Learn how to shape and hammer your own hoop earrings with this tutorial.
Making your own wire hoops will allow you to truly customize your style. They look great smooth or hammered. This tutorial will teach you how to make hoops in both styles. Learn these simple techniques to start adding hoops to your earring projects
For these earrings, we used the WigJig Delphi acrylic jig, the WigJig Delphi large round super pegs, the WigJig Delphi small round super pegs and an assortment of silver craft wire in various sizes.
To make plain hoops, we will use the WigJig Delphi with two pegs and the largest peg from the WigJig large round super pegs set in the position shown on the jig.
With just a small peg in position, wrap 18 gauge wire around the peg to form a loop as shown. You can position all of the pegs at once if you like, but we found it easier to manipulate the wire with one peg at a time.
Add the largest peg from the set to the jig and wrap the wire past the first peg, as shown.
Position the other small peg on the jig and wrap the wire around it.
Continue the wrap to form a complete loop. This will be a tight fit when using 18 gauge wire. You may need to use nylon jaw pliers to push the wire down around the peg.
Remove the wire from the jig and flatten the loops a bit with nylon jaw pliers.
Trim the tails of the wire on the loops.
Carefully open up the hoop to the desired size.
Use chain nose pliers to bend the loop so that the hoop wire is perpendicular to the loop. This is also known as the Breaking the Neck Technique when forming eye pins.
Use nylon jaw pliers to turn the loops as shown. Do this to both loops.
Use nylon jaw pliers to bend the loops up. Repeat these steps to create a second earring.
Place the hoops on a bench block with the loops hanging off of the edge and gently temper the wire with the nylon end of a Whammer. This will work harden the wire and make it sturdy.
To make the earwire components for the hoops, position the largest peg from the WigJig small round super pegs set as shown. Using 20 gauge craft wire, wrap the wire as shown to form a loop.
Bend the wire around the super peg. Remove the wire from the jig and cut it away from the spool. Trim the tail on the loop as you did in Step 8.
Position the wire back on the jig and mark the placement for the bend.
Use chain nose pliers to make a bend at the mark and then debur the end of the wire with a wire rounder. Repeat these steps to make another earwire component.
Use the nylon end of the Whammer to temper the earwires.
Open the loops on the earwire components and attach them to the hoops.
For the hammered hoops, we followed the same steps but with 16 gauge wire. This is a very tight fit with the pegs, so we positioned one peg at a time and used pliers to help manipulate the wire around the pegs.
Trim and turn the hoops as before. Position the hoops on the bench block with the loops hanging off of the edge.
Using the large dapping head on the Whammer, hammer the hoops. Get as close to the loops as possible.
Hammer both sides until you achieve the desired effect. Repeat to make another hoop. The hammering will alter the shape of the hoops, so you will need to shape them a bit with your fingers so that they match.
Make earwire components as you did before and attach them to the hoops.
Now you can embellish your hoops, if you wish. We used DIY hammered hoops as the base of our Tambourines earrings.
Add all available items to your cart at once or edit the quantities below.
Any items with quantities lower than stated minimums will default to the minimum in your cart.
Nice choice! All or most of the products needed for this project are shown
below with quantities. Sometimes we sell out of components and aren’t able to order more from
the manufacturer (we know, it is very disappointing to us, too). Use the opportunity to mix up
the design and make it yours by substituting similar products or altering the entire color
scheme—it’s up to you!
Please wait while we add the products to your cart.
DIY Hoop Earrings
Making Wire Hoop Earrings
designed byArtbeads
Skill LevelAdvanced (or at least patient)
TechniqueWire-Working
Time1-3 Hours
Learn how to shape and hammer your own hoop earrings with this tutorial.
Making your own wire hoops will allow you to truly customize your style. They look great smooth or hammered. This tutorial will teach you how to make hoops in both styles. Learn these simple techniques to start adding hoops to your earring projects
For these earrings, we used the WigJig Delphi acrylic jig, the WigJig Delphi large round super pegs, the WigJig Delphi small round super pegs and an assortment of silver craft wire in various sizes.
To make plain hoops, we will use the WigJig Delphi with two pegs and the largest peg from the WigJig large round super pegs set in the position shown on the jig.
With just a small peg in position, wrap 18 gauge wire around the peg to form a loop as shown. You can position all of the pegs at once if you like, but we found it easier to manipulate the wire with one peg at a time.
Add the largest peg from the set to the jig and wrap the wire past the first peg, as shown.
Position the other small peg on the jig and wrap the wire around it.
Continue the wrap to form a complete loop. This will be a tight fit when using 18 gauge wire. You may need to use nylon jaw pliers to push the wire down around the peg.
Remove the wire from the jig and flatten the loops a bit with nylon jaw pliers.
Trim the tails of the wire on the loops.
Carefully open up the hoop to the desired size.
Use chain nose pliers to bend the loop so that the hoop wire is perpendicular to the loop. This is also known as the Breaking the Neck Technique when forming eye pins.
Use nylon jaw pliers to turn the loops as shown. Do this to both loops.
Use nylon jaw pliers to bend the loops up. Repeat these steps to create a second earring.
Place the hoops on a bench block with the loops hanging off of the edge and gently temper the wire with the nylon end of a Whammer. This will work harden the wire and make it sturdy.
To make the earwire components for the hoops, position the largest peg from the WigJig small round super pegs set as shown. Using 20 gauge craft wire, wrap the wire as shown to form a loop.
Bend the wire around the super peg. Remove the wire from the jig and cut it away from the spool. Trim the tail on the loop as you did in Step 8.
Position the wire back on the jig and mark the placement for the bend.
Use chain nose pliers to make a bend at the mark and then debur the end of the wire with a wire rounder. Repeat these steps to make another earwire component.
Use the nylon end of the Whammer to temper the earwires.
Open the loops on the earwire components and attach them to the hoops.
For the hammered hoops, we followed the same steps but with 16 gauge wire. This is a very tight fit with the pegs, so we positioned one peg at a time and used pliers to help manipulate the wire around the pegs.
Trim and turn the hoops as before. Position the hoops on the bench block with the loops hanging off of the edge.
Using the large dapping head on the Whammer, hammer the hoops. Get as close to the loops as possible.
Hammer both sides until you achieve the desired effect. Repeat to make another hoop. The hammering will alter the shape of the hoops, so you will need to shape them a bit with your fingers so that they match.
Make earwire components as you did before and attach them to the hoops.
Now you can embellish your hoops, if you wish. We used DIY hammered hoops as the base of our Tambourines earrings.