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How to make DIY leather earrings.
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How to Make Leather Earrings

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!
Author: Laura Radniecki

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!