Want to make a pair of porcupine quill earrings?

By Emilie Corbiere
www.facebook.com/Nativecraftsandjewelery

With the Christmas season right around the corner, it’s always nice to give or receive handmade items, it seems to come more from the heart than the wallet. Indigenous tribes across North America have been using porcupine quills as a source for decoration for thousands of years, until the European people arrived with seed beads. This is a simple and easy craft that anyone can try at home and then maybe pass along your newfound knowledge to others who would like to learn, maybe even a class or small gathering at your local Friendship Centre.
For this craft you will need porcupine quills (tips cut off and cut to the same size), beads, 2 pieces of leather (spacers) and 2 fish hooks earring parts.
1. Thread your beading needle with about 30 inches of doubled up, waxed thread and knot.
2. Go through the left side of one of your leather spacers, add 2 beads, 1 bugle bead and then 2 more beads, now add your other spacer and go through the left side of that one too.
3. Add 2 beads, then a quill, add 5 beads, then another quill, add 2 more beads and go through the second spacer, right beside your first row of beads.
4.add 2 beads, 1 bugle bead and 2 more beads, go through the first spacer, right beside your knot, now add 8 beads and make a loop shape and then go back down beside the second row using the 2 previous rows as guidance.
5. When your 4th row has come up to the first spacer, tie a knot and cut off, trim your leather spacers. Now you can attach your fish hook to the centre of the 8 beads on top, add a dab of all purpose white glue to the knots and where the thread meets the fish hook.
Viola! You just made some really nice earrings.