Learn how to make leather earrings in this step-by-step photo tutorial. Includes a free DIY leather earring template for teardrop earrings, leaf earrings, and more!
Imagine you are on the lookout for earrings that are beautiful, timeless, fun, and most of all - lightweight.
What is the perfect solution?
Leather earrings!
Earrings made out of leather (as well as faux leather earrings) have taken the jewelry industry by storm, and now they're taking over the DIY jewelry space too! (And for good reason.)
With just a few supplies, you can make a dozen pairs of earrings in just a few minutes.
Let's take a look at how easy it is to make your own!
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Why You'll Love This Craft
- Making your own earrings is a fun and easy way to update your wardrobe. You can make earrings that coordinate with every outfit, and always have the perfect accessory!
- Leather is fun to work with, and it's even better when it's made into an earring! You don't need fancy tools to make these DIY leather earrings.
- Handmade gifts are always a hit, and these earrings are no different. They are trendy and found in boutiques all over, so giving a pair (or three!) of DIY leather earrings is sure to be well received.
Craft Supplies Needed
- Leather Scraps - I bought leather scraps from a seller on eBay. This was a good way to get a variety of leather scraps of different colors and textures for a good price. You can also order suede or leather online.
- Earring Hardware - I used the hook type of earring back for these dangly leather earrings.
- Metal Jump Rings - For the Joanna Gaines-style leaf earrings version.
- Scissors - Make sure they are sharp! This will help you make clean, professional-looking earrings.
- Pliers - To open and close the earring hooks and jump rings with.
- Leather Hole Punch - To punch the holes in the top of the leather earring shapes. My punch has multiple hole options to choose from.
- Leather Earring Templates - FREE in our Resource Library!
How to Make Leather Earrings
Step 1. Print out the Leather Earring Template from our free resource library!
Determine which leather earring template you want to use and cut it out.
Step 2. Trace the earring shapes on the back of the piece of leather.
(You want to trace on the backside of the leather so you don't see any pencil or marker lines on the front side of your finished earrings.)
Carefully cut out the earring shapes.
Step 3. Look them over, and clean up any noticeably jagged sections.
You want the edges to be as smooth as possible.
Step 4. Using a leather punch (or another small, sharp object if you don’t have a leather punch), make a hole in the top of each leather shape.
This is the hole you'll attach the earring hook to.
Step 5. Use pliers to open the wire loop at the bottom of each earring hook.
Step 6. Attach one earring hook to each leather shape.
Pinch the loop closed with the pliers to secure.
That's it! They're finished!
Joanna Gaines Leather Earrings | Leather Leaf Earrings
You can use the free leather earring template designs to make rectangle leather earrings, leather teardrop earrings, or arguably my favorite style of all: leather leaf earrings, which are also known as “Joanna Gaines Leather Earrings”!
The process for making leaf earrings is very similar to the general process for making any diy earrings out of leather.
You just have to add one more step.
Here’s how to make Joanna Gaines Leather Earrings.
Step 7. Cut out two leather leaf earring shapes.
Step 8. Use a leather punch to make two holes in the top of each earring shape, as shown.
(These TWO holes are the difference between these leather leaf earrings and the simple rectangle or teardrop leather earrings we made in the first part of this tutorial.)
Step 9. Pinch the leather leaf as shown, toward the middle, so the two holes come together.
Use pliers to open up a metal jump ring, and insert the jump ring through both holes.
Step 10. Pinch the jump ring closed with pliers.
PRO TIP: You can experiment with different-sized jump rings and alter the placement of the two holes slightly to create different variations of how the leaf earrings will look.
A bigger jump ring will make a looser, flatter leaf shape, and a smaller jump ring will make a tighter, more folded leaf shape.
Likewise, holes that are closer to the midline will result in a flatter leaf earring. Holes that are further away, toward the edges of the leaf will result in a more 3-D, folded leaf earring when finished.
(It's largely personal preference; whichever style you like best. Experimentation is key!)
Step 11. Attach the earring hooks to the jump rings and close the loops to secure them.
There are the leather leaf earrings!
Common Questions
Some people might want to use a Cricut machine to make their leather earrings, and that's a great idea if you have one. For those of us who don't have a Cricut machine, scissors and a template are our best bet. But sometimes scissors can cut unevenly and roughly.
The first tip is to make sure you are using sharp scissors. That will give you the best edge. Second, cut slowly and carefully when you cut the leather shapes out.
Third, use tiny snips with the scissors to even up the edges of the earrings.
With these tips, the leather earring shapes should have pretty smooth, clean edges!
Absolutely! Whether you are a vegan or just don't like the idea of using real leather for these earrings, you can definitely follow the exact same steps, but use imitation leather or vinyl instead, just like we did in our faux leather earrings tutorial. Check your craft store for vinyl options, or online of course!
You sure can! These DIY earrings are a hit as handmade gifts and are hot sellers at craft fairs and in boutiques that feature local sellers as well. If you like these earrings, go ahead and use this tutorial to make some to sell. Good luck!!
Leather scraps are easy to come by on Ebay, at craft stores, or maybe even tucked into a bin in your own craft room.
Leather earrings can be made from very small pieces of leather scraps; just a few inches are needed for each earring. That makes it the perfect scrap buster!
You can use colorful leather, patterned leather, or even upcycle an old leather purse or flexible belt into a pair of diy leather earrings.
Once you make a pair of your own handmade earrings, you’ll already be thinking about your next pair, and looking for the perfect outfit to pair them all with!
More Jewelry Crafts You'll Love
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How to Make Leather Earrings
Materials
- Leather Scraps
- Earring Hardware The fishing hook style of earring backs.
- Metal Jump Rings
- Scissors
- Pliers
- Leather Hole Punch
- Leather Earrings Template In our Free Resource Library!
Instructions
- Print out the Leather Earring Template from our free resource library!Determine which leather earring template you want to use and cut it out.
- Trace the earring shapes on the back of the piece of leather.(You want to trace on the backside of the leather so you don't see any pencil or marker lines on the front side of your finished earrings.)Carefully cut out the earring shapes.
- Look them over, and clean up any noticeably jagged sections.You want the edges to be as smooth as possible.
- Using a leather punch (or another small, sharp object if you don’t have a leather punch), make a hole in the top of each leather shape.This is the hole you'll attach the earring hook to.
- Use pliers to open the wire loop at the bottom of each earring hook.
- Attach one earring hook to each leather shape.Pinch the loop closed with the pliers to secure.That's it! They're finished!
- To make Leather Leaf Earrings - cut out two leather leaf earring shapes.
- Use a leather punch to make two holes in the top of each earring shape, as shown.(These TWO holes are the difference between these leather leaf earrings and the simple rectangle or teardrop leather earrings we made in the first part of this tutorial.)
- Pinch the leather leaf as shown, toward the middle, so the two holes come together. Use pliers to open up a metal jump ring, and insert the jump ring through both holes.
- Pinch the jump ring closed with pliers.
- Attach the earring hooks to the jump rings and close the loops to secure them.There are the leather leaf earrings!
Notes
- You can change the look of the leather leaf earrings by using a big or small jump ring, and by where you punch your two top holes - either closer together or further apart. Experiment to see what look you like better - a flatter leaf or a more pinched, 3D shape!
- Use a sharp pair of scissors to make cutting smooth, sharp edges in the leather easier.
- You can use imitation leather or vinyl if you don't want to use real leather or suede. We did a DIY faux leather earring tutorial here!
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