Tutorial: Antique Copper Rose Earrings

These earrings are darling. You can dress them up or down. If you have all the supplies on hand, they are super quick and easy to make.

Materials:

Round Nose Pliers

Chain Nose Pliers

18 gauge copper wire, 19 inches long

20 gauge copper wire, 3 inches long

Liver of Sulfur Solution (follow package directions)

Permanent Marker Pen

Hammer and Steel Block (or anvil)

Cup bur tool

Steel brush

Plastic utensil to fish out earrings from antiquing solution

Materials

Using the round nose pliers, begin forming a small loop at one end of the 18 gauge copper wire.

Continue wrapping wire in a circular motion around the loop. This will be the center of the rose.

Now with your hands, continue wrapping the wire around itself, creating waves and varying the placement of the wraps, so to mimic the petals of a rose.

Prior to wrapping the last bit of wire, leave 1/2 inch of wire for a loop.

 

Using the round nose pliers, form a simple wire loop at the back of the rose. Tuck loop behind rose.

Now it time to make another rose earring.

For the ear wire, form a simple wire loop at one end of the 20 gauge copper wire.

Use a cup burr to file down the other end of the ear wire, so not to snag your pierced ears.

Using a permanent marker, bend the copper wire ear wire over to form a u-shape 1/2 inch above the connection loop.

Using chain nose pliers, bend the ear wire away from the earring.

Now it is time to make another earwire.

Open the earwire loop sideways and connect to the rose loop you created earlier.

Close loop.

Now you have two beautiful earrings, but we want to go for the antique look.

Drop earrings in a solution of liver of sulfur for 20 seconds (or longer for desired color) to antique the copper. They will turn a dark brown. Remove earrings from solution with a plastic utensil. The liver of sulfur will turn all metal utensils dark brown.

Under running water, scrub earring with with wire brush to expose a little of the brass color.

Use a hammer on steel block to flatten "u" part of the ear wire for added strength.

Your earrings are ready to be worn. Go on with your bad self. :) Like the earrings, but don't have the time to make them? You can buy them here.