Two years ago I made my mom a pair of Christmas Tree Earrings for Christmas. I’m told she gets compliments on them whenever she wears them out, so this past Christmas I decided to make a few more to give as small presents to the other women in my family. As I started brainstorming who I could give them to the list kept growing, and by the end I was making 16 pairs of earrings (including one for myself.)
The first step in these relatively simple earrings is to shape the wire into a Christmas tree shape. I use 20 gauge silver wire, and rounded needle-nose pliers to shape them.
Step One: Shape the wire frames
I made them in several different sizes to suite the style of women who would be wearing them. (So naturally I made mine fairly big!) The hardest part is getting the two trees to match in size.
Next I use the pliers to attach a thinner wire to the top. Then I start adding one seed bead at a time as I wrap the wire around the frame. I chose to place a gold bead at the top (like a star!) and then use dark and light green, red and clear beads for the rest of the tree (like Christmas lights!). Finally you tie off the wire at the base of the tree near the swirl.
Step Two: Add beads as you wrap the thinner wire around the base
When the trees are done attach the earring hooks (using the same pliers), and voila — you’re done!
Step Three: Attach the hooks
Each pair took about an hour to complete. This was longer than I had anticipated, so unfortunately I ran out of time and wasn’t able to complete a few pairs (including mine), but there’s always next year!
I love the look of brown paper with a simple red ribbon, so when it came time to wrap I chose to re-purpose a few Trader Joe’s bags and use ribbon I’ve had lying around forever.
Step Four: Find a fun way to wrap them up!
I love this gift because its fun, simple, and unique enough to cater to most styles, but at the same time its relatively inexpensive, homemade, and reuses a lot of materials I already have, even down to the wrapping. Unfortunately now that almost everyone I know has a pair, I suppose I should probably find a new idea for next Christmas! 
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