You can leave a large loop at the bottom of your earring element, so you can hang some dangling bits, called “spoons” and “paddles”, depending upon whether they are beaten or hammered with the ball part of your ballpein hammer, or the pein — flat — part.

A flat dangly bit is a paddle. A curved dangly bit is a spoon. I prefer paddles, because they’re easier and quicker to make and they run little risk of ending up sharp. Spoons must be hand-polished, paddles need no polish if made correctly.

I will run you through the drill for making paddles. Don’t forget that the only different between paddles and spoons is which end of the hammer-head you employ for the hammering.

Here’s what you do: Continue reading →