I was looking through my surplus of crafting supplies the other day and found a handful of ribbon spools that I had no plan for. I decided I would try using a bit of it to make jewelry since that was something I’ve never done with ribbon before. When I’m in the mood to make jewelry I tend to gravitate toward making earrings, and this time was no exception. These tiered ribbon earrings were a fun project that was super fast and easy.
What You Will Need for this Project
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Materials:
Tools:
Lighter or Fray Glue (Fray Check)
How to Make Tiered Ribbon Earrings
Step 1: Cut Ribbon Pieces
Using your ruler, measure out your ribbon pieces.
Cut three pieces of ribbon in these sizes: 3in, 2.5in, and 1.75in.
I had to try a few different length combinations so that when everything is put together the layers are evenly spaced apart and I think this was the best.
Step 2: Seal Ribbon Edges
In order to keep the ends of the ribbon pieces from unraveling, you need to seal them. My preferred method is to use a lighter. Hold the end of the ribbon near the lighter flame just long enough for the edge of the ribbon to melt.
Be very careful here, because the ribbon will melt very fast and if you melt too much it will throw off your measurements. You also don’t want to set your ribbon on fire either!
Note: This technique will only work on synthetic materials like polyester. If your ribbon is made of a natural material like cotton it will catch fire regardless, so only use a lighter if you are sure it is synthetic.
If you would prefer to not use a lighter for this step, you can also use a glue like Fray Check. You only need to dab a small bit of glue on the very end and it will seal it just fine. Don’t use too much or it might bleed into the ribbon and discolor the ends. Also, make sure to give your ribbons enough time to completely dry.
As you can see in the above picture, this is what your ribbon end will look like after it is sealed.
Step 3: Sew Jump Ring to Top of Ribbon
Once the ends on all three ribbon pieces have been sealed, line up the edges of all your pieces, with the biggest piece on the bottom and the smallest piece on top.
Once everything looks good with the ribbons, knot the end of your thread. Then sew through your ribbons starting in the middle and working outward to the front.
Fold your ribbons so that all the edges are lined up together. From here you can look to make sure that the spacing looks good between the ribbons. If you need to, you can adjust before you continue sewing.
Thread a jump ring onto your needle and position it on top of your ribbons. Then sew from the back to the front of your ribbons. Repeat this stitch several more times until you feel like the jump ring is securely attached to the ribbons.
I chose to use a 6mm jump ring for this because that is about the same width of the ribbon and I wanted everything to look even. It would probably be fine to use any size lower than 6mm as well. I wouldn’t use any bigger sizes though.
My jump ring is also a heavier gauge, which means it is a little thicker. I thought it would look better while also being a bit more sturdy. Although a regular gauge jump ring would probably work fine as well.
Step 4: Add Earring Hook
Before opening your earring hook, decide how you want your ribbon charm to hang. I wanted the loops to be facing forward, which meant that I needed to adjust my earring.
To do this, grip the loop with your pliers and turn it 90 degrees so the loop is facing perpendicular to the earring hook. Depending on how you want your earrings to hang and how the earring hooks were made, you may not need to do this step.
Now use your jewelry pliers to open the loop of the earring hook. Don’t simply pull it open. Not only is it harder to close the loop back up, but the wire is much more likely to break. Only open the loop by twisting it either toward or away from you.
Slide your ribbon charm onto the loop and twist the loop in the opposite direction to close it.
Step 5: Shape the Ribbon
This step is completely optional, but allows you to change the shape a little if you don’t like how it looks. All you need to do is crease the ribbons straight down the middle and adjust until you have the shape you want.
Step 6: Repeat For Other Earring
Once you have finished your first earring, repeat the above steps to make your second one. Now your tiered ribbon earrings are ready to wear!
I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and found it helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. I’d love to hear from you! Thank you for stopping by and happy crafting!
