Valentine earrings

Pair crystals and sterling-silver chain for a lovely earring set
by Anna Elizabeth Draeger
Adorable heart-link chain was the inspiration for these light-hearted holiday adornments.
materials
earrings
• Swarovski crystals
2 6mm rondelles
14 4mm bicones
4 4mm rounds
• 10 in. (25cm) 22-gauge
silver wire
• 10 in. (25cm) heart-link
chain, 23 links per earring
• 2 1-in. (2.5cm) 22-gauge
head pins
• 4 4–6mm jump rings
• pair of earring findings
• chainnose pliers
• roundnose pliers
• wire cutters
Cut the chain into single heart links, and use the pieces as cute, little charms to dangle from the earrings.
stepbystep

[1] Cut the heart-link chain in half, making sure each half has 31 links. Cut each half into two five-link segments, three three-link segments, and four single hearts.
[2] On one end of the wire, make a plain loop (Basics).String a 4mm bicone crystal and make a plain loop. Repeat to make a second small-bead unit. Repeat to make two medium-bead units, stringing a 4mm round crystal and a bicone.
Repeat to make a largebead unit, stringing a bicone, a 6mm rondelle, and a bicone (photo a).
[3] Open the loop of the round-bead end of a mediumbead unit, and attach a single heart. Close the loop. Repeat with the matching unit and the two small-bead units (photo b).
[4] String a bicone on a head pin, and make a plain loop. Open the loop and attach a three-link chain (photo c). Close the loop.
[5] Open a jump ring (Basics) and attach the two five-link chains. Close the jump ring (photo d).
[6] Open a loop of the largebead unit. Attach a three-link chain, a medium-bead unit, and the remaining end link of a five-link chain. Close the loop. Repeat on the other side of the large-bead unit (photo e).
[7] Open a jump ring, and attach the remaining end links of the three-link chains, a small-bead unit, the dangle, and the remaining small-bead unit. Close the jump ring (photo f).
[8] Open the loop of an earring finding. Attach the top jump ring of the earring, and close the loop.
[9] Repeat steps 2–8 to make a second earring to match the first.