Tutorial: DIY Pentacle Hoop Earrings

It's been a little quiet on the crafting front, as I've been busy with work and too tired in the evenings to make myself do much. However, I've been wanting to feature more DIY projects on An Honest Drug, and even more wanting to encourage everyone else to get into crafting as well.

Not having pierced ears, other than a few ear cuffs I don't really wear a lot of earrings; outside of a few select places it's difficult to get clip on earrings and some styles aren't possible to make. Nonetheless, a few weeks ago I saw a DIY on Mooky Chick for pentagram earrings, which have been incredibly popular recently. However, I didn't want to use wool, and so devised a means of making my own pair - and just for you, followers, I turned it into a tutorial!


First, some information on the pentacle/pentagram -

 The pentagram (or five pointed star) has its roots in ancient Sumeria, where it was used as a glyph to represent the word 'ub', meaning corner or angle. It was adopted by the ancient greeks as part of their cosmogony and later by the Christians to represent the five wounds of Christ - Chinese and Japanese culture also used it to represent the five elements. The link with the occult was first popularised by Agrippa, and it was later Christian writers who introduced the distinction between the 'good' upright pentagram and the 'evil' downward pentagram.

Nowadays, the pentagram (called a pentacle when surrounded by a circle) is used by many faiths, but is associated most with Wicca, where it's been used as a religious symbol since the eighties, and Satanism, as the basis for the Sigil of Baphomet (though contrary to popular belief, they don't use the basic pentagram itself). I follow neither of these faiths, though I respect the right to practice them, but given the pentagram's long history and use by multiple groups I don't feel as though I am appropriating this symbol. I do think, however, that you should be aware of the history of any symbols you choose to wear, and be respectful of other's faiths.

DIY Pentacle Hoop Earrings

You will need:

Hoop Earrings (could be made for this, but I used old clip ons I'd saved)
Ribbon
Thread (I used cotton sewing thread, but embroidery thread or even a thin leather thong would also work)
Super glue

Difficulty: Easy

Time: One hour max.

Step one

Start by tying your thread onto your hoop securely with a double knot, before drawing it tightly across the hoop and repeating. Form a star shape by doing this, as below.

Step Two

Continue threading along the shape of the star, wrapping around the bases of where the thread wraps around the earring for security, until you're happy with how thick the lines of the pentagram are. If you've used thicker embroidery thread or leather, you may not need to do this step.

Step Three

Now you need to wrap your ribbon around your earring; start tightly wrapping around the hoop, making sure to cover up the metal, and go in between the thread. Secure your start with a dab of glue (or clip, if you're not sure if your ribbon is long enough), and continue wrapping your hoop until the end - then put a dot of glue to secure the other end. You can use embroidery thread or leather for this step, or even skip wrapping the wire if you want it to show.

 Repeat for the matching pair, and your earrings are now complete! Mine are oh-so comfy, and perfect for scaring off people who want to talk to me before I've imbibed my morning cuppa. Please let me know if you've made any earrings using this tutorial, as I would love to include a link to them (it would also be cool if you did the same, hint hint). Hope this was helpful!




Fee



Information on pentacles and pentagrams sourced from Wikipedia, but information can also be found on the Church of Satanism website.