While I was working on the design for my triangle whirl earrings (click here and here for those tutorials) I came up with another design using triangles. I seem to come up with new patterns all at the same time. It’s as if I cannot help thinking of new designs while working on other designs!
Supplies You Need (for one pair of earrings):
- 2 strips of paper 17″-24″ long (if you make a smaller or larger triangle you may need a shorter or longer strip of paper. If I’m using paper that comes in strips of 17″ I just use that. If I’m using strips of paper that come in 24″, I just use that. So the length is a bit flexible.)
- 2 strips of paper about 6″ long
- glue (My favorite is PPA which you can find at Custom Quilling, or here on Amazon)
- Border Buddy by Quilled Creations (you can find it at Custom Quilling and on Amazon)
- cork workboard covered in plastic.
- sealant for making your earrings water resistant (click here to read more about different sealants or read below about the exact sealants I used on this pair)
- earwires and jump rings (I use a 5mm diameter jump ring to attach to the earring design and then a 3-4mm jump ring to attach that to the earring hook).
Instructions:
- This design is quite simple once you follow a few good tips for using the Border Buddy. If you haven’t already, check out my first post on tips for using the Border Buddy! You will be wrapping each of the strips around a certain layer on the Border Buddy. If you have numbered the layers on your Border Buddy, it will be easier to keep track of which layer you are on. My number 1 layer is the biggest layer. Make sure as you are wrapping, you apply glue all around the border as you go, to keep a nice sturdy triangle shape. Just be sure to wrap very carefully so the edges line up or you’ll end up with the edges looking uneven. I apply glue to two sides at a time to make it a bit quicker. *note* these photos are obviously of the square tip for the border buddy, you will be using the triangular one for these earrings.
- Wrap each 24″ strip around level 1 of the triangular Border Buddy.
- Wrap each 6″ strip around level 8 of the triangular Border Buddy.
- Position your triangles so that the small triangle is inside the big one, but with the corners facing the sides of the big triangle and pin them in place as shown here:
- Then put a dab of glue on each corner of the small triangle. Use pins to push the edges of the large triangle until they meet the corners of the small triangle and push the pins into the board to keep it in place.
- Once all the pins are in place your design is finished, but it will not stay in this shape easily unless you first put some sealant on it to make it stiff before removing the pins. I use a small stiff paintbrush to paint on some Ceramcoat All Purpose Sealer (click here for a full review with tips on using this sealer). You can also use DecoArt Sealer which I am starting to experiment with and seems to work well so far. Whichever sealer you use, just paint a bit all around the edge (not so much that it drips down) and allow it to dry.
- As soon as the first layer of sealant has dried, take out the pins and pick up your piece. If it is stuck to the plastic with glue or sealant, use a toothpick or needle tool to help you get it unstuck from the plastic. Now you will need to put on a full layer of sealant. I like to pour some liquid sealant into a small cap, dip the piece in, dab it on tissue to get rid of excess, and lay it on a plastic surface to dry.
- Then you’ll want a layer of topcoat (sealant or sealer will make the piece stiff but not give the best water resistance). I like using PPA matte, PPA gloss, Diamond Glaze, 3D Crystal Lacquer, Crystal Coat Glaze, and others. Click here for reviews and posts about these and other sealants, topcoats, and glazes. To apply the topcoat, use a small paintbrush and paint on a layer. I like to put on the jump rings and ear wires first, then paint on a full layer of topcoat and hang it to dry.
These can be made with all sorts of variations (I have two fun variations coming in tutorials very soon!) and all sorts of color combos. So have fun making them your own!
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial for the double triangle paper quilling earrings, let me know what you think!
- Click here to view more free paper quilling tutorials!
- Click here to view paper quilling tips and tricks!
- Click here to view a list of places to buy quilling supplies around the world!
- Click here to view some of my own quilling projects, with tips so you can make your own if you’d like!
*All products and supplies mentioned in this post I purchased and/or made on my own.
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