Are you looking for an inexpensive and elegant way to display you handmade earrings? When doing art shows, I receive many compliments on how my earrings are displayed. I made these displays at the beginning of last summer and found them to be very functional. Minimal wire working skills are needed, and basic pliers. The great part is that each display stacks inside the next, so they become very compact. They also allow for each piece of earrings to have their own display rack, accentuating their uniqueness!
Handcrafted Sterling Silver and Copper Earrings on a Handmade Display!
Supplies Needed:
16 gauge wire (a little larger than 1/8″ diameter). Twenty inches per display
Needle Nose Pliers
Flat Nose Pliers, or Chain Nose Pliers
Ruler
Sharpie (or any permanent marker)
Directions
1. Cut a piece of wire 20 inches long. Keep the natural curve in the wire (from the spool), try not to bend it while measuring; each bend will take more time to undo. The measurement doesn’t have to be extremely precise, even if you are off 1/2 inch, it doesn’t matter much.
2. Measure 5 inches, then make a mark on the wire with the sharpie. Then go to the other end and measure 5 inches and make a mark on the wire with the sharpie.
4. Put the wire in front of you so it looks like a rainbow (if for some reason you have 20 inches of straight wire, that will work also.) look for you first sharpie mark and make a 90 degree bend, perpendicular to the counter. Then do the same to the other mark, so it is somewhat parallel to the other side that was just bent.
5. Use your hands to form the display like the one above, making a curve in the middle and adjusting the side pieces.
6. Using your needle nose pliers, bend a loop at the end of each wire. (If you are planning on displaying stud earrings, I would suggest making the loops at the top smaller)
Handcrafted Sterling Silver and Copper Lamination Earrings
on a Handmade display
7. Put some earrings on the display and adjust the stand by bending with your hands if needed.
Please let me know how these instructions worked for you!
Also if you have any questions or general comments!
Handcrafted Sterling Silver and Copper Earrings
If you would like to purchase earring display racks, please visit My Etsy Store!
Jewelry Business Blog 
This is a great idea Beth, it is simple, cheap, yet elegant.
Thanks Rose!
Beth,
Your wire earring displays are ingenious! I’m going to try making some tomorrow! Thanks for the great idea. Julie C.
Beth,
I love this idea. What kind of wire did you use (it doesn’t look like copper …or is it??)?
Enquiring wire bender wants to know! 🙂
Randi
The wire I used was copper, but it had some sort of plastic coating on it. The wire was given to me, so I am unsure what particular type of wire it is. You could get a dark color to your copper wire by baking it in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour or so until it is the color you want. You could also use a torch to darken the wire quicker. Another option would be a patina, liver of sulfur is one type of patina I have used. It smells like rotten eggs, but you can turn copper black really fast without heating it up.
Thank you! I love this idea!
FABULOUS idea!!! Your work is beautiful as well. I visited you website and I think its great. Do you mind telling me who constructed it for you…very streamlined and professional!
Thanks Jocelyn! I actually designed my website also. I used a program called Dream Weaver which has templates that you are able to change however you want by dropping and dragging images. It was sort of difficult to understand the program, but eventually I figured it out. I also have a knowledge of HTML, which helped me make my website.
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To see my Jewelry Website, please check out the link below!
http://www.bethmillner.com
OMG That is ingenious!! I just thought of something as well:
Before bending the ‘arcs’ and adding the loop to hold the earrings, you could add large colorful beads (preferably glass or tumbled stone) onto the wire. Use a bead reamer to make sure the holes are large enough to fit onto 16 ga. wire. I’m also going to experiment with lighter wire and shorter lengths of wire (for smaller earrings).
Beth, this was an awesome tip, and your jewelry is fabulous!
This is a great idea! I will try make some this weekend! Thanks for sharing the idea.
GREAT idea, and really simple to follow instructions. I’m always looking for interesting displays, and this is perfect for my jewelry style!!
Hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to link back here from Beading Help Web, I’d like to share your idea with my readers.
Thanks!
Lynn
Onye said: “Before bending the ‘arcs’ and adding the loop to hold the earrings, you could add large colorful beads (preferably glass or tumbled stone) onto the wire.”
Just remember, you don’t want your displays to compete too much with your jewelry. If the display is more elaborate or equally as interesting as the earrings, it could distract a potential customer. Maybe adding beads which are not bright colors, or adding just a few beads.
Thanks for the Link Lynne!
LOVE THIS!
Thank you for your generosity. I am putting together a student case for our local gem & mineral show next weekend. This design is perfect, I have all necessary materials & skills!
Your simple & elegant design is perfect for showing off my work!
how wonderful–I’ve been making a few designs of my own, maybe we can exchange them.
Brilliant idea, I will have my first jewelry party soon so this comes handy and at the right time.
I am used to using wire for my sculpted dolls, but never thought about using it for displays. Great idea!
Thanks for sharing!!
thank you so very much for sharing your display! How creative and fun. Great idea! and Grateful for you sharing it. I always have issues with how to display them!
This was very generous of you to share. It’s a simpel yet ingeniou idea. I’m going to try it out. Thank you so much
What a great idea! These are such an attractive and unique way to display! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Blue and White!
Wow this is so creative. Thank you so much for sharing! Kylee
Thanks!
Very good idea. Love the info you gave on darkening copper in the oven and with the heat gun. Will also try that on some thin copper foil I have, should look cool!
Hello, I am new to the “business” side of jewelry making and love these wonderful earring stands. Thanks for being so generous with all of us!!!
thanks much, bro
This is a nice idea for earrings display! Now my head is filled with ideas. thanks for the inspiration 🙂
-K-
You’re welcome! Glad it was helpful!
I saw your jewelry displat ideas, they are great! I looked at your website and your jewelry is absolutely beautiful! One of my goals is to take up Silversmithing.
Thank-you for sharing!
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Really cool idea you have here. If I may, there is a really neat way of getting gorgeous copper wire to use. Go to the electrical dept in your hardware store and buy a few feet of of the heaviest gauge household wiring. Strip off the white outside plastic coating and VOILA …. behold… beautiful bright copper in different gauges. I have used this for many different projects and thanx to your idea, now I will be making some interesting displays as well. What I did notice about your displays first off was that they looked like “sad faces”. Maybe with some different bending techniques … they could look “happy”. ;^)
Lori Ann
I too have been inspired to make some for my heart pendant jewelry stall
Hi, Beth! Your displays are fabulous! I made them (along with the necklace/earring stands) for a holiday show I did recently and I received huge compliments on my display! I added some pics to my blog and gave credit where credit is due 😉
Hi Beth, Just found this post for an earring display, it’s really great. I hope you don’t mind I did a post about it at The Art Bead Scene. I put a link to your blog, hopefully you’ll get some traffic from it.
Have a great day,
Jennifer
Awesome Jennifer! I am glad you like the display =) Can you give me a link to the post?
great blog..I saw your article .. I have a jewelry rack article ..
Wow, very cool earring display! Now I need to find some wire to make my own. LOVE that they stack!
Thank you for sharing your wonderfully simple and elegant design. I just purchased a fancy cake display from Ross that is faux copper to hang jewelry on as a dislplay but I like your idea for special one of a kind pieces that should stand out from the others.
Hi, thanks for sharing.They’re lovely and easy to make.Greetings from Argentina
Love this. I will definitely try to make these. Simple and elegant at a great price.
Great idea. thank you for sharing.
Please visit my Etsy store and discover wonderful and unique handmade jewelry displays http://www.etsy.com/shop/dounieta
Thank you!!
Love the idea, I am going to make it w/ an extra loop so I can display a matching earring and necklace set.
Thanks for sharing this idea. I made several and they’re ideal for photographing and displaying jewelry.