How to Make Boho Steampunk Earrings

This is a fun opportunity to get a little wild with your choice of components – also to practice asymmetry in your designs.

Important: Choose very lightweight components and charms for this project.

Otherwise you may wind up with earrings that are too heavy to wear comfortably.

Also mixed metals are great for this project.

This may be a good opportunity to use up some of your jewellery supply odds and ends!

Thin tarnished-looking brass or copper chain or plain silver chain that you can oxidize– a total length of about 20cm.
The chain links need to be large enough to accommodate thin jump rings.
You’ll need to cut a total of 6 pieces of this chain:

2 pieces that are approximately 40mm long.

2 pieces that are approximately 30mm long.

2 pieces that are approximately 25mm long.

Shiny or tarnished jump rings in your choice of metals.

You’ll need some small, thin ones and a few larger ones:

2 mismatched larger charms, about 25mm size – for the longest dangle on each earring.

About a dozen small gears/cogs 

Other small charms that look Victorian, Boho or Steampunk.

A pair of earwires.

Use flat nose / chain nose pliers for opening and closing jump rings.

Start by cutting your grungy chain lengths as shown above in the supplies list.

Start with one of your 40mm long pieces of chain.

Open a jump ring and attach it to one of your large dangle charms:

Now attach the jump ring to one end of your 40mm piece of chain:

Choose a Steampunk cog (or other component) and use a jump ring to hang it on a link of your chain that’s slightly above your large charm:

Use jump rings to add a few more goodies here and there this chain:

Now set this chain aside and move on to one of your 30mm chain pieces.

Choose a gear, charm, bead or whatever component you wish and use a jump ring to attach it to one end of your 30mm chain:

Use a jump ring to add another component above the first one:

 Attach as many other components you like to this chain:

Set this chain aside and move on to one of your 25mm chain pieces.

Use jump rings to attach your chosen components to this chain:

Now all three chains for the first earring are finished.

Open one of your larger jump rings and string your three finished chains onto it.

I put the longest chain in the center but you can put them in whatever order you like:

String one of your earwires onto the jump ring and twist the jump ring shut: