With the Christmas season upon us here is the first of a couple of small projects you can do with European rhinestones, beads, and a little imagination.

Our first project is creating Christmas Toy Soldier Earrings. You will need the following European Elements:

You will also need the follow supplies:

Here are your European Christmas Toy Soldier Earrings instructions:

1. Slip on (2) European Beads art. 5601 4mm Jet and (2) Beads art. 5328 4mm White Alabaster onto (1) 18” piece of wire.

2. Keeping European Beads in the center of the wire, take one end of wire and weave back through the two Beads in White Alabaster keeping tension on the wire (Note: wire tails should exit beads in opposite directions).

3. Add (2) European Beads art. 5328 4mm White Alabaster onto one wire tail. Take the opposite wire tail and weave back through the two European Elements just added (Note: wire tails should exist in opposite directions). Repeat this step once.

4. Add (1) European Bead art. 5328 Dark Red Coral, (1) Bead art. 5328 Metallic Light Gold 2x and (1) Bead art. 5328 Dark Red Coral onto one side of the wire. Take the opposite wire and weave back through the European Elements just added (Note: wire tails should exit Beads in opposite directions). Repeat 2 more times using (3) beads art. 5328 4mm Dark Red Coral for each row.

5. Using the wire on the right side, make a loop 4mm in diameter. Repeat on the left site (Note: the loops should sit at right angles to the body). The loops are used as a socket for the arms.

6. Slip onto each wire tail (1) European Bead art. 5328 Dark Red Coral (Note: do not pull on the wire, the loop shape must be maintained).

7. Keeping both wires together slide on (1) European Bead art. 5000 8 mm Crystal, (1) 5.5 mm Rondelle and (1) European Bead art. 5500 9x6 mm Jet (Note: keeping the point side facing the Rondelle).

8. Keeping both wires together, create a wire wrapped loop.

9. Create the arms using (1) balled head pin, load on (1) European Bead art. 5328 Dark Red Coral, (1) Rondelle 5mm Montana and slide the head pin through the 4mm loop, coming off the shoulder, made in step 5 (Note: the open end of the head pin should be pointing away from the head of the soldier).
Add (3) European Beads art. 5328 Dark Red Corral and (1) Bead art. 5328 White Alabaster. Keeping the Beads tucked next to each other, cut off the remaining wire – 5 to 6mm from the last bead. Turn a loop and flatten if desired. Repeat for the other arm.

10. Slip (1) European Bead art. 5328 Dark Red Corral onto an add-a-bead ear wire and turn a loop. Open loop and attach to the wrapped loop on the toy soldier.

11. Repeat steps 1 – 10 to make matching pair.

Your finished project should look like this:

Simply contact your favorite rhinestone shop for all the supplies and materials for any rhinestone designs project you may dream up. Whether it’s a special color or shaped rhinestone, bead or even an iron on transfer, make your dreams reality this Christmas season with European rhinestones.

Resource Box:
Rhinestoneshop.com is the one-stop shop for genuine European Rhinestones, rhinestone cell phone bling and rhinestone accessories. After almost 40 years in the business, they are able to answer nearly any question regarding rhinestones. With more than 150 colors in stock at Rhinestoneshop.com, the only thing holding customers back is their imagination.