Skill Level Intermediate

Time Required A few hours - can complete pair of earrings in a weekend

Materials Comments
I used a main color and a contrast color. Smaller beads work well (e.g., 13s
Size 11 Seed Beads
or 15s), but larger beads will yield heavy earrings.
Earwires Or other earring findings. Buy them or make your own.
Optional. I like to hang the beadwork from beadtips because the dangles
Bead Tips
swing freely and the thread isn't damaged during wear.
Flatnose or
For attaching bead tip to earwire.
Chainnose Pliers
Thread Snips I used my wire cutters.
Beading Needle I used a size 10 beading needle.
I used size D Nymo. Personally, I find other types of thread too stiff for
Thread
this technique. Nymo B is great with size 14/15 beads.
Optional. I used a pair of 4-mm beads for the white earrings and a pair of
Accent Beads
8-mm beads for the tutorial.

Coraling is easy, but it does require that you have practice controlling your thread tension. Also,
it uses a large number of beads and takes a bit of time. Feel free to vary the number of beads
between branches, the length of the branches, etc. Have fun!

To start, cut at least a meter of your chosen thread. If desired, condition

your thread with beeswax or Thread Heaven. If you can, it's better to work
with a single long thread than to have to add thread, since adding thread
will make it harder to keep the beads under tension. I threaded one seed
bead onto the string, let it fall about a third of the way down the string, and tied a knot around it.
Put both ends of the thread through a bead tip. This bead will support
the beadwork.
Using the shorter strand, string on 1 seed
bead, your accent bead, and 40 main color
seed beads (this will be the final length of
your earring, so adjust it longer or shorter as
desired by adding or subtracting beads in
multiples of three).
String on three accent beads. Go back through the last two main color
seed beads. Tighten the tension so there are no gaps between the beads.
If you are using nymo or any other nylon thread, remember that it
stretches over time, so your beadwork needs to be fairly tight. On the
other hand, if you are using Power Pro or another fluoropolymer,
remember that this thread will not stretch, so you want the tension such that there are no gaps
between beads yet loose enough for the beadwork to be fluid.
Add two main color beads and three contrast beads. Pass back through the
two main color beads. Congratulations, you have completed your first pair
of branches!
Pass back through the next 5 beads, going toward the
bead tip. Adjust your tension.
Add 4 main
color beads
and three
contrast color
beads. Pass
back through
the last 2
main color
beads. Add
two main color beads and three contrast color
beads.
Pass back through the
two main color beads,
the two next 2 main
color beads of this
branch and then through
the next 3 beads toward
the bead tip (total of 7
beads you go back
through).
From here on, you are just repeating the
previous step. Add 4 main color and 3
contrast. Pass back through the last two
main color. Add 2 main color and three
contrast. Pass back through the 7 main
color on the 'branch' and 'stem', going
toward the bead tip. You will continue
this pattern until you are as near the
bead tip as you like (5-6 beads for me).
Thread up through the accent bead and bead ti
in the bead tip (reinforcing your thread), tie a k
thread, and pass back through the 'stem' beads.
through several branches to secure it and cut th
needle on the other end of the thread and pass
bead and accent bead so that it is exiting the ac
next stem with branches. This thread should be
base of the accent bead. I added 26 main color
Add three contrast beads and pass back throug
main color beads. Add 2 main color beads and
beads. Pass back through the last 2 main color beads and the next 5 main color beads on the stem
(7 main color beads total). Continue making branches until you are within 5 beads of the accent
bead. Pass through the main color beads to come out just below the accent bead.
Make the third stem/branch identical to the second stem/branch. When
you are finished, you can knot your thread or work it back through
several branches to secure it. Cut the thread. Use pliers to attach the
bead tip to the earring finding.
Here's a finished earring. Make a second
earring to match the first. If you enjoyed
making these earrings, you may be interested
in Varvara's book of coraling patterns for
necklaces.