These faux Druzy earrings DIY will teach you how to make your own studs a few ways. First, you can check out my hair tie bracelet DIY, or scroll down for this tutorial. Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. Plaid Crafts provided me with some of the Mod Podge products below in the hopes I’ll use it in a tutorial and share.

What is the “druse” that inspired this druzy earrings DIY?

Druzy jewelry is a popular style. Druse is a coating of fine crystals over rock that occurs in nature.

When making druzy jewelry, you can do it a number of ways:

Buy faux druzy cabochons made from resin
Buy natural druzy cabochons
Make your own faux druzy and control the outcome!

You can make your own druse-effect using glitter primarily on two types of bases: a cabochon setting with a bezel, or a flat pad, typically designed for gluing things onto – more on that soon.

To make all of these, I used glass glitter. This replicates the crystal-over-rock surface that makes up real druse, rather than tinsel glitter, which has more of an opaque metallic look. They’re also easier to turn into a solid non-shedding unit, and more of an eco friendly glitter option.

When creating this druzy earrings DIY tutorial, I decided to explore multiple ways of doing it to figure out which is the best.

I tried making it using three different types of Mod Podge finishes: regular glossy Mod Podge, gold Mega Glitter Mod Podge, and Mod Podge Super Gloss.

I tried making it using different sized surfaces – a plain flat pad ear stud (4mm), a flat pad bobby pin (8mm) and a larger unpierced stamping blank (3/4 inch).

I stuck to this rather than bezel settings because I wanted a base that’s more versatile, and I didn’t love the chunkiness of most bezels.

Also, when natural druzy cabochons are usually set for jewelry, you’ll see the metals molding around the shape of the crevices, and not the stone sticking to the shape of the cabochon.

At first, I didn’t add anything on the edge of the glitter faux druse, then I decided to edge it with an uneven layer of soft metallic gold nail polish. The effect is beautiful! Liquid leaf applied using a thin brush would probably be stunning too.

The best way to make these druzy earrings DIY?

I found the larger surface gave a much more convincing druzy look, and allowed it to look more beautiful. I’d say anything 10mm and larger would look great, although don’t go too large – it’ll start looking very fake.

From all the Mod Podge finishes that I tried, the Super Gloss was the best. It created a solid surface, while preserving the crystalline look of the glass glitter. I even went ahead and re-coated the surface of the larger ear studs on the stamping blank (which I had originally done in glossy Mod Podge) and turned that into the pair I wear and enjoy.

It’s also very thick, holding more glitter than the others. The one that I originally did with that (the hair clips) did not need a second coating of glitter like the others did.

The regular gloss Mod Podge was just… blah. Boring. Dull. Unimpressive.

The Ultra Glitter was a total fail – it didn’t stick to the surface (I glued it back on using E6000). As a sealer it didn’t work – the tinsel glitter embedded inside simply didn’t enhance the druzy look. It’s great for other projects, but just not this Druzy earrings DIY.

The final result is a beautiful classy pair of faux druzy earrings that I’m wearing as we speak and really enjoy! It’s got a subtle shine, adding some glam to your look, without overdoing it.

You can see a big list of easy DIY earrings or check out my DIY beaded earrings tutorial in a fun and elegant trapeze style!

Learn how to make DIY statement necklaces with a huge roundup of ideas, or try a cool feather earrings DIY tutorial to add some quirk and color to your life.

Want to learn how to make jewelry out of anything? Get the book!

Supplies you’ll need for this druzy earrings DIY tutorial:

3/4 inch metal stamping blanks (or other surface 10 cm or larger)
OR flat pad findings – hair clips, ear studs, etc.
If using stamping blanks: flat pad earrings and
E6000 Glue
Crushed glass glitter in your choice of colors
Mod Podge Super Gloss
A thin paint brush
Optional: gold or silver nail polish to match your base metal color

How to make druzy earrings DIY tutorial:

Note: images below were taken at various points in my experimentation, which is why you’ll see supplies featured that aren’t part of my final recommendations. Please refer to the list above for materials rather than the images.

1. Coat your base with a layer of Super Gloss Mod Podge.

2. Sprinkle on a generous layer of glass glitter, pressing it into the Mod Podge gently with your finger. Allow it to dry completely. If you want you can repeat steps 1-2 for a thicker earring.

3. Use a thin, flat paintbrush to coat your glitter with a sealing finish. Allow it to dry completely. Repeat with a second coat if you feel it needs it (if the glitter doesn’t feel totally sealed).

4. If using a stamping blank as your surface, glue a flat pad ear stud to the back. Keep in mind the positioning on your ear – I placed mine just above the halfway mark rather than dead center. Allow it to dry completely.

5. Optional: You can leave your druzy earrings DIY as is or…

Outline the edges with metallic nail polish! this added the final touch to turn it into a beautiful pair of stud earrings. I did this after I attached the ear studs because it was easier to control the outcome when I could hold it properly.

Your faux druzy earrings DIY is complete!

Have you tried any variations on this druzy earrings DIY? Comment below!

Druzy Earrings DIY

Beautiful faux druzy is made convincing using the right mix of glitter, application and decoupage medium.

Materials

Instructions

1. Coat your base with a layer of Super Gloss Mod Podge.

2. Sprinkle on a generous layer of glass glitter, pressing it into the Mod Podge gently with your finger. Allow it to dry completely. If you want you can repeat steps 1-2 for a thicker earring.

3. Use a thin, flat paintbrush to coat your glitter with a sealing finish. Allow it to dry completely. Repeat with a second coat if you feel it needs it (if the glitter doesn't feel totally sealed).

4. If using a stamping blank as your surface, glue a flat pad ear stud to the back. Keep in mind the positioning on your ear - I placed mine just above the halfway mark rather than dead center. Allow it to dry completely.

5. Optional: You can leave your druzy earrings DIY as is or...