There are many cool earrings out there in the wild masquerading as clip-ons. I have tried to wear them but, no thanks, it is less painful to change them quickly and cheaply. I own an abundance of tools, but if you can’t make it over to my house to use them you should probably stock up on a few.
First of all don’t go anywhere near a craft store until you have a coupon from the paper, mail or online, if you forget yours you can google and it can be scanned right from your smart phone. You can also get your pliers from a hardware store, but the prices are pretty similar when you use a coupon.
We won’t use all in each project, but I will add the most useful as I think of them
1. Round Pliers (I am sure there is a more technical name but it is escaping me at the moment) are good for making rings and curving metal wire.
2. Standard pliers (these come in all shapes, colors and sizes, just make sure they feel good in your hand)
3. Wire cutters (mine double as standard pliers so they are multipurpose, you can get snub nose cutters and two pairs of pliers, whatever your preference you will most likely need two pairs of pliers at your disposal for proper jump ring action)
4. Assortment of headpins
5. Assortment of jump rings (I like to have lots of colors and shapes around)
6. Ear wires (These are the basic ugly ones that I adapt, or you can purchase prettier ones at the store or make your own if you are really ambitious)
7. You must have interesting tidbits that you have found. There are a ton of cool components at thrift stores, garage sales, or your mom’s dresser. Try not to think about it as a whole but as pieces that can be broken up, and be sure to inspect them carefully and make sure the cool parts aren’t broken or chipped.
#1 These earrings would be discarded because they are clip-ons. NO! Simply remove the clip-ons with your pliers and replace with regular ear wires. I takes mere minutes to bring these beauties back in style.
#2 requires little skill but a few more supplies.
When I am out and about, well not anymore because I have enough for a lifetime. I buy necklaces that have a lot of bang for the buck. They have a lot of dangly things or a lot of chain that can be reused. Like this one.
Ugly to the untrained eye, but very useful to me. Just one section released from what looks like Skeletor’s head makes a lovely pair of earrings, with a few additional goodies.
After freeing these cute diamonds, I simply wrapped the chain around once and toggled it on the jump ring.
These are my new favorites. Light and long with an unexpected black accent.
Don’t forget to find a toolbox and some containers to keep your new crap organized.
Hey! Thanks for reading.
