How to Make Climbing Earrings

Climbing earrings are an artistic stud earring design where a single, stiff metal piece stretches up the length of the side of the ear lobe, covering the fleshy bottom of the ear with a filigreed decoration. This somewhat unusual design will allow you to wear elaborate, ornate earrings without the inconvenience of dangling parts. You can create your own climbing earrings by fashioning loop designs from jump rings, small wire or metal rings, not soldered shut.Other People Are ReadingHow to Make Wire Jewelry EarringsHow to Make Unusual EarringsThings You'll NeedStringMarkerEarring studSilver or gold jump ringsRhinestones or small beadsCameraJewelry solderSoldering ironEpoxyToothpickNeedle-nosed pliersShow MoreInstructions    

1Measure the available space on your ear to ensure that you don't make the climbing Fashion Stud Earrings too big. Decide as you do this how high you want the earrings to go, and whether you'd like them to extend up into the ridged, cartilage section of the ear or just cover the soft bottom of the lobe. Stretch the string along the length you want to cover and trim it to that measurement. Use a marker to mark the spot on the length of the string that lines up with your piercing hole.

2Create a design by laying out the components, but not yet attaching them. Insert the stud into a piece of foam or the flattened top of a piece of modeling clay. Lay out the jump rings and other rhinestones next to the stud, extending in lines on other side (with the line above the center stud being longer). Try some different arrangements of pieces until you get a design you like.

3Use the piece of string from Step 1 to measure your design and make sure it isn't too long. Take a quick photo to help you remember this arrangement once you start assembling the pieces.

4Solder the jump rings to the stud. Try to position the solder so that it covers the “open” section of the jump ring, as this will both look better and make the earrings more sturdy. Let the solder on each ring harden before you attach the next one.

5Attach the other gems or beads to the jump rings using epoxy or jewelry glue. Use a toothpick to apply the glue to the bottom of the object, then position it using needle-nosed pliers. If you are gluing beads in place, position them so that the beading holes are to the side, rather than pointing up and down and thus, visible from the front.

6Reinforce any parts of the finished shape with extra spots of glue and solder. Apply from the back side of the earring so that you can use a little more without it being visible from the front.

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