Russian Beaded Earrings

You'll need one or more colors of beads, a beading needle, and findings for making earrings.

• 10 grams size 11 main color seed beads
  
• 10 grams size 11 contrast color seed beads
  
• beading thread (I used size D black Nymo thread)
  
• beading needle (I used a size 10 beading needle)
  
• a larger bead or button or a clasp to close the necklace
  

I obtained all of the materials used in this beaded necklace project from Auntie's Beads. The look of your finished necklace will be determined by the beads you select for this project. Compare the look of the green and gold earrings shown here with the black and silver earrings illustrated in this project. The green earrings are slightly larger and wider than the black/silver earrings because they were made using different beads. The green earrings were made using size 11 Matsuno beads while the back.silver earrings were made using size 11 Miyuki beads, which are a little smaller than most other seed beads and are very regular in size from one bead to another.

You can use any beading needle or beading thread. I recommend using a strong beading thread so that you will get jewelry that resists wear (e.g., size D thread rather than size B). Some beaders use fishing line, which is very strong. That can work very well, though I prefer nylon because the resulting necklace is very fluid and flexible and because it is easy to weave in a new thread in the event it becomes necessary.

Cut about a meter of beading thread. You can use whatever colors you like. Just substitute your colors for the black and silver in these instructions. To make the earrings as shown, start by stringing on black, silver, silver, black.

Go back through the first black bead so that the thread enters and exits through the same side of the bead.

This is what you'll get after you've tightened the thread.

On one side (doesn't matter which) string: S, B, S, B, S, B, S, B, S, B, S, S

Using the other thread (not the one with all the silver and black beads), string on a black bead and go through a black bead.

Continue in this way, adding 1 black and passing through a black, until you get to the end of the beads. At the end of the row you will add 1 black and past through the silver bead on the end. See the zipper shape the beads make?

Add a single black bead and pass the needle through the top black bead of your pattern. Now you're going to work down the zipper the same way you worked up.

The bottom of each row ends when you get to the third bead from the end. Here is where you turn around. Add a silver bead and a black bead and pass the needle back up through the black bead that sticks out on the zipper or brick shape.

Add a black and go through the next black until you are at the top again. Do you see the pattern?

When you're at the top again, add a black, silver, black and go back through the top of the first black you added.

Add a black and go through the black sticking out in the zipper, until you are through the 3rd black bead from the bottom of the pattern. Add a silver and a black and pass the needle through the black that sticks out of the zipper.

When you get to the point where there are 7 silver inner edge beads and 7 outer edge beads, pick up the silver and black like always, but use silver beads to fill in the pattern.

Now you're done with one side of the earring pendant. Let's move to the silver side.

This works exactly the same, except all of the beads are silver. Add a silver bead. Pass through the second silver bead (the first bead of the backbone).

Add a silver bead and pass through a silver bead until you are 3 beads from the bottom (1 black and 2 silver beads). Add 2 silver beads.

Go through the outer silver bead and add a silver, pass through a silver until you are at the top of the pattern again; Add 3 silver beads, pass through the first of them, then add a silver, pass through as ilver until you are at 3 beads from the bottom.

Add 2 silver beads. Pass through the outer silver... continue the pattern until you have 7 silver inner edge beads. It's a little harder to see than with the black pattern, but the edge beads tilt at an angle.

String on a silver bead, your earring finding, and another silver bead, Connect the two sides of the earring.

The pattern has been flat so far, but when you pull the ends together it will bow out to form a three-dimensional shape. You can tie a knot if you like, but you should get a secure joining simply by weaving the threads in and out of the beads. Snip the threads when you are satisfied with your work. Now make a second earring!

If you like, you could hang a charm or pearl in the opening left below the earring finding.