Hammered Metal Earrings DIY

I am so glad the hammered metal look is in style because it’s pretty much my favorite. (Which means I’ll probably be wearing it long after it goes out of style.) I also love how easy it is to make your own DIY hammered metal jewelry. We’ll start with these simple hammered metal earrings DIY in a half-moon shape.

Supplies needed to make your own hammered metal earrings DIY:

• 14 Gauge Gold-Toned Jewelry Wire
• Anvil
• Chasing Hammer
• Wire Cutters
• Chain Nose Pliers
• Nylon Jaw Pliers
• Earring Hooks

Prep. You will likely need to smooth your wire out using the nylon jaw pliers. These pliers are made to straighten or bend wire without creating sharp creases.

Step 1. Start by forming a half-moon shape out of the wire. Use something round in the size you are looking for. This will give you the same shape and size every time you make the shape. I used the top of a paint bottle. Use wire cutters to snip the wire once you have your shape. Do this twice (cause you need two earrings!).

Step 2. Using the anvil, hammer the half-moon shapes. Hammering wire hardens it, which you want because that’s how it holds a shape. However, too much hammering causes the wire to be brittle and break. So start my hammering just a little, with medium pressure. Flatten the wire a bit and get those nice hammered dents. This is what your earrings DIY should look like – lightly hammered and hammered a bit more at the tips, for a flatter look. Step 3. Now we’ll close our half moon shape up. Cut a short piece of wire to wrap across the top. I found that this actually works best if you hammer the piece first and then wrap it around each of the half-moon ends (you can wrap it first and then hammer, though). Start the wrap with your finger and then continue with the flat nose pliers, squishing it tight. You can cut off any excess wire after you’ve wrapped 2-3 times.This is what it looks like if you hammer it after wrapping it. Not as clean as it could look.Step 4. Use the flat nose pliers to open the earring hook and place it in the middle of the half moon shape. Tighten the hook more than you usually would for earrings. That way the hook won’t slide on the half-moon.Eek! I LOVE these earrings DIY so much!

Does this earrings DIY tutorial give you any ideas for other cool designs?

Katie

Katie is the creative mind behind lemonjitters.com, a blog dedicated to all things crafty. Her interests are ever-changing and currently include: kitschy kitchen timers, digital design, eating lots of chocolate and paper crafting.