Square Stitch Earrings with Looped Fringe – Free Bead Pattern

Easy DIY square stitch earrings with looped fringe 

This easy seed bead earring design adds a looped fringe to my earlier quilt inspired square stitch pattern. The color palette of soft sand, seafoam green and ocean/sky blues gives them a beachy feel that is perfect for summer wear or with jeans. This article provides a list of materials, bead diagram pattern, high level instructions for square stitch and adding the looped fringe, plus helpful tips for stitching your own pair of lightweight, eye-catching earrings.

Materials & Tools

This is a general list of materials for this project. A list of the colors and quantities of the beads used for this pair is included at the end of the project.

(The links in this section are affiliate links to Amazon that may give me a small commission on purchases at no additional cost to you)

Color Inspiration

My color choices were loosely inspired by a beach vacation and a photo I took at my hotel. I didn’t have many beads with me, so I had to work with a very limited selection.

This was my first bead layout for the square stitch, but I swapped the shell pink beads in the top right for opaque beige. The beige gave a little more contrast against the lighter beads in the center.

Pattern Chart / Diagram

The colored squares on the top half of the earrings are stitched in two-drop square stitch. This stitch works the same way as basic square stitch, except you pick up two beads at a time and stitch through the two beads of the previous row, instead of just one. You could use regular single bead square stitch as well, it will just take a little longer. [Here’s a square stitch tutorial for reference.]

For these earrings, I followed the bead layout of the right earring shown above, beginning in the upper left corner with the dark blue beads. Once both earrings are complete, you can flip one over to create a mirrored pair, as shown in the photo.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Stitching the Base Using Square Stitch

Prepare your beading thread. I used about 48 inches of Nymo size D in tan. Add a stop bead, then string the 6 beads for the first row, plus 2 beads to begin the first stitch of the second row.

Pass your needle through the last two beads of the first row, in the same direction as before. This makes a thread square through the beads. Position the two new beads so they sit neatly on top of the first row, then stitch back through the beads you just added.

Repeat the two-drop square stitch two more times to finish the row.

At the end of every two rows, I usually reinforce my work by stitching back through the row below.

And then the row you just completed. This is a reinforcing stitch. It helps straighten the beads and adds a bit of stiffness.

For this design, it probably isn’t essential since the fringe will also reinforce the rows, but I still did it. Delicas have large holes that easily allow multiple thread passes. If I make these again with rocailles, I may skip the reinforcing step.

Continue working in square stitch until the top portion of the earring is finished. There are 9 rows in total. If you’re adding reinforcing stitches, you’ll need to skip one row. I chose to skip a row in the middle, since the reinforcing stitch is most helpful along the edges to keep the beads neatly aligned.

Adding the Looped Fringe

Your working thread is already in position to begin the fringe. Pick up 24 beads for the first loop, then pass your needle through the bead row on the opposite side of the square stitch base. Adjust the tension so the thread is snug with no slack showing, but loose enough for the beads to sit evenly without crowding or bunching.

Stitch down through the next column of beads to position your thread for the following fringe loop. Keep an even tension so the beads sit neatly without being pulled too tight.

Pick up 17 beads for the next loop of fringe and follow the same process to secure the beads.

Repeat the same process for the next fringe by picking up 11 beads.

And again by picking up 5 beads for the final loop of fringe.  To secure the final fringe loop, pass your needle all the way through the row so it exits at the top of the beadwork.

You can adjust the number of beads for longer or more widely spaced fringe.

Adding the Hanging Loop & Ear Wire

With your needle exiting at the top of the beadwork, pick up 5 beads to create the hanging loop. Skip one row and stitch down into the next column of beads. Weave back through the beadwork, then pass through the loop once more to reinforce it.

Weave the thread ends into the square stitch beadwork to secure and trim the thread ends with your thread snips.

Add Earring Wires

With flat nose pliers, open the loop of the earring hook, slide on the beaded loop, and then close the loop securely. Repeat the process for the second earring.

Project Materials

These are the Miyuki Delica colors and quantities you’ll need to make the earrings.

Related Projects & Resources

Square stitch is a simple, beginner-friendly stitch that looks a lot like loom bead weaving. Want to dive deeper? Check out my article Square Stitch Beading for Beginners.

Want to try more square stitch beading projects? Check out this quilt inspired square stitch earring project.

Jewelry Making Challenge

I created these earrings as part of a weekly jewelry-making challenge in my private Facebook group. If you’d like to join a supportive community of bead and wire jewelry makers, and take part in our weekly challenges, come join us at Lisa Yang’s Jewelry Making Group.

To be notified of new projects and jewelry making ideas by email, sign up for my jewelry making newsletter.

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