Fiona Filigree Bracelets

Filigree is always a good choice; the intricate swirls of metal and high shine add such a luxe touch to any piece of jewelry. And, when you add a Swarovski rhinestone and smooth pearls to contrast, a perfectly dressy-chic accessory is made.



These Fiona bracelets are great for beginners and advanced headers, as they only LOOK super difficult to make! It's all about mixing materials that compliment each other. A simple wrapping and stringing technique is all that's involved, and you can play around with mixing colors and crystals. I'll show you how to make the simpler pearl bracelet, as the second is just a variation.



Step 1: Gather materials. You need acrylic pearls (I used large 8mm pearls from Cousin Corp Jewelry Basics and colored Pandahall pearls), glass beads (specifically 4X3mm silver plated faceted glass abacus crystals), assorted filigree findings (similar bronze filigree here, filigree here or sterling filigree components here), silver crimp tubes, 6mm crimp covers, a toggle clasp, Swarovski square sew-on rhinestones (emerald rounds here, or aquamarine rounds here, crystal square ones here) and wire cutters / flat nose pliers.

 

Step 2: Complete the bracelet. Simply wire wrap your rhinestone to the center of the filigree with your thin gauge wire. Cut a piece of beading wire thats the length of your wrist, and thread through the end loop of the filigree. Fold in half, and then bead on about 8 beads. Repeat with your other side. Measure to make sure it will fit your wrist, and adjust bead amounts if necessary. Finish by adding your crimps and securing the toggle clasps then cut excess wire.



These look great worn alone for a chic look, or you can even mix them with other bracelets for a totally glam vibe. These are somewhat delicate, as you don't want to scratch the prized Swarovski, so I wouldn't wear these to do, yard work, per say. They're more of a night out piece!

COPYRIGHT

Because I take all photos for my blog, the images within this post are all copyright Allison Beth Cooling for Quiet Lion Creations. If you'd like permission to use a photo, email me at allison@quietlioncreations.com

Gilded Briolette Drop Earrings

See the sparkle, see the shine!



My newest tutorial will have you looking totally luxe in no time at all.



Classy, chic and always stylish, briolettes are something I don't work with often. But, for this tutorial, they stand front and center as the focal point of these earrings.



These amethyst faceted stones seemed a little "plain" to me, so I gilded them with some gold flake (I'll show you how to later). This gave added detail and shine, and make them look like they've been dipped in gold!



Attach those to a sleek cable chain, add an ear wire, and you're set to go. These are great earrings for work, as they aren't too long and are definitely dressy but not fussy.



If amethyst isn't your fav gemstone, feel free to pick other colors. I also have citrine, rose quartz and peridot briolettes and are sure they'd look great. One thing - if you choose silver flake and metals, it will evoke a more contemporary look. Gold is more traditional. Experiment with combos and see what turns out!



Step 1: Gather materials. You will need round nose pliers, wire cutters, top-drilled briolettes (I used 6mm X 8mm amethyst ones, you can find similar ones here), Cousin Elegance Metals 14k gold plated fishhooks, Cousin Elegance Metals 14k gold cable chain, ball-end gold headpins, and 24g gold wire (mine by Cousin Jewelry Basics). You can find all these Cousin brand materials at craft stores like Michaels and JoAnn Fabrics.

 To get the gold gilded look on your briolettes, I simply adhered gold flake with clear gloss glaze. You can look on my Instagram account for the mini tutorial!



Step 2: First start by cutting a 3" piece of your wire. Create a wrapped loop at one end, catching in a 3" piece of your gold cable chain.



Step 3: Thread the wire through the briolette. Create a wrapped loop at the other end, catching in the other end of the chain.



Step 4: Get your ball-end headpin ready by bending it at a 90 degree angle, right after the ball. Thread the headpin through the middle chain link, and create a wrapped loop at top. Your chain link should be caught between the ball and wrapped loop.



Step 5: You should have something looking like this. I squeezed the ball closer to the top loop with flat nose pliers to prevent movement and tighten. Finally, add a fishhook to that top wrapped loop.



This is an alternative way of finishing, instead of just catching the middle chain link in the fishhook. Adding a bit more detail, this creates a dressier vibe!

A high-quality drop earring that's super versatile - plus, with the added bonus of being handmade - will be your next go-to accessory, trust me. Pair with a blouse and cropped slim pants for work, or mix with a bohemian printed maxi dress and sandals for a beachy look.

   
You can also play around with chain lengths, to create a shorter or longer drop earring. It might even be cool to add more than one briolette to the wire, to create a fan-like drop. I'll leave you with some inspo pics to finish. If you follow this tutorial, post your creation to Instagram and tag me @quietlioncreations - I'll repost you!
      
