Step 13: Bugle Bead Foundation Earrings
Step 13: To finish the earring, open the loop on an earwire, slip on the beaded earring you just completed, then close the loop.
Now here are some details on how to deal with the loop on the earwire in case you’re not familiar with them. Use pliers. I use two pairs, a chain-nose and a flat nose. My husband only uses one pair, the chain-nose pliers. Try both ways to find out which works best for you. He holds the earwire with one hand. In my method, I use the second pair of pliers to hold the earwire.
This is his way:
Hold the earwire firmly between your thumb and forefinger, with the end of the earwire pointed away from your hand. Use the chain-nose pliers to raise the attachment loop so that it looks as shown on the left of the photo. Be careful just to raise the loop; don’t stretch it out or distort it. Doing this just right takes a little practice.
Never spread the loop apart by pulling the end out to the side. That would distort the shape of the loop and make it difficult to re-close it fully.
Slip the earring onto the open loop and then close the loop back by using the fine tips of the chain-nose pliers to put the end of the wire back into the original plane. At this stage, you need also to be careful that the pliers don’t break any of the beads near where you are closing the loop.
In the photo above the first item is an open earwire. The second item is the open earwire with the earring slipped on. The final item is the earwire closed and the earring ready to be worn.
