Crocheted Heart Earrings

As a Valentine’s Day gift for my daughter, I decided to attempt to make some heart shaped earrings.  Here’s what I came up with:

Items needed:

3.5 mm (E) crochet hook (don’t use your favorite, as wire can scrape it up!)

32 gauge silver wire

Red Seed Beads (about 33 for each earring, plus a few extra just in case)

2 earring hooks

Needle nose pliers

Crocheting with wire is exactly the same as normal crocheting.  However, you do need to make sure and not crochet too tight, otherwise you may break the wire.

To add the beads in a single crochet, insert hook , wire over hook and pull up loop, slide one bead over to your hook, wire over hook making sure the bead stays put,and pull through both loops on hook.  You will do this on every single crochet made.

Heart (make 2):

String up all the beads onto the wire

Row 1: Ch 2, sc 3 into second ch from hook

Row 2: Inc in first, sc, Inc (5 total)

Row 3: Inc, sc 3, inc (7)

Row 4: Sc across

Row 5:  Sc, Dc 3 times into next sc (alternate bead placement on the dc, sometimes pulling over the bead on the first wire over, sometimes on the second), sc 3, dc 3 times in next, sc

Bind off and weave in ends.  By gently pulling and tugging, shape the heart.

Take your earring hooks and carefully pull the loop open with your pliers.  Attatch the heart and carefully close up the loop.

Wear your earrings proudly on Valentine’s Day, making everyone “ooh” and “ahh” over your skills =)

Bead Crochet Tutorial

This tutorial is based on a pattern found here and assumes you are familiar with the basics of crochet.

Needed:

Size E (3.5 mm) aluminum hook

32 gauge wire

Memory wire (bracelet size)

Beads of choice (enough to make it around you wrist once strung)

1. String desired number of beads onto wire. Note: At least one bead will equal one crochet chain, but feel free to add extra beads in order to have two or three beads in each single chain (smaller beads work better for this).

2. Begin making a crochet chain, pulling one bead down to your hook and using the wire above it to pull through (remember to do this a bit looser than you would normally).

3. Continue your crochet chain until you are out of beads.

4. When you have completed your chain, chain one more and turn. Single crochet across the row, only on the back post and keeping each loop on the hook rather than pulling through.

5. Bind your wire at the end and weave it in. Next, cut a piece of memory wire to fit, and slide the wire through the loops left on your crochet hook. Fasten off the ends of the memory wire by either using an end bead, or by forming a small loop using pliers.

Technorati Tags: crochet, bead, jewelry, bracelet

Crochet Wire Jewelry

I came across this Crochet Me pattern a while back and decided it would make an easy, fast Mother’s Day gift to add to the basket.

The pattern itself was pretty basic, however I did change it a bit. I used a smaller gauge wire (32) than what they suggested, and added a few more beads. The pattern instructs you to crochet a bit with the wire and beads, then string it onto a string of sorts to make into a necklace. I decided instead to string it onto a bit of bracelet sized memory wire to turn it into a bracelet. This was the first time I had ever done bead crochet…and I think I may have found a new obsession!

Technorati Tags: jewelry, bead, bracelet, earring, crochet

A Fishy Necklace

To me, Wal-Mart is one of those necessary evils. I hate shopping there, but their prices are so low on some things, that it just has to happen occasionally. A while back I went on a bead shopping spree. They actually have some pretty fun beads there. This necklace is made up of beads purchased at Wal-Mart, and oddly enough, this simple necklace has received more compliments than many other necklaces I’ve made.

The fish makes such a great focal point, and the details on some of the beads accent it really well.

Another great detail is the swirl above the fish. I made this simply by bending an eye pin about a third of the way down, and shaping the rest into a swirl. I tried to make the swirl a bit on the “rough” side in order to fit into the earthy feel of the necklace.

All total, the beads for this necklace (including the fish) cost me less than $10, with plenty of beads to spare. Not a bad price and very simple to make!

Technorati Tags: necklace, jewelry, beading