DIY wood and mirror earrings

I recently made some painted wooden disc earrings for a shoot. It got me thinking about how long it has been since I made earrings or wrote an earrings tutorial for the blog. While I was wondering about a design that would be suitable for the season, I realised that I had to make jewellery to wear on Diwali. You see, I bought an elegant black handloom cotton kurta (tunic) with mirrorwork embroidery. I had initially planned to make a neckpiece and earrings using vintage components. However, I decided to pair the vintage necklace with wooden earrings with mirrorwork to make it look more eclectic. So here you have DIY wood and mirror earrings tutorial. The earrings were made for Diwali but can be worn whenever you want some sparkle in your life.

DIY wood and mirror earrings

The process of making the earrings is very simple. All you need are small wooden discs, some paint and some cut mirror embellishments. I worked with smooth wooden discs that I found in a scrapbooking/craft store. If your discs are not smooth you can sand them with emery paper and apply a coat of gesso before you paint them. I painted my earrings in black to match my kurta. You can paint it to either match or contrast with your clothing.

• Level – Beginner (must know how to make an earhook using wire)
• Time required – 15 mins plus drying time

Materials

• 1.25 inches wood discs with hole – 2
• 1cm round mirrors – 2
• 1cm diamond mirrors – 12
• Black acrylic paint
• Strong white/clear glue
• 6 inches Silver tone artistic wire
• Tools – Round nose pliers/bail making pliers, chain nose pliers, wire cutter

Method

1. Apply a dot of glue to the centre of your wooden disc and glue the round mirror.
2. Glue the diamond mirrors around the round mirror so that the motif represents a six petaled flower. Wipe of any extra glue and wait for it to dry.
3. Paint both the front and back of the discs with black acrylic colour. Swap with any other solid colour of your choice to create variations.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 to complete the pair of earrings.
5. Cut the length of wire into two. Mark one inch tail on each of the bits.
6. Insert the wire into the hole and make a loop at the one inch mark. Wrap the extra tail around the loop.
7. Using your round nose pliers or bail making pliers (or a smooth pen) create the ear hook. Bend the last 3mm of the wire slightly upwards to create a hold.

The best part about this DIY wood and Mirror earrings is that it is lightweight, yet statement making. It makes your outfit look festive and will work really well for parties and dinners.

Do try it out. Check out the tutorial section of the blog for more jewellery making tutorials.

I hope that you find it interesting
Cheers