DIY Trend Alert! Geometric Leather Earrings That You'll Want to Wear

This post is sponsored by Realeather®

Brown and black geometric earrings blog post header

It's hard to miss the surge in popularity of the leather leaf earrings that Joanna Gaines sported in Fixer Upper. It’s made leather earrings HOT, HOT, HOT and they’re now a staple in any savvy fashionista’s jewellery collection.

Then there’s the geometric trend - the trend that never really goes away. It's simple, classic and timeless. And right now, geometric earrings are popping up everywhere and in such a diverse range of materials like polymer clay, wood and resin. So it stands to reason that if you were to marry leather with geometric shapes that they would be a match made in heaven!

Read on and I'll show you how to take these two on-trend elements and turn them into a pair of bold but classy statement earrings that will glam up any outfit instantly and that you'll LOVE wearing again and again. As you can see below, my daughter loves them so much she has already snagged them!

The most essential ingredient of these earrings is without doubt, the Realeather® Round Shapes.

Realeather Round Jewelry Shapes in packaging

These new leather jewellery shapes come in a range of different colour combinations and finishes. But for this project, I've chosen the Black and Medium Brown combination pack, C4809-28.

Here's a shopping list to help you gather all the materials you need:
(You can find all these supplies at Hobby Lobby.)

Realeather Circle Shapes C4809-28
1-1/2” black tassels
4mm (outer diameter) gold eyelets
6mm gold jump rings
Fine necklace chain
20gauge non-tarnish wire
Gold earring wires

You'll also need some tools to help you make this project:

Combination eyelet setting pliers and hole punch
Flat nose pliers
Chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Flush cutters
Nylon jaw pliers

So let's get started!

Prepare the Leather Circles

These circles already come with a hole punched in them but this project calls for two holes, so fold the brown suede circle in half with the hole centred.

Line up the punch with the hole. The top edge of the punch should be positioned at the top of the existing hole. This will give you the perfect distance from the edge to attach the 6mm jump ring that will connect the next piece in the design. Punch through both layers.

Punching a hole through both sides of the folded brown suede circle

Brown suede circle with holes punched on opposite sides

With the circle folded, align the holes and insert an eyelet through both layers. Position the circle on the eyelet setting platform and squeeze the handles to set it. You may need to give it another squeeze to make sure that the eyelet has gone through both layers but try not to over squeeze it or it will distort the eyelet.

Setting the eyelet through both layers of the brown circle

Brown suedehalf circle folded with eyelet set in position

Repunch the hole on the black circle so that it fits an eyelet shaft and then punch a hole on the opposite side of the circle.

Black suede circle being punched in hole punch

Place an eyelet in one of the holes and position it on the setting platform. Squeeze the handles to set it. Set an eyelet in the hole on the other side too.

Leather circle with holes punched on opposite sides

Put the leather pieces aside for the time being whilst you work on the triangle charm.

Make the Spiral Triangle

Cut an 8” piece of wire from the spool and then run it through the nylon jaw pliers a few times to straighten out the curves.

Place the end of the wire in the middle of the tip of the flat nose pliers and bend the wire at a 60° angle.

End of the wire positioned in the flat nose pliers

Switch to chain nose pliers to make the rest of the bends. Make another bend in the wire so that the first two sides are about the same length.

Bend the wire again to make the third side of the triangle.

Beginning to form the second triangle layer.

Once you’ve made the base triangle, continue making bends in the wire so that each successive triangle is larger than the one inside it.

Using chain nose pliers to bend the wire at a 60° angle.

Keep going until the triangle measures about 7/8” wide.

Grip the wire above the last point of the triangle and bend it sideways.

Using flat nose pliers to bend the wire sideways

Trim the end to about 3/8” (10mm) with flush cutters.

Using flush cutters to trim the wire to 10mm

Switch to round nose pliers and turn a simple loop.

Make a second triangle using the first one as a guide for shape and size. Keep checking it as you go along.

Lining up the two triangles as they are being made to check for size and shape.

It's OK if the triangles are a little different - it won't be noticeable when they're on opposite sides of your face!

Two wire spiral triangles, approximately the same shape and size.

Assemble the Earrings

Open a jump ring and hook on the black circle and the tassel and then close the jump ring again.

Closing the jump ring connecting the black tassel and the leather circle ith pliers

Open another jump ring and hook on the top hole of the circle, the wire triangle and the folded brown circle.

Hooking the wire spiral triangle onto the two leather circle pieces

Then close the jump ring to secure all the pieces together.

Closing the jump ring with two pairs of chain nose pliers

Drop the chain through the folded circle and pull it through the other side.

Feeding the necklace chain through the folded circle

Then hook a jump ring through the end link. Pull the chain up to remove the slack and then hook it through one of the links of the chain. It should form a very shallow triangle.

Using pliers to closing the jump ring with the chain connected

Add the earring wire and close the jump ring.

Carefully cut away the excess chain with wire cutters. Then, make up the second earring.

Using flush cutters to trim away the excess chain

Whether you need to dress up a plain "T", add a touch of drama to your business wear or sophistication to a dinner date outfit, your geometric leather earrings are the perfect accent for your outfit. So wear them.... and show them off!

And then make yourself some more fabulous leather earrings using the other new shapes in the Realeather Jewelry Shape range. See the Realeather website for more tutorials.

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