BeadsMadness: Native American Style Beaded Earrings

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Native American Style Beaded Earrings

I am so glad to have a chance to learn about Native American jewelry pieces.

There are two very general categories of Native American jewelry: metalwork, and beadwork.

Traditional Indian jewelry used materials such as beads, shells, copper and silver, ivory, amber, turquoise and other stones. After colonization, Native American jewelry-making traditions remained strong, incorporating, rather than being replaced by new jewelry materials and techniques such as glass beads and more advanced metalworking techniques.

My favorite material is a seed bead and my favorite technique is bead weaving, using special needles and thread.

I am lucky to see a real American tribes and visit a stores were you can find oringinal jewelry pieces made by Native Americans. I am very exited when I can observe their culture.

One day I’ve decided to make something by myself. This was my first experience with it.

This is a Southwest style Earrings I made and I love it so much!

Materials:

· size 11\0 seed beads 3 colores: turquoise, black and metallic silver

· #5 silver bugle beads

· Beading needle

· FireLine 0.006”

· Ear wire

I start with 7 seed beads. Leave a tail long enough to secure. Then, go through the first 4 seed beads again. Pull it tight.

Every new line we add 3 more seed beads. Follow the line in the diagram.

Then, exit the thread as shown for the next row.

When this part is completed, exit the thread through the seed bead on the edge.

String a seed beads according the pattern. Attach this line to the last 3 seed beads on the opposite side of the row and exit the thread through the next 3 seed beads.