Introduction and Supplies

I combine some of my favorite types of beads - pearls and crystals - with some simple seed beading techniques in this earring design. You don't have to be a bead weaving expert to attempt this tutorial, and if you are an expert, then you will find this a fun and fast project for you to try as well.
You will need the following tools and supplies:

2 - 12mm Coin-shaped pearl beads
4 - 4mm Swarovski clear AB bicone crystal beads
About 10 grams of size 11 white Japanese seed beads
2 Ear hooks
White Silamide thread (or Nymo)
Size 12 needle
Scissors
Chain-nosed pliers

Beaded Ladder Stitch

1. Thread your needle and string on 4 seed beads.

2. Using these four beads as the first "rung" of your ladder, continue string on more seed beads to form the ladder stitch until you have created a total of 9 rungs on the ladder.

Beaded Bail

3. Now start the bail by snaking the needle and thread up through the center of the ladder piece previously made, and string on 8 seed beads.
4. Insert the needle back down through the first bead on the middle rung of the ladder stitch, and then bring it back up and through the 8 seed beads again that are now formed into a bail. This will help reinforce the bail.

Thread in Middle

5. Bring the needle down through the middle of the ladder stitches in order to position the thread in the middle of the earring.

Pearl and Crystals

6. Thread on one crystal, one coin pearl, another crystal bead, and end with a seed bead.
7. Then skipping the seed bead, bring the needle back up through the beads just strung (crystal, pearl, crystal).

8. Insert the needle up through the center of the ladder, and pull the tension on the thread so that you have created a dangle element in the middle of the ladder piece.

First Bead Swag

9. Snake the needle and thread through the ladder piece until it is coming out of the third rung to one side of the pearl and crystal dangle.
10. String on about 30 or so seed beads. This can vary because the seed beads are not exactly the same size. Add the beads onto the thread and bring the thread around the dangle so that the end of the beads on the thread meet the opposite rung on the ladders stitch.

Do this as a way to determine if you need to adjust the number of beads on the thread, more if there's too much space, less if there isn't enough.

11. Then insert the needle through the opposite rung on the ladder stitch.

Second Bead Swag

12. After bringing the needle and thread through the ladder rung, insert it back down through the next one (which is on one end of the ladder piece).
13. Repeat steps 10 and 11 to form the second swag.

14. To help reinforce the swags a little, insert the needle and thread through both of them at least one more time.

15. Weave in and trim off all threads.
16. Repeat the above steps to make a second earring.

17. Finish both earrings by adding a ear hook to the top of each bail. Just use chain-nose pliers to open the loop of the ear hook, slip on the bead bail, position the loop of the hook in the middle of the beads that form the bail, and close the loop back up. You can alter this design by using various colors of beads, but I like the mix of white and creams because I can wear these with just about anything.