0.rosecabrhinestoneearrings_introI’m a sucker for big, sparkly things – and those Prada rose cabochon earrings from S/S 2012 caught my eye immediately.  (And if you were the same and thought of DIY’ing the trend, you’ve probably already seen tutorials by Honestly…WTF, Gloriously Chic, and P.S. I Made This.)

But for my version I wanted to make large, oversized retro-style studs, with a homemade cabochon in the center.  Itching to make your own non-dangly version too?  Here’s how:

You Need:
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Sculpey III in Translucent and Red (for pink cabs, if you are making them yourself) /  Rose Cabochon clay mold (if you are making the cabochons yourself) /  rhinestone chain trim  /  metal disks for earring base (I’m using a large metal brad from the scrapbooking section of the craft store, with the prongs twisted off)  /  earring posts with pads  /  earring nuts (I recommend the larger ones that have the disc backs, since these studs get pretty heavy)

      Tools:  wire-cutting pliers  /   jewelry glue for metals

How To:

PART A: Make the Rose Cabochons

*if you are using store-bought cabs, skip to PART B.  The great thing about this project is you can go for do-it-yourself from the beginning, or use purchased cabochons.  You can get beautiful rose cabochons from the craft store in the scrapbooking section now…just look for Jolee’s Boutique dimensional stickers and there is a set that has flowers and the Eiffel tower and metal danglies and the perfect rose cabochons!  You can also buy resin rose cabochons from Etsy as well.  But here’s how to make them if you want complete control over the color and look to them:

rosecabrhinestoneearrings_step11. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees, or whatever the temperature needed for the clay you’re working with.

2. Knead the translucent Sculpey (about the size of a small bouncy ball) with the tiniest dab of red Sculpey, until well-mixed.

3. Push a small amount into your mold.rosecabrhinestoneearrings_step2

4. Place the mold onto a piece of foil and fold the foil over (to prevent fumes throughout your oven).  Bake for the recommended amount (I found 5 minutes was enough for the depth of my mold).rosecabrhinestoneearrings_step3

5. Repeat to make a second cabochon.

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Tools: tiny scissors (if making your own cabs)  /  small file or sandpaper (if making your own cabs)  /  Mod Podge gloss  /  brush

The above are the tools you need once your cabochons are baked.

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6. I found the edges of my cabs had some extra clay, so they needed cleaning up.  I used a small pair of scissors to snip off the extra clay, and then a needle file to file down the rough edges.rosecabrhinestoneearrings_step6

7. Brush on gloss Mod Podge to give your home-made cabochons a resin look.  Allow to dry.

Now you’re ready to move on to the next phase…

PART B: Assemble the Earringsrosecabrhinestoneearrings_step7

8. You only need your earring parts, wire cutters, and glue now.
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First, wrap the rhinestone chain around your earring base to figure out how much you need.

rosecabrhinestoneearrings_step99. Cut two pieces the same length.

rosecabrhinestoneearrings_step1010. Place glue on the back of your cabochons, and glue each to the center of each large disk.

rosecabrhinestoneearrings_step12rosecabrhinestoneearrings_step11

rosecabrhinestoneearrings_step1311. Place glue around the cabochon and push the rhinestone chain into it.

12. Allow to dry.

rosecabrhinestoneearrings_step1513. Glue the post-backs onto the backs of the disks.  Position the posts above the center in order to sit properly on your earlobes (dead center won’t allow the studs to sit on your lobes properly).


And there you go!  They look so vintage and decadent…

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But are actually super-affordable and made with your own two hands!

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Try out different colors of clay or even add dangly rhinestones like in the tutorials from last year!

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Come back tomorrow to see how I style these in an outfit!

Stay chic~

xo

Carly

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