By General Crafts Contributor Michelle

Gift giving season is just around the corner–get a head-start on your handmade gifts with these simple, and stylish earrings.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:

• Leather
• Beadalon Cord Ends C-Crimp Silver Plated 14 pc.
• Beadalon C-Crimp Cord Ends 1.9 mm Gold 14 pc.
• Tandy Leather Leather Scissors 7 in.
• Darice French Hook Earring Wires 1 in. 60 pc. Silver Plated
• Beadalon Ear Wires Ball & Spring Nickel Free Gold Plated 16 pc.

To begin, cut a thin strip of your leather.  I didn’t want to wind up with huge, long earrings, so my strips are only about 3/8-inch wide, by 4-inches long.  You can vary the width and length of your strips to change the look of the finished earrings.

Next, tie a simple, loose knot in your leather.

Pinch the tail ends of your knot together, so the good sides of the leather are facing out.  Place a c-crimp over the end, and pinch together with your pliers to hold.

Attach an earring wire to the top loop of your c-crimp.

That’s it!  It takes mere minutes to make cute, trendy looking earring that make fantastic gifts, or stocking stuffers.

Try cutting longer strips, and making earrings that dangle down more, or cut the strips thicker to make a chunkier knot for your earring.

Happy crafting!