DIY Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

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Adding a DIY touch to store-bought jewelry is an easy, inexpensive way to make it your own. Try your hand at transforming a simple pair of teardrop earrings with this project inspired by a $320 pair of Tom Binns earrings. All you need to do is add pearls and safety pins for some serious punk chic style.

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Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

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Things You'll Need

  • Rhinestone teardrop earrings

  • Eye pins

  • Pearl beads

  • Small safety pins

  • 12 mm jump rings (2)

  • Jewelry pliers

Tip

Not sure where to find rhinestone teardrop earrings? Check out inexpensive clothing and accessory retailers such as Forever 21, H&M, and Claire's.

Your earrings don't have to look exactly like the pair used in this project. The most essential feature is that there is an opening in the center of each earring. This will give the pearl chain a spot to latch on to. As long as your earrings fulfill this requirement, you're good to go!

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Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

Step 1

Add a pearl bead to an eye pin. If necessary, trim the eye pin. There should be 1/2 inch of wire left.

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Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

Step 2

Using the needle nose tip of the pliers, bend the extra 1/2 inch of wire into a loop. This step creates a pearl connector link. In this project, we'll create several of these and attach them together to create a pearl chain.

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Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

Step 3

Connect a second eye pin to the pearl link. To open the eye pin's loop, bend it outward with the pliers.

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Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

Step 4

Slide a pearl bead onto the new eye pin.

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Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

Step 5

Repeat Steps 2–4 to continue creating the pearl chain link. To recreate earrings influenced by the inspiration piece, stop at four pearls. Of course, you can use more pearls, if you'd like. The more pearls you use, the longer the pearl chain will be.

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Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

Step 6

Bend open a 12 mm jump ring with the jewelry pliers.

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Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

Step 7

Attach the jump ring to the teardrop earring. Add the pearl chain.

Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

Step 8

Bend the jump ring closed to secure the pearl chain to the earring.

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Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

Step 9

Attach safety pins in between the pearl beads. For a strand of four pearl beads, you will need three safety pins.

Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

Step 10

Connect the safety pins together using an additional safety pins. For a strand of four pearl beads, you'll need another three safety pins.

Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

Step 11

Repeat Steps 1–10 to create the second earring.

Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

How easy was that? These earrings are awesome because they can add major oomph to basic clothing. And since this project makes such a statement, you won't have to worry about the rest of your jewelry.

Image Credit: Punk Chic Rhinestone Earrings

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