Shibori Silk Earrings — Bead Embroidery PDF Tutorial | Shibori Silk & Pearls

Bead embroidery meets handmade textile — these dramatic teardrop earrings showcase the rich folds and colour of Shibori silk ribbon, framed in beads and pearls.

Because Shibori silk is folded and hand-dyed, no two pairs will ever be identical — making this a genuinely one-of-a-kind make. The tutorial walks you through securing the silk to a Stiff Stuff base, embellishing with feature pearls, and finishing with a beaded edge using brick stitch and picot detailing. A brilliant project for beaders who want to branch into bead embroidery and work with mixed materials.

This is a 6-page PDF tutorial with step-by-step photos for every stage of construction.

Bead list (per pair): Lacy’s Stiff Stuff (10cm × 10cm), Ultrasuede backing (10cm × 10cm), 2 earring wires, 1 × Shibori silk ribbon piece (25cm length), 40 × 3mm pearls (Colour A), 6 × 6mm pearls (Colour B), 8 × 4mm pearls (Colour C), 3g size 11 seed beads (Colour A), 2g size 15 seed beads (Colour A), 2g size 11 Demi Round beads (Colour B).

Skill level: Beginner to intermediate. Techniques: Bead embroidery, brick stitch edging, picot detail, fringe embellishment.

On A String is a small Australian beading business created by Paula — a beader, teacher, and maker who believes the craft is better when it’s shared. Every tool is designed from the beading table. Every tutorial is written from experience.