On the 9th Day of Christmas: Kissing Balls

A kiss can be a comma, a question mark or an exclamation point.  That's basic spelling that every woman ought to know.  ~Mistinguett (Jeanne Bourgeois), Theatre Arts, December 1955

The evergreen kissing ball is a romantic tradition dating back to 18th-century England. As the charming custom goes, a young lady stands beneath the ball and receives a kiss, removing a berry, until all the berries (and kisses) were gone.

Create these mock kissing ball earrings in just three easy steps.

Materials:
Enamel balls - Barbara Lewis, PaintingWithFireArtwear.com
Brass and gold plated bead caps
Swarovski crystals
Vintaj brass ear wires
Vintaj eyepins

Instructions:
1:: Gather your materials. Find some round beads, like these emerald green fluted enameled balls from Barbara Lewis of Painting with Fire fame. Sting onto brass eyepins.

2:: Pile on an assortment of bead caps with various looks. Stacking your bead caps is an instant way to add texture and interest. Try stacking bead caps of differing metals, like brass with silver or gunmetal with gold.

3:: Add some sparkle with Swarovski crystals to catch the light and draw his eye. Attach to ear wires of your choice, I prefer these long swingy ones from Vintaj.

{Kissing Balls - available on Etsy}

Put these modern-day kissing balls on your ears and be prepared for some smooches!