For absolute beginners. A fab gift idea!

You know how to make an earring, don't you, Steve?  You just put your lips together and...wait, that's not it.

To make a simple earring:

(Click on the picture to see it bigger.)

1. Put beads on a headpin.  2. Bend the headpin over.  3. Snip off any extra, leaving 1/2 inch.  4. Make a loop with round-nose pliers.  5. Open the loop sideways.  6.  Attach an earring finding.  7. Bend the loop back sideways again to close.  8. If you have two ears, repeat steps 1 thru 7.

Okay!  So here's my idea for a cool gift, for any gal who has never made a piece of jewelry before.

Put together a little Design-Your-Own-Earrings kit!  Mine includes 6 headpins, 6 earwires, a small selection of cute beads, inexpensive pliers and a wire snipper.  Add hand-written instructions, wrap nicely, and I am willing to bet you will make a hit.

I keep an eye out for inexpensive tools at dollar stores and hardware stores.  I found those adorable mini tools at Michael's craft store, and used a discount coupon, so it cost $3.25 for both.  Beads and findings: craft stores or bead shops.  You can buy budget-minded bulk packages and have enough for a whole kaboodle of earring kits.  (The whole kit could run you as little as five or six bucks, depending on how swanky you go on the beads.)

Tailor the kit to the giftee.  A few ways you might customize:

*No pierced ears?  Include clip-on earring findings.

*Favorite colors or birthstones.

*Beads from a sentimental family necklace, take it apart and give earring kits to sisters

*Animal or flower beads for tweens.

*Edgier beads for teens.

You know the old saying.  Give a gal a pair of earrings, she'll wear them for a day.  (Okay, probably more than one day, but I'm preaching here!  Just go with the flow.)  Teach a gal to make her own earrings - she'll bling bling for the rest of her life!

Feel free to use my instruction sheet, but you can probably do a better one.  Question: why did I draw a little old lady with a bun?  Answer: I suck at drawing, and that's just how she came out.  Case in point: a while back, I had the following conversation with my little nephew.

Me: Look, Eli, I drew you a picture!  See what it says?  It says "D."  Do you know what D stands for?  D is for...come on, honey, I know you know this one.  D is for...

Eli:  (disillusioned eye-roll) Alligator.

Me: But it...oh.  Dang it!  You're right.

Dang it!  That is totally an alligator.  I was going for dragon.  My nephews are very long-suffering, but they love me anyway.

Okay, that's today's idea, hope you liked it.

Later, alligator!