DIY Triangle Dangle Earrings with Beads and Chain

These DIY triangle dangle earrings are made with a simple row of beads and lightweight silver chain that forms the triangle around them. They look a little more complicated than they really are, and once you have the supplies ready, you can make a pair in about 20 minutes.

I originally made these earrings as a gift for a special friend and loved them so much that I ended up making another pair for myself. That happens to me quite a bit with handmade jewelry!

Why You’ll Love These Triangle Dangle Earrings

These are especially nice if you’re still getting comfortable with jewelry making because you only need a few basic techniques.

• They take about 20 minutes to make.
• You only need a small amount of beads and chain.
• The design is easy to customize with different colors and bead styles.
• You’ll practice making a simple wire loop and opening and closing jump rings.
• They make lovely handmade gifts too.

How to Make DIY Triangle Dangle Earrings

I’ve always enjoyed making my own jewelry when I have the chance. There’s something fun about taking a few very simple supplies and turning them into something you can actually wear.

For these earrings, I used black beads with one sparkling silver bead in the center and silver chain around them. The chain connects to both ends of the beaded bar and meets at the earring hook, creating that pretty triangular shape.

And of course, the colors are completely up to you. The construction is what matters here.

Supplies:

• 12 black beads, about 6 mm
• 2 silver sparkling beads, about 8 mm
• 2 eye pins
• Lightweight silver jewelry chain
• 4 jump rings, about 5 mm
• 2 earring hooks

Tools:

• Wire cutter.
• Flat nose pliers
• Bend flat nose pliers
• Round nose Pliers

Sorry about the light in the photos, that day natural light was not helping at all!

I recommend using a lightweight chain for earrings like these. You want enough weight for the chain to hang nicely, but not so much that the earrings become uncomfortable to wear.

Instructions:

The printable tutorial card and video are below, but here’s exactly how I make these earrings step by step.

Step 1: Make the Beaded Base

Take one eye pin and add three black beads, one silver bead, and three more black beads.

I like having the larger silver bead right in the center because it gives the little bead bar a nice balance, but you can change the pattern however you like.

Now you need to create another loop at the open end of the eye pin.

Using your round nose pliers, bend the wire at about a 90-degree angle away from you.

Move your pliers so you’re holding the wire near the bend, then wrap the wire around the round nose pliers to create a loop.

Trim away the excess wire with your cutters as close to the loop as possible.

You should now have a row of beads with one loop at each end.

Step 2: Cut the Chain

Cut one piece of chain about 21 links long.

For the chain I used, that gave me about 10 links on each side of the earring with the center link attaching to the earring hook.

Your exact number may be different depending on the size of your chain, so don’t worry too much about matching my link count exactly.

What matters is that both sides are the same length.

I highly recommend cutting the chain for both earrings at this point and comparing the pieces side by side. It makes keeping the finished earrings symmetrical much easier.

Step 3: Attach the Chain to the Beaded Bar

Slightly open one loop at the end of your beaded eye pin.

Slide one end of the chain onto the loop, then carefully close it again with your pliers.

Repeat on the opposite side with the other end of the chain.

You can also use small jump rings between the eye pin and chain if that works better with the chain you’re using.

Once both sides are attached, your chain should form a triangle above the beaded bar.

Then do the same on the other end.

Step 4: Add the Earring Hook

Find the center link of your chain.

For mine, this was the eleventh link.

Open a jump ring using two pairs of pliers. Twist the ring sideways rather than pulling the ends apart. This helps it keep its round shape.

Slide the center chain link and your earring hook onto the jump ring.

Close the jump ring securely.

I usually double-check these little connections because earrings move around quite a bit when you wear them.

Repeat all the steps for your second earring.

And that’s it! Your DIY triangle dangle earrings are ready to wear.

What do you think? Doesn’t it look so pretty and glamorous?

Ways to Change the Look

The black and silver combination is what I chose for mine, but this little design is very easy to change.

You could use colorful glass beads with gold chain, all-metal beads for a simpler look, or different bead sizes along the bottom.

You can also make the chain shorter or longer. A shorter chain creates a smaller triangle, while a longer one gives you more of a statement earring.

Just keep both sides of each earring the same length so the triangle hangs evenly.

Caring for Handmade Earrings

I keep handmade jewelry in a dry place and try not to let it sit tangled with other pieces.

If you use plated chain or findings, avoid getting them wet or spraying perfume directly onto them since that can make the finish wear faster.

You can also store each pair in a small jewelry bag so the chain doesn’t catch on other earrings.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Handmade Jewelry Projects to try

If you enjoyed this cute geometric earrings tutorial, you might also love these other handmade jewelry project ideas too:

Other Cute Geometric Jewelry Ideas from my favorite bloggers

• Easy Geometric Shrink Film Earrings by Lia Griffith
• Faux Granite Geometric Earrings DIY by Tried and True
• DIY Geometric Hoop Earrings by Made in A Day

I really love how such a small collection of beads and chain turns into a completely wearable pair of earrings.

If you make your own triangle dangle earrings, I’d love to see how you change the colors and beads. Tag me on Instagram and leave me a comment with a star rating below!

✂️ Tutorial

Share and PIN ME!