DIY Rhinestone disk earrings

Hello everyone, Wishing you all a very very happy New year. Keeping up with the JOS New year Tradition here is a tutorial  to make Rhinestone disk earrings, as the first post of the year. I feel that every new year is like a second chance. It gives us the opportunity to learn something new and make ourselves better. Whilst a tutorial might not help in soul cleansing, it is indeed wonderful to learn how to make a beautiful object. Don’t you think so?
In this post, I am going to be showing you how to make your very own sparkly “Rhinestone disk earrings”. In the west the holiday season might have concluded with New year day,  but in India, it still continues with a harvest festival (known as Pongal, sankranthi or Bihu) coming up. So bling is still very much in. Without much ado here is the tutorial. The Original idea of using Aluminium foil to create jewelry must be credited to the late Aileen of Aileen’s Tacky glue. 

DIY Rhinestone disk earrings

Materials:

1. Cardboard
2. Aluminium foil
3. Acrylic paints (Purple, magenta, gold, black)
4. Paint brush
5. Modpodge
6. Purple rhinestone chain
7. Pearl Rhinestone chain
8. Violet ball chain
9. Eyepins – 2
10. Ear hooks (use readymade or make your own with wire)

Method:

1. Cut cardboard into 2 circles; Mine are about an inch
2. Tear some aluminium foil, cruh it and glue on the cardboard (on both sides) using mod podge or any clear glue. Inset an eyepin with the loop on top into the disc while its drying; you can do it during step 4 also Let it dry for 20 minutes
3. Dab paint on the discs, use black for shadows, gold for highlights. Leave the disc unpainted in parts if you want a “white highlight”
4. Once dry, seal with 2 coats of mod podge. Let it dry for 20 minutes and then seal the back.

5. Glue the pearl rhinestone chain on the circumference of the discs and the purple one inside. Finish by gluing the ball chain
6. Let it dry again and add ear hooks to the discs. You could also make your own earhooks with wire using a step pliers 
#Optional Step: Mix liquid epoxy resin as per manufactures instructions and coat the front and back of the earrings with it. Dry and cure for 72 hours before adding the ear hooks.

Your extremely light weight, blingly Rhinestone disk earrings are now ready to wear and Enjoy!

In the spirit of full disclosure, I originally made these earrings to go with grand statement necklace for a client in the middle of 2015 to match with her somewhat muted silk saree. The colors were difficult – a double shade of dull purple and dull greenish gold with a hint of magenta and had huge flowers (thread zari work) on the body and pallu. My client wanted something grand but not too loud to go with this saree and I spent a lot of scratching my head for a design. Finally borrowing an idea from my Paprika collection I made a set. I fell in love with the earrings so much, that I made myself a pair later and it is a head turner whenever I wear it.

If you follow the tutorial and make variations of these earrings, please send me a pic. I would love to share them on my facebook page

I hope you found it interesting
 Cheers