Sunny Day Skull Earrings Tutorial

Created by: Rita Hutchinson

Designer Tips

Create skull dangles and outer-circle Size 6 E bead dangles with headpins, corrugated beads, and seed beads.
For step-by-step direction on making head pin loops, see Jewelry Basics 101 (PDF)
Wrap wire around a 1-3/4" dowel or round form about 3 times. From this, cut 2 matching pieces of wire (each ring should overlap at the ends by about 1/2", in other words, be a bit more than 2"" long).
Artistic Wire is soft. Hammer the ring of wire with the rawhide mallet on your steel block. This shouldn't change the shape of the wire, but will work-harden it and help to retain the circle shape.
Create a loop on one end of the wire ring, and then string on seed beads and size 6 E bead dangles as desired.

Finish the ring with a second loop once completed, and adjust these two loops into alignment. (If the wire is too long, you may trim it slightly).
Add jump ring to skull dangle. (See Jewelry Basics 101 for best way to open and close jump rings.)
Open earwire loop, and add the embellished wire ring and the skull's jump ring to the ear wire loop. Securely close loop.
Repeat for other earring.

This pair of earrings originally used size 6/0 Matubo 3-Cut beads in Opaque Red Picasso, Turquoise Blue Picasso and Lemon Picasso, but these beads are no longer available. You can use your favorite colorful E beads in their place. We've added suggested subs below.

Suggested Supplies

1 strand (use 2 beads) #75-000-94-06-00 Dyed Magnesite Gemstone Beads, Skull, 12mm - Multi-color
1 bag (use 4 beads) #23-264-211 Czech Glass Bead, "E" Beads, Size 6/0 - Red
1 tube (use 4 beads) #23-246-1089 Czech Glass Matubo 3-Cut Bead, 6/0 - Turquoise Green Picasso
1 bag (use 4 beads) #23-264-321 Czech Glass Bead, "E" Beads, Size 6/0 - Yellow
1 tube (use 60 beads) #20-228-610 TOHO Glass Seed Bead, Matte Black, size 11/0, Matte, 2.1mm
1 gross (use 18 beads) #26-463-3 3mm Round Corrugated Beads - Silver Plated
1 gross (use 2) #34-362-3 Silver Plated Earring Hook Findings, Plain
1 oz (use 2) #37-145-3 Silver Plated Jump Ring, Round, 6mm
1 spool (use about 20") #46-450-21 Artistic Wire Silver Plated Copper Jewelry Wire, 20ga, 25ft
1 hundred (use 10 pins) #37-099-15-3 Silver Plated Ball End Head Pin, Standard, 1.5"