Mermaid’s Grotto Earrings

Project details:

Ginkgo beads create a beautiful mermaid scale pattern in this design. Add these beauties to your summer accessory collection.

↓ Step-by-step

↓ Buy the supplies

Supplies you’ll need:

baroque style shell pearls
ear posts and clutches
ginkgo beads, 1 strand is enough to make the earrings, two will give you more color variance to pick from.
WildFire .006" thread
a fine collapsible needle
15/0 or 11/0 seed beads

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Step 1

Cut a 24" piece of thread. Image 1: Feed one end through the needle eye. Slide on a 15/0 seed bead and a pearl to the center of the thread. Image 2: Bring the need back up through the pearl, skipping the seed bead. Image 3: Both thread ends should be coming out of the top of the pearl.

Step 2

Image 1: Slide on 7 ginkgo beads as shown. The needle should go through the right side hole of the beads on the left and the left side hole of the beads on the right. This way, they will stack nicely.

Step 3

Thread the needle onto the left thread. This is the last outside left layer of ginkgo beads. The needle will go through the left side hole of the center bead and the right side hole of the beads on the left you are adding on. Last image: Both threads should be pulled through the ear post loop. There should be 10 ginkgo beads total.

Step 4

Thread the needle back on the right side thread. Bring the thread back down through the same holes you went up through in Step 2. Image 2: Bring the thread around the bottom of the last gingko bead above the pearl. Bring the needle up through the same holes you went through in Step 3. My image shows I went through just the top beads, but I went through them all from the bottom up. Image 3: Bring the needle through the ear post loop. Image 4: Tie 2 overhand knots with the thread.

Step 5

Image 1: To finish and secure, thread the needle back down through a couple of beads and create a knot. Trim the extra cord. Image 2: Thread the needle on the opposite thread and do the same thing.