     

All photos copyright Allison Beth Cooling for Quiet Lion Creations. Do NOT post or reuse without crediting me and linking to me!

Five Minute Beginner Earrings

Simple and sophisticated with metal filigree accents and a mixed finish, these are some of the simplest earrings you will ever make.

All I've done here is take apart a Cousin charm pack and re-organize the charms, connecting them with jump rings. I've mixed the metal finish for a bohemian look, and used a cutout charm layered on top of another to create a 3D effect. This technique can really be used with any findings or charms you have laying around- play around with what you have to create different looks!

These are not heavy and are great for wearing to work. Plus, they took 5 MINUTES to finish. Amazing! 

Step 1: Gather Materials. You will need:

Metal Filigree Charms (I used Cousin brand)- their Metal Leaf Charms and Metal Charm pack, similar packs can be found at Michaels, JoAnn Fabrics and Walmart. 

Jumprings

Earring Fish Hooks

Pliers- flatnose

I first took the two silver filigree metal charms and attached the green crystal charm to the top (with a jumpring). For beginners, the proper way to open jump rings is by using two pliers (both flat nose for most control). Grab either side of the jumpring, with the opening at the top, and twist your right hand towards you and your left hand away from you. DO NOT EVER just pull both sides apart. This will drastically distort the ring shape and it will never look perfect again! Twisting allows for easy closing/opening without distortion of any kind.

Then, simply enough, I attached the bronze flower charm from the other pack to the same jumpring. The two charms laid on top of another. Then, I attached a silver fishhook to the top of the green crystal charm to complete. If you are using similar charm packs, try layering charms like I did here to achieve a multidimensional look! Always add a bit of sparkle with a crystal or shiny bead for that pop!

Seriously, these took you five minutes, right? That gives you extra time to play around with more beads and materials you have, to create more pairs of earrings. Love it!

Photos and text copyright Allison Beth Cooling. Do NOT re-post or use without linking back to me.

Sparkle Strands Bracelets

I'm on a crystal kick.

I had some Cousin brand crystals and wanted to make yet another super-sparkly accessory out of them. If you want an equally sparkly bracelet to match your Crystal Amulet necklace from my last tutorial, these are super quick to whip up. The best part is that you can make them in any color scheme you want, and they require no intense skills to finish. 

All these bracelets consist of is multiple stretch-cord strands grouped together with another strand. I loved the cool electroplated rainbow finish of the Cousin crystals in the bronze-colored bracelet, so I paired those beads with silver and caramel-colored crystals to make a cool, eclectic scheme. I was inspired by the blues and aquamarine tones to make the other bracelet, offsetting the lightness of the colors by black and deep blue crystals.

I've also included Crystazzi crystals, which give that rich color. You can also add pearls or glass beads if you want a difference in texture and material!

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Let's get started!

Step 1: Gather materials.

All that's needed are:

-Crystals. For the bronze bracelet I used a variety of Cousin brand crystals, including the 4mm bronze bicones. Also, I used these cool electroplated crystals from Cousin which were more helix-shaped. 

-Stretch cord. I am using .5mm Cousin brand stretch cord here, you can find this on Amazon and in craft stores.

-Flatnose pliers, mine are again from Cousin.

For the blue bracelet, I used a blue crystal scheme including these Cousin Crystazzi 6mm Capri blue bicones, Vitrail bicones (that cool multicolor coating), 4mm Deep blue bicones by Cousin, and 6mm light sapphire Cousin Jewelry basic crystals.

To make the first bracelet, simply cut a piece of your stretch cord that is 1.5 times the length of your wrist. Simply add your selected crystals and bead until the bracelet is as long as you need it. Add on a crimp bead, and thread the other side of cord back through the crimp, and crimp shut. Cut off the excess.

Continue making these bracelets until you have abut 5-6 strands. To group them all together, simply cut a 6" piece of stretch cord, and thread on enough crystals to go around the bracelet bunch. Add on a crimp, and crimp shut. Cut the excess off. You should have a complete bracelet!

These are great bracelets to throw on with every outfit. They add that glam factor and can be worn by themselves, or paired with other bracelets. 

The ease of these bracelets is that they are on stretch cord, so no need to try to clasp it with your other hand, which is always difficult, right?! Just be careful with the stretch cord, don't make the bracelets too tight because stretch cord sometimes has the tendency to snap if pulled tightly. Keep the bracelets a little loose and you will be all set.

All images and text copyright Allison Beth Cooling. Do not post/use images without linking back to me.