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STASHBUSTER DROP EARRINGS (©2025 Deborah Roberti)
Use some Miyuki 11/0 (rocaille) seed beads, 6mm beads, 3mm fire-polished beads and a pair of top-drilled or center-drilled stash beads of your choice to make some Stashbuster Drop Earrings. We all have leftover beads—or that pair of unique beads saved for something special—so I wanted to create a design where these beads could shine. You could also create a petite and sweet pendant. MATERIALS:
Step 1: Thread your needle with about a yard of FireLine. Leaving about a 6-inch tail that you can cut and weave in later, string seven seed beads and a 6mm bead. Tie the beads together with a tight double knot:
Step 2: Go back up through the 6mm bead that you just added (highlighted in RED):
Step 4: Go back down through the seven seed beads on the left side of the 6mm bead (highlighted in RED):
Step 5: String a 3mm fire-polished bead. Go up through the seven seed beads on the right side of the 6mm bead (highlighted in RED) so that the 3mm fire-polished bead sits between the left and right sets of seven seed beads and below the 6mm bead:
Step 6: String a 3mm fire-polished bead. Go down through the through the seven seed beads on the left side of the 6mm bead, across through the bottom 3mm fire-polished bead and up through the seven seed beads on the right side of the 6mm bead (highlighted in RED) so that the top 3mm fire-polished bead that you just added sits between the left and right sets of seven seed beads and above the 6mm bead:
Step 10: Go down through the next three seed beads (highlighted in RED):
Step 12: Go down through the next two seed beads (highlighted in RED):
Step 14: Go back through the 3mm fire-polished bead and the two seed beads highlighted in RED:
Step 16: Go up through the next three seed beads (highlighted in RED):
Step 17: String three seed beads. Go around and up through the three seed beads that you just exited (highlighted in RED), pulling tight so these three new seed beads are stacked beside the three seed beads highlighted in RED:
Step 18: Go up through the next two seed beads (highlighted in RED):
Step 20: Go across through the top 3mm fire-polished bead (highlighted in RED):
Step 21: String a seed bead, a 3mm fire-polished bead, two seed beads, a 3mm fire-polished bead and a seed bead. Go around the back through across through the 3mm fire-polished bead that you just exited (highlighted in RED):
Step 22: Weave your way to the bottom 3mm fire-polished bead by going down through the beads highlighted in RED:
Step 23: String a seed bead, a 3mm fire-polished bead, two seed beads, a 3mm fire-polished bead and a seed bead. Go around the back through the 3mm fire-polished bead that you just exited (highlighted in RED):
Step 24: Go back around through the seed bead, the 3mm fire-polished bead, the two seed beads, the 3mm fire-polished bead and the seed bead that you added in the last step (highlighted in RED):
Next you will bead an outer seed bead ring. Step 25: Go up through the two seed beads highlighted in RED:
Step 26: String a seed bead and go up through the three seed beads highlighted in RED:
NOTE: Unless you want your earring motif to dome (which can also be lovely), keep the motif flat and don't pull tight as you add seed beads to this outer ring in Steps 26-29. Step 27: String a seed bead and go up and around through the beads highlighted in RED:
Step 28: String a seed bead and go down through the three seed beads highlighted in RED:
Step 29: String a seed bead and go down through the beads highlighted in RED:
In the steps that follow, I have included instructions for adding a center-drilled drop bead or a top-drilled drop bead. Pick the method that works for the drop bead you have selected. Center-Drilled Drop Step 30: To add a drop bead where the bead hole is drilled down the center, string a seed bead, your drop bead and three seed beads. Go around and back up through the drop bead and seed bead so that the three bottom seed beads that you just added form a seed bead picot below the drop bead as you pull tight. You may have to position the seed beads into place with your fingers. Continue up and around through the beads highlighted in RED:
Go around through the beads highlighted in RED and then continue on to Step 31.
Top-Drilled Drop Step 30: To add a drop bead where the bead hole extends horizontally across the top of the bead, go across through the bottom left seed bead, string three seed beads, go across through your drop bead and string three more seed beads. Go around and back across through the two seed beads that you exited at the end of the last step (highlighted in RED):
NOTE: Depending on the distance between the top of the drop bead and your drop bead hole, you may need to add more or fewer seed beads than directed in these instructions. Add however many look good to you. Go around through the beads highlighted in RED:
Go back up through the 3mm fire-polished bead and seed bead highlighted in RED and then continue on to Step 31:
Step 31: Go back around through the beads highlighted in RED to exit from the top left seed bead:
You can attach your earring to a closed jump ring or Beadsmith Bead Ending Cymbal Element. Instructions follow for both. Attach to a Jump Ring Step 32: To add a jump ring that you will later connect to your earring finding, string a 3mm fire-polished bead and a seed bead. Go around through your jump ring and then back down through the same seed bead and 3mm fire-polished bead that you just strung. Continue down through the beads highlighted in RED:
Go back around through the beads highlighted in RED and your jump ring, knot, weave
Attach to a Cymbal Step 32: Instead of using
a jump ring, you can use
a Beadsmith Bead Ending Cymbal Element.
Go back around through the beads highlighted in RED, knot, weave in and cut your thread:
Beads used in the photo above
Red/Gold version Right:
Purple/Gold version
Tigereye version:
For more color and bead combinations, click on the photo below to visit the RedPandaBeads.com Gallery of Color Suggestions!
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