Skill Level

Intermediate

Time Required A few hours - can complete pair of earrings in a weekend Materials Size 11 Seed Beads %arwires Bead 'ips )latnose or *hainnose +liers 'hread Snips Beading ,eedle 'hread Accent Beads Comments I used a main color and a contrast color. Smaller beads work well (e.g., 1 s or 1!s", but larger beads will #ield hea$# earrings. &r other earring findings. Bu# them or make #our own. &ptional. I like to hang the beadwork from beadtips because the dangles swing freel# and the thread isn(t damaged during wear. )or attaching bead tip to earwire. I used m# wire cutters. I used a size 1- beading needle. I used size . ,#mo. +ersonall#, I find other t#pes of thread too stiff for this techni/ue. ,#mo B is great with size 1011! beads. &ptional. I used a pair of 0-mm beads for the white earrings and a pair of 2-mm beads for the tutorial.

*oraling is eas#, but it does re/uire that #ou ha$e practice controlling #our thread tension. Also, it uses a large number of beads and takes a bit of time. )eel free to $ar# the number of beads between branches, the length of the branches, etc. 3a$e fun4 'o start, cut at least a meter of #our chosen thread. If desired, condition #our thread with beeswa5 or 'hread 3ea$en. If #ou can, it(s better to work with a single long thread than to ha$e to add thread, since adding thread will make it harder to keep the beads under tension. I threaded one seed bead onto the string, let it fall about a third of the wa# down the string, and tied a knot around it. +ut both ends of the thread through a bead tip. 'his bead will support the beadwork.

6sing the shorter strand, string on 1 seed bead, #our accent bead, and 0- main color seed beads (this will be the final length of #our earring, so ad7ust it longer or shorter as desired b# adding or subtracting beads in multiples of three".

String on three accent beads. 8o back through the last two main color seed beads. 'ighten the tension so there are no gaps between the beads. If #ou are using n#mo or an# other n#lon thread, remember that it stretches o$er time, so #our beadwork needs to be fairl# tight. &n the other hand, if #ou are using +ower +ro or another fluoropol#mer, remember that this thread will not stretch, so #ou want the tension such that there are no gaps between beads #et loose enough for the beadwork to be fluid. Add two main color beads and three contrast beads. +ass back through the two main color beads. *ongratulations, #ou ha$e completed #our first pair of branches4

+ass back through the ne5t ! beads, going toward the bead tip. Ad7ust #our tension.

Add 0 main color beads and three contrast color beads. +ass back through the last 9 main color beads. Add two main color beads and three contrast color beads.

+ass back through the two main color beads, the two ne5t 9 main color beads of this branch and then through the ne5t beads toward the bead tip (total of : beads #ou go back through".

)rom here on, #ou are 7ust repeating the pre$ious step. Add 0 main color and contrast. +ass back through the last two main color. Add 9 main color and three contrast. +ass back through the : main color on the (branch( and (stem(, going toward the bead tip. ;ou will continue this pattern until #ou are as near the bead tip as #ou like (!-< beads for me".

'hread up through the accent bead and bead tip, go through the bead in the bead tip (reinforcing #our thread", tie a knot using the other thread, and pass back through the (stem( beads. I ran the thread through se$eral branches to secure it and cut the thread. 'hread #our needle on the other end of the thread and pass it through the seed bead and accent bead so that it is e5iting the accent bead. =ake the ne5t stem with branches. 'his thread should be dangling from the base of the accent bead. I added 9< main color beads.

Add three contrast beads and pass back through the last 9 main color beads. Add 9 main color beads and accent beads. +ass back through the last 9 main color beads and the ne5t ! main color beads on the stem (: main color beads total". *ontinue making branches until #ou are within ! beads of the accent bead. +ass through the main color beads to come out 7ust below the accent bead.

=ake the third stem1branch identical to the second stem1branch. >hen #ou are finished, #ou can knot #our thread or work it back through se$eral branches to secure it. *ut the thread. 6se pliers to attach the bead tip to the earring finding.

3ere(s a finished earring. =ake a second earring to match the first. If #ou en7o#ed making these earrings, #ou ma# be interested in ?ar$ara(s book of coraling patterns for necklaces.