Garden Path Earrings

Twiney vines of hand-painted gimp are perfect for Elaine Ray beads.

Designer Cynthia Deis

Ingredients

- 30 inches of hand-painted rayon gimp cording, cut into 6-5 inch pieces
- 2 tiny petals bead caps
- 12 Elaine Ray Magic Bean beads
- 2 square jump rings, ¼ inch
- 8 inches wire, 20 gauge, cut into 2-4 inch lengths
- 2 simple ear loops
- Fray check fabric glue

Tools

- Chain nose pliers
- Round nose pliers
- Scissors

1. Create a coiled loop on the length of wire. Feed three strands of gimp through the coil. Feed the wire on the coil through the bead cap so that the tassel emerges from the bead cap. Using your round nose pliers create a wrapped loop atop the bead cap, looping all the wire around the top of the cap.

2. Feed an Elaine Ray bean bead onto one gimp strand. Tie a knot at the very end of the strand of gimp to hold the bead on. Place a small drop of Fray Check on the knot. Repeat until all the tassel fringes are knotted. Open a square jump ring and attach the tassel to the ear wire.

Repeat to create second earring.