Interchangeable Hair Sticks

by ashaloo

16K997

Intro: Interchangeable Hair Sticks

With a pair of old earrings and the leftovers from your last Chinese takeout 'adventure,' you can easily make these very cute hair sticks! BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!!! You can change out the earrings to make your hair sticks match your outfit.

A friend of mine did something like this to a pair of hair sticks several years ago, I made a few adjustments to the design and have been VERY happy with the results!

STEP 1: What You'll Need:

What You'll Need:

•A Pair of Chopsticks
•A Pair of "Dangly" Earrings
•A Drill/Sander (Or you can do like me and just change out the bits on your SUPER handy Dremel!!!)
•Paint (Optional)
•Paintbrush (Optional)

STEP 2: Sanding

Using the sanding bit or a small piece of fine-grain sandpaper, sand down the part where you broke the sticks apart so that it is completely smooth to the touch. Also, I sanded down each squared corner so that it was slightly rounded. I also rounded out the bottom point of the chopsticks so that they would slide into my hair more easily without catching and pulling.

Also, since most chopsticks for eating are entirely too long to put in your hair, I would suggest cutting them down (using the wire-cutting portion of some needle-nosed pliers) and then rounding out the bottom so that it slides into your hair easily. I cut about 2.5" off of each chopstick.

STEP 3: Drilling

Using fairly small bit, (I used a 2mm or 5/64" bit) drill a hole about .25" from the top of the chopsticks. (If your chopsticks are not perfectly square as mine aren't, make sure your drill bit enters and exits through the smaller sides of the rectangle.)

Also be sure your chopsticks are laying on something you don't mind putting a hole or two in while you're drilling! I prefer using old shoe boxes.

STEP 4: PAINT! (Optional)

If you're like me and don't want your chopsticks to be bamboo colored, this is where you'll want to paint the chopsticks all over, including inside the drilled hole.

STEP 5: Insert Earrings

I've only used hoop earrings, french wire style earrings, and earrings wit a closed wire. I highly doubt that earrings on a post would work very well in your new hair sticks. If you're using french wire style earrings like I am here, you'll want to insert the wire into the hole, making sure the majority of the rounded part of the wire is centered in the hair stick. (See photo 1)

Take the end of the wire and twist it downward towards the pointed end of the hair stick. This should wedge the earring into the hole in such a manner that it will not come out by accident.

STEP 6: Put Them to Use

When you decide you want to change your outfit, you can simply change out the earrings in your hair sticks!!

7 Comments

Master97865 11 years ago

gorgeous! i think i might try, but since im just that lazy id rather take the earring off the hook and attach a string instead, then hotglue the string to the stick. not only laziness but i dont have a drill or sander either

nushiboo 13 years ago

Super cute <3

desya 13 years ago

I would add the plastic stoppers you can get to the other side of the french hook... so not to loose the dangle should it slide out

insomniaSAH 13 years ago

lol, been meaning to make this 'ible for a while - but I take the hooks off, put a loop at the end of the hair stick, and attach clips to the dangles. that way I can switch the charms around, make my own instead of earrings, or use one as a pendant if I'm only wearing one stick.

ashaloo 13 years ago

That would make perfect sense if you never wanted to use the dangles again as earrings. My goal here was for people to be able to get double the use out of their jewelry!! When I make my own dangles, I usually just attach a closed hook to the top jump ring of my dangle... That way they stay on really well and make really cute earrings! (Even though I NEVER wear earrings, LOL!)

lycoris3 13 years ago

that is really, really cool. I am unable to wear earrings, so this would be the perfect substitute. Love the earrings btw.