DIAMONDUO MINI STAR EARRINGS (©2018 Deborah Roberti)
The DiamonDuo bead has a new baby sister—the DiamonDuo Mini! This two-hole, diamond-shaped Czech bead measures 6x4mm, about the size of a SuperDuo bead. With a few bead substitutions and step changes, my DiamonDuo Star works beautifully with these new beads to create some fun earrings. MATERIALS Step 1: Thread your needle with about a yard of FireLine. Leaving about a 5-inch tail that you can weave in and make disappear at any time, string six Color1 DiamonDuo Mini beads. Tie the beads together in a circle with a tight double knot, forming a ring six of DiamonDuo Mini beads: Step 2: Go back around through this ring of six DiamonDuo Mini beads, grab your tail thread and tie another tight knot: Step 3: Go back through the DiamonDuo Mini bead next to the knot (highlighted in RED): Step 4: Go around and through the outside hole of the Color1 DiamonDuo Mini bead that you exited at the end of the last step (highlighted in RED): Step 5: String two Color2 DiamonDuo Mini beads and go up through the outside hole of the Color1 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 6: String two Color2 DiamonDuo Mini Beads and go through the outside hole of the Color1 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 7: Repeat the last step four times: Step 8: Go through the inside hole of the Color2 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED and then around and through the outside hole of this same Color2 DiamonDuo Mini bead: Step 9: String a Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead and go through the outside hole of the Color2 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 10: String a 15/0 seed bead, an 11/0 seed bead and a 15/0 seed bead. Go up through the outside hole of the Color2 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 11: String a Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead and go up through the outside hole of the Color2 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 12: String a 15/0 seed bead, an 11/0 seed bead and a 15/0 seed bead. Go up through the outside hole of the Color2 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 13: String a Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead and go up through the outside hole of the Color2 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 14: String a 15/0 seed bead, an 11/0 seed bead and a 15/0 seed bead. Go across through the outside hole of the Color2 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 15: Repeat Step 13 and Step 14 three times: Step 16: Go across through the inside hole of the Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead, the outside hole of the Color2 DiamonDuo Mini bead, the 15/0 seed bead, the 11/0 seed bead and the 15/0 seed bead highlighted in RED: Step 17: String three 15/0 seed beads. Go up through the outside hole of the Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 18: String two 15/0 seed beads, an 11/0 seed bead and two more 15/0 seed beads. Go around and back up through the outside hole of the Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead that you just exited (highlighted in RED): Push the seed beads that you just added into more of a point with your fingers by pulling the 11/0 seed bead outward. Step 19: String three 15/0 seed beads. Go up through the 15/0 seed bead, the 11/0 seed bead and the 15/0 seed bead highlighted in RED: Step 20: String three 15/0 seed beads. Go up through the outside hole of the Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 21: String two 15/0 seed beads, an 11/0 seed bead and two more 15/0 seed beads. Go around and back up through the outside hole of the Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead that you just exited (highlighted in RED), pushing the seed beads that you just added into more of a point with your fingers: Step 22: String three 15/0 seed beads. Go through the 15/0 seed bead, the 11/0 seed bead and the 15/0 seed bead highlighted in RED: Step 23: String three 15/0 seed beads. Go through the outside hole of the Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 24: String two 15/0 seed beads and an 11/0 seed bead. Go through a jump ring and then back down through the 11/0 seed bead that you just added: Step 25: String two 15/0 seed beads. Go across through the top hole of the Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 26: String three 15/0 seed beads. Go down through the 15/0 seed bead, the 11/0 seed bead and the 15/0 seed bead highlighted in RED: Step 27: String three 15/0 seed beads. Go through the outside hole of the Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 28: String two 15/0 seed beads, an 11/0 seed bead and two more 15/0 seed beads. Go around and back down through the outside hole of the Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead that you just exited (highlighted in RED), pushing the seed beads that you just added into more of a point with your fingers: Step 29: String three 15/0 seed beads. Go down through the 15/0 seed bead, the 11/0 seed bead and the 15/0 seed bead highlighted in RED. String three more 15/0 seed beads. Go down through the outside hole of the Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 30: String two 15/0 seed beads, an 11/0 seed bead and two more 15/0 seed beads. Go around and back down through the outside hole of the Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead that you just exited (highlighted in RED), pushing the seed beads that you just added into more of a point with your fingers: Step 31: String three 15/0 seed beads. Go across through the 15/0 seed bead, the 11/0 seed bead and the 15/0 seed bead highlighted in RED. String three more 15/0 seed beads. Go across through the outside hole of the Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead highlighted in RED: Step 32: String two 15/0 seed beads, an 11/0 seed bead and two more 15/0 seed beads. Go around and back across through the outside hole of the Color3 DiamonDuo Mini bead that you just exited (highlighted in RED), pushing the seed beads that you just added into more of a point with your fingers: Step 33: String three 15/0 seed beads. Go across through the 15/0 seed bead, the 11/0 seed bead and the six 15/0 seed beads highlighted in RED: Step 34: Skip the next 11/0 seed bead and go up through six 15/0 seed beads, the 11/0 seed bead and the six 15/0 seed beads highlighted in RED, pulling tight so that the skipped 11/0 seed bead pops out to create a pointy tip: NOTE: If you prefer, you can just go through the 11/0 seed bead instead of skipping it. Step 35: Skip the next 11/0 seed bead and go through six 15/0 seed beads, the 11/0 seed bead and the six 15/0 seed beads highlighted in RED, pulling tight so that the skipped 11/0 seed bead pops out to create a pointy tip. Continue up through the 11/0 seed bead, through your jump ring and then back down through this same 11/0 seed bead (highlighted in RED): Step 36: Go down through the six 15/0 seed beads, the 11/0 seed bead and the next six 15/0 seed beads highlighted in RED: Step 37: Skip the next 15/0 seed bead and go down through six 15/0 seed beads, the 11/0 seed bead and the six 15/0 seed beads highlighted in RED, pulling tight so that the skipped 11/0 seed bead pops out to create a pointy tip: Step 38: Skip the next 11/0 seed bead and go down through six 15/0 seed beads, the 11/0 seed bead and the six 15/0 seed beads highlighted in RED, pulling tight so that the skipped 11/0 seed bead pops out to create a pointy tip: Step 39: Skip the next 11/0 seed bead and go up through six 15/0 seed beads and the 11/0 seed bead highlighted in RED, pulling tight so that the skipped 11/0 seed bead pops out to create a pointy tip: Step 40: If you think you can get your needle through, go back around through the beads highlighted in RED and your jump ring: Weave your way back into the star, knot and cut your thread. Attach the jump ring to your earring finding. You can mix up the DiamonDuo Mini colors and create different star patterns. Here is a blank star so you can create your own colorway:
Finishing Tips More info is available on stiffening your ornament on my tip here: |