For more easy DIY jewelry inspiration, check out some of these gems:
Altering Used/New Jewelry to make custom pieces: