Tree of Life Wire Earrings

About this project

A pair of Tree of Life earrings made from rose-gold wire and colourful glass beads. Inside each round base you wrap wire roots along the bottom, twist a trunk, open it into branches and lock a bead onto each branch as a leaf, with an optional wire spiral or two. Finished size: about 3.5 cm across. Time: 3-5 hours of making with no drying or waiting; the first earring takes most of it and the second is much faster. Level: beginner, as long as you are patient. From your home you will also need: a soft cloth or towel to work on (beads roll away on a hard table), a small bowl or lid for the beads, a ruler or measuring tape, a nail file to smooth any cut end, and good light. Hand-twisted wire trees come out more open and less perfect than the photo. Yours will still look lovely, and every pair is one of a kind. There is plenty of wire: the pair uses about 3 m of the roll, and around 20 of the beads. Tips: do not over-twist under the beads, because thin wire snaps once it is tight. Start with fewer beads; you can always add more. Keep branches loose and curvy. If a wire snaps, wrap the short end onto the nearest branch or the frame and carry on.