Guest jewelry artist Evette Potts shows you several ways to make your own interchangeable earrings.

Materials --

Interchangeable earring wires: lever backs, drops, fishhook wires, paddle wires
Head pins
Beads, pearls, crystals
Chain
Chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Wire cutters

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

Paddle Wires

1. Simply slip your bead of choice over the paddle wire end (figure A).

   Note: Paddle wires are ear wires that are flattened on one end. The paddle ends acts as a stopper. This is the easiest of all, because the beads slide on and off in seconds.

Dangle Chain

1. Start out with a length of chain. Attach the chain to a headpin (figure B) and then cut one end of the chain and then cut the other end the exact same length.

2. The dangle is then attached to a lever back. Lever backs come with a closed loop on the end and the interchangeable backs have a loop on the end (figure C) with a "U" shape.

3. Simply slip the dangle onto the lever back. You can make dangles with different colored beads and then just change them whenever you want a different look.

Make Your Own Earring Wires

1. Start off with a decorative head pin. Decorative head pins now come in all shapes and sizes.

2. Bend the head pin into an earring wire (figure D).

3. Create a dangle by placing beads on the head pin Add a bead and then slip it onto the earring wire you created.