DIY // Chandelier Connector Earrings

By now, I'm sure you know I don't buy earrings just to wear them as they are. NOPE - I buy earrings to take apart and turn into pieces that reflect my personal style. I've always preferred wearing dainty or elegant pieces to the statement jewellery they have in stores, but I'm also a sucker for large, intricate (and shiny) pieces that really grab your attention... yeah, you can see where this leads to. Simply put, I buy a lot of crap I never wear.

But the good thing about this is I have an endless supply of material to play around with (a good side to shopping addiction! Yay!). These connectors were leftovers from my statement necklace DIY, and I loved how they looked so edgy even when they were meant to be hidden. I can see lots of other projects centred around these in the future, so stay tuned! 

Right, let's get on to the tutorial.

What you'll need:

• 2 chandelier connectors (they have a variety of names including horseshoe, u-shaped and waterfall connectors. They should be easy to find on any old chandelier earring you have.)
• Earring hooks
• Jump rings
• Chain
• Teardrop or leaf shaped charms - I removed them from another pair

1. Cut a length of chain about 10 cm (3.9 in) long. This made the earrings dangle past my chin, so if you want a shorter length, I recommend 6 cm (2.5 in). Side note: my shadow looks kinda weird here...

2. Attach the chain to the bottom ends of the connector, making sure the chain lies flat without any twists. I decided to forgo jump rings to get a sleeker look.

3. Attach the centre of the chain to the earring hook. If you find the chain links too small to attach directly, attach using a jump ring.

4. Remove your charm from the source. I actually went and bought 2 pairs of these earrings because I loved the little leaf shapes so much - one to wear and one to take apart!

5. Attach the charm to the bottom of the connector, and you're done!

Now this is a piece I would wear all the time. It's simple, minimalist and elegant, and so easy to make! Best of all, I had all the materials I needed already at home.

What did you think of this DIY? Did you give it a go? Let me know in the comments!