Any tips/ideas on how to make pop top earrings?

Question

I've been saving the pretty colored pop tops from energy drinks for a while. I found out how to make a bracelet from them, but no luck on earrings and I'm not an expert on jewelry making so I'm not quite sure on how I would go about making earrings out of them.

Any suggestions are very much appreciated! :)

Answer 1

Look in the jewelry section of your craft store. Pick up a pkg. of earring wires and jump rings. Make sure the jump rings are large enough to allow the rim of the pop tops through. You might enjoy looking at this site since you are jest starting out with making jewelry.
http://parentingteens.about.com/od/craftsjewel/

Answer 2

In the jewelry making section of a craft store, look for "earring findings." (Or search online.) Look for pierced stud earring findings that have a small ball on the front with a loop at the bottom. Another version would be French wire or leverback earring findings that have loops to attach beads, or in your case pop tops.

You will need to attach your pop top with a "split ring" or thin wire. (A split ring looks like one of those round key rings that you put your keys on, just a lot smaller.)

Pierce the pop top and run the wire or split ring through the loop of your earrings and voila, you have earrings!

Alternatively, you could glue two of the tops together with a small section of chain glued to the center (2 part epoxy would hold best). Affix the chain to the earring findings with either the split ring or wire for a real fun or funky look.

Answer 3

Carly, take a basic course in earring making at a bead shop near you and you'll leave with some ideas. I'm thinking you could cut thin wire long enough to loop through as many pop tops as you want to use, close it, then attach to a jump ring and the wire for your ear. If you want to add color to the pop tops, try fingernail polish. You can add all sorts of things the bead shops have, to your pop top earrings, too. Have fun.