Project - Ojibway

Chandelier earrings with feathers and chain pendants

  • Material

  • 2 earring hooks, antique brass
  • 2 round chandelier connectors, antique brass
  • 18 jump rings of 4 mm, antique brass
  • 48 cm of welded 2 x 1 mm curb chain, antique brass
  • 78 seed beads, zircon blue with a silver center
  • +/- 70 cm of 1 mm waxed cotton cord, black
  • 6 2 mm crimp beads, antique brass
  • +/- 60 cm of Wildfire 0.20 mm nylon string, black
  • 12 5-6'' rooster feathers, turquoise
  • +/- 50 cm of 0.018" nylon covered steel string, 7 strand, navy blue
  • Tools

  • Flexible threading needle 2.25"
  • Scissors
  • Beadfix Glue
  • Beading Awl
  • Sharp pliers
  • 2 flat nose pliers
  • Standard crimp beads pliers
  • Ruler

Connector wrapping

Step 1
Measure and cut +/- 35 cm of waxed cotton cord. Place one of the extremities of the cord at the junction of the circles and the connector as illustrated.

Step 2
Make 2 tight turns on the connector with the longest extremity of the cord. To maintain the cord in place, put a drop of glue using the tip of a beading awl then cut the little excess of cord.

Step 3
Wrap the cord around the metallic arm of the connector until you reach the first loop then insert the cord in it.

Note:Be careful to tighten and bring closer each of the turns made with the cord to completely cover the metallic arm of the connector.


Step 4
Insert the cord in the first loop of the middle circle, by passing it from the bottom and making it exit from the top. Then, pass the cord in the third loop of the large circle by passing the cord over.

TIP:Place a drop of glue at the end of the cord to prevent it from fraying.


Step 5
Repeat this step by alternating from top to bottom and by skipping one out of two loops of the large circle up to the last loop of the middle circle.

Step 6
Wrap the cord around the arm of the middle circle up to the junction of the two circles. Put a drop of glue with the tip of a beading awl then cut the excess of the cord.

Seed beads decoration

Step 7
Measure and cut +/- 30 cm of nylon string. Tie the string on the cord left to the large circle. Keep a length of about 25 cm of string to work with. Put a drop of glue then cut any excess string.

Step 8
Thread the string in the first loop of the small circle by passing it under then, position the string at the cord’s left.

Step 9
Using a needle, string 10 seed beads then go down to the third loop of the large circle by placing the string at the right of the cord that is already there.

Step 10
Continue in the same fashion by following the trajectory of the cord from top to bottom. Position the thread at the cord’s left in the loops of the middle circle and to the right of those of the large circle, to create an undulation and also allow the cord and the seed bead segments to cross. For the last segment of pearls, string only 9 seed beads. To finish, thread the string in the last loop of the middle circle and tie the string to the previously wrapped cord. Put a drop of glue then cut the excess string.

Repeat step 1 to 10 to wrap and decorate the second connector. Do not forget to reverse everything so that the earrings can be symmetrical.


Making feather bouquets

Step 11

You will need 6 feather bouquets to make a pair of earrings.

Choose 2 feathers and overlap them so that the tip are even. From their tips, measure 6.5 cm then cut any excess.


Step 12
Measure and cut 10 cm of nylon covered steel string. Insert the string in a closed jump ring of 4 mm then bend the string in 2 even parts. String a crimp bead on both ends of the string and bring it close to the jump ring. Do not crush the crimp bead.

Step 13
Insert the feather bouquet in the crimp bead. Position the most colorful side of the feathers facing you above the strings and crush the crimp beads using the standard crimp bead pliers. Cut any excess string as close to the crimp bead as possible.

Repeat these steps to make the five other bouquets.


Making chain pendants

Step 14

You will need 8 chain pendants for the earrings.

Measure and cut 6 cm of curb chain. Using a beading awl, round the first link of one of the extremities of the chain to widen it, as illustrated. This will allow you to insert a 4 mm jump ring in it. Do not close the links right away.

Repeat this step to make the other chain pendants.


How to put the chain pendants and feather bouquets

Step 15
Fix a feather bouquet on the middle loop of the large circle of the connector using the help of the jump ring previously added to the bouquet. Open and close the jump ring using two flat nose pliers.

Step 16
Proceed in the same fashion to fix all the other feather bouquets and chain pendants, alternating them on both earrings, as illustrated.

Finishing

Step 17
Link the connector to the earring hooks using two 4 mm jump rings inserted in another.

Inspiration & Variation