Head Pins & Eye Pins

Headpins are essential findings in jewellery making that are used to create dangles, drops, and pendants. They consist of a long, thin metal wire with a flat or rounded head on one end. The head serves as a stopper to prevent beads or other components from sliding off the pin.

Headpins come in various lengths and are available in different. To use a headpin, you simply slide beads or other decorative elements onto the straight end and then create a loop or wrap the wire around a round-nose plier to secure the components in place. The headpin can then be attached to earrings, necklaces, bracelets, or other jewellery designs using jump rings, ear wires, or other connectors.

Headpins are versatile and commonly used in a wide range of jewellery-making techniques, including bead stringing, wire wrapping, and chain jewellery. They provide stability and structure to jewellery designs, allowing you to create unique and personalised pieces.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced jewellery maker, headpins are an essential component in your toolkit. They offer endless possibilities for creating beautiful and customized jewellery designs, making them a must-have for any jewellery-making project.

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If you’re looking for Sterling Silver or real gold headpins and eye pins, please head over to our precious metal category.

Headpins and eyepins are versatile jewellery findings used in various techniques to create beautiful and functional jewellery pieces. Here’s more information on how to use them:

Headpins:

Bead Dangles: Slide one or more beads onto the straight end of a headpin. Use pliers to create a wrapped loop by bending the wire at a 90-degree angle, trimming excess wire, and then curling it into a loop. This creates a bead dangle that can be attached to earrings, necklaces, or bracelets.

Pendants and Drops: Similar to creating bead dangles, you can slide larger beads or focal components onto headpins to make pendants or drops. Wrap a loop using your round-nose pliers and attach them to chains or cords using jump rings.

Eyepins:

Bead Links: Slide beads onto the straight part of an eyepin and create a simple loop or a wrapped loop at the other end. This allows you to connect multiple bead links together to create chains, bracelets, or decorative elements. If you visit our shop we can show you a Swarovski crystal chandelier we created using this technique!

Connectors: Eyepins can be used as connectors to attach various components in your jewellery design. For example, you can link multiple charms or beads using eyepins to create a charm bracelet or necklace.

Earring Components: Eyepins can also be used to make earring components. Slide beads onto the straight part of the eyepin, create a loop at the other end, and attach an ear wire or earring hook to one loop and a final bead dangle made using a headpin to complete the earring design.

Tips for Using Headpins and Eyepins:

  • Choose the appropriate length of pin based on your design requirements. It’s a good idea to purchase longer pins than you’d plan to use because this allows more creative possibilities. You can trim the pin to use them for applications where shorter pins are required.
  • Ensure that the wire diameter of the pin suits the size of the bead hole to ensure a secure fit. A pin at 0.6mm or 0.5mm is ideal as it will fit through almost any beads.
  • Use round-nose pliers to create consistent and neatly shaped loops. Mark a spot on your round nose pliers with a permanent marker so you can line up the wire and make perfectly consistent loop sizes.
  • Consider using decorative headpins or eyepins with embellishments or unique designs to add visual interest to your jewellery. Alternatively thread a small bead cap onto the headpin before the first bead.

Both headpins and eyepins are available in various metals, finishes, and thicknesses, allowing you to select the right option for your specific design needs. Experiment with different techniques and combinations of beads and components to create your own unique jewellery designs.

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