Moth Ball Earrings

(Disclaimer: No actual moths were hurt in the making of these earrings.)


Introducing, for the first time ever (that I know of) the fuzzy and fabulous Moth Ball Earrings. For the discerning woman everywhere! You may recall (from a previous post) my desire to give my daughter a gag gift of 'moth ball' earrings. What you see before you is the final product of some painstaking handiwork heretofore unseen by sane eyes. The first photo depicts our lovely 'donor' moths and the finished earrings. The second shot is my daughter modeling her lovely gift, and the third photo is how she prefers to display her earrings while they are not being worn (in their natural habitat so to speak).


What can I tell you about this jewelry making adventure?

First of all I didn't actually intend to kill any moths. Second, I didn't want your average unattractive moth of the sort that seems to be outside my door after dark. They would be too small to 'supply' the size balls I had in mind. So I went out shopping for metal earring parts, moth balls (sold in stores under the clever title 'pom-poms'), and a couple of 'donor' moths. Apparently there is no place in this town where one can purchase fake moths, or dead moths (you know, pinned to a mat and framed), or moth stickers. The craft store had none. The scrap-booking store had none - and believe me that store has everything! Looking for googly-eyed hamster stickers? They have that. Need John Deere tractors? Dragonflies? Puffins on crack?? They have it. Ok, not the puffins - I was just seeing if you were paying attention. I checked out the collection of butterflies hoping for an ugly brown one. No luck. Besides an ugly brown butterfly would be a moth and they don't have moths! I even tried a local sporting goods department thinking maybe there are moth lures for fishing. You never know. Is that really so far fetched?


At any rate I decided I'd have to create my donor moths. It's part of the presentation you know. If someone ever asks you who would do such a thing, now you know. Not that you want to admit that to anyone. To make moths you need some small pheasant feathers, brown felt and a brown pipe-cleaner. It also helps to have an accomplice to help you, and my younger daughter was happy to provide her expertise. We looked online for some real life moth examples and did our best to make some moths. I think they turned out respectably well....especially if you squint.

Next we had to decide between stud earrings and dangle earrings. Hmmm. They certainly both have their merits...I mean, what male moth wouldn't want to be a stud? And yet dangling balls seemed appropriate too. As you can see, we chose the dangle and after a bit of needlework, gluing and whatnot (trade secrets) the gift was ready. And the recipient? When she finally stopped laughing, she thanked us, put the earrings on and said she was having the best birthday ever.

My work here is done.