Our 5 Favourite Handmade Earring Businesses to Take Over Instagram
Image Source, Beatrice Formales, (Unsplash)
As a kid I had a very specific love for quirky earrings; ladybirds, marshmallows, Fanta cans, I had them all. If It was something that’s not typically on earrings, it was mine. Because of this, I find it quite interesting that now at the age of 21, not only are these childish, fun and questionable earrings coming back into fashion, but I once again have an earring addiction.
Only now, I’m not shopping at Claire’s accessories, instead I spend too much time looking for earrings on Etsy and my Instagram feed is full of many small businesses. After over a year in lockdown it seems many people took up earring making as a hobby (myself included but we won’t talk about that) and now, there are so many unique small businesses out there to support. Not only are you supporting a business that might be struggling during the pandemic but you’re also buying something that’s completely unique. From Chunky Resin’s primary colour pieces, to Loopy Fruit’s dried fruit earrings, this article will explore my current favourite earring brands and where to find them.
Photo Credit: @chunkyresin
Chunky Resin
Website: https://www.chunkyresin.co.uk
Price Range: £6- £22
“Home of funky resin pieces”, Chunky Resin is one of the first businesses that reignited my love for earrings and it still continues to be one of my favourites. Handmade in Leeds by owner Claudia, her love for primary colours and geometric shapes shines through in the earrings she makes. From crazy patterns to solid colours, her designs really explore many styles with each ‘capsule’ she releases being completely unique. A personal favourite of mine is the ‘Good vibrations’ capsule which has a strong 60s influence with bold orange and pink flowers on clear and cream resin. Although classically known for circle and heart shaped earrings, as the brand has grown Claudia has experimented with many new shapes especially seen in the “Salem” capsule, where there’s the new phone and star shape.
Although Chunky Resin can vary in price, with the more experimental pieces being more expensive, your earrings arrive with a discount code for your next order and it’s 100% worth the price. Chunky Resin has continued to be one of my favourite brands as Claudia is always releasing collections that experiment with new designs without losing the initial idea of the brand.
Photo Credit: @biggerthehoop_
Bigger the Hoop
Website: https://biggerthehoop.com
Price range: £3.50- £18
With a big place in festival and party wear, Bigger the Hoop are definitely the most reflective of current jewellery trends out of all my recommendations. Most known for their fluffy hearts and fabric covered hoops, Bigger the Hoop has an unbelievable amount of earrings available, with every style coming in so many colours and patterns. I was drawn to this brand because their fabric hoops have an amazing contribution to sustainability by using off-cuts from small fashion brands which largely reduces waste. As they source from a large variety of brands it means there’s so many different styles available with these hoops, from solid colours to crazy patterns. Personally I love that the shape of these are very reflective of the 60s with a simple but bold shape meaning that they perfectly fit any outfit.
Bigger the Hoop also caters for a huge range of budgets because, although the fabric hoops can be between £10-£17, a lot of their other pairs including their fluffy hoops are as cheap as £3. On top of this, they also offer bundles of earrings that can make the perfect gift, as well as so many freebies and offers such as free prints and buy one get one free. The brand always feels very trendy without being a carbon copy of mainstream earrings and I think that’s why I was so drawn to it as a sustainable store.
Photo Credit: @loopyfruitearrings
Loopy Fruits
Website: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LoopyFruitEarrings?ref=search_shop_redirect
Price range: £10-£15
Using real fruit that has been dried and covered in resin, Loopy Fruits is probably the most niche store on this list and, because of this, I had to include it. Using a huge variety of fruits from oranges to dragon fruit, these earrings are the perfect summer accessory with the bright colours and interesting design. They bring a unique boho style which works perfectly for festival season or an afternoon in a beer garden and the dried orange earrings also make the perfect accessory for the autumn and winter seasons with the darker colours. After seeing something similar on Depop that wasn’t as long lasting, I’d been looking for something like Loopy Fruits that uses resin to preserve the fruit so you don’t have to worry about how long they’ll last. From this, the price is very affordable considering the time that it takes to create them and for the quality of the earrings. Overall, using a really interesting technique like this already sets the brand aside from other brands. However, I also really liked that, as they’re made from real fruit, the pieces can really vary, making them one of a kind.
Photo Credit: @theclaydrop
The Claydrop
Website: https://www.theclaydrop.co.uk
Price Range: £16- £32
For a business that was created at the start of the pandemic, The Claydrop has done incredibly well in such a short time and is now one of the best small businesses for earrings.
Home to their popular cow earrings, The Claydrop has put a twist on the very popular method of homemade polymer earrings with these crazy and colourful cow and pig pieces. With a fast growing collection of iconic earrings, owner Jess said that the brand grew from her love of colour clashing, pattern mismatching and quirky shapes. The Claydrop aims to make a playful statement with these earrings whilst also being lightweight and easy to wear every day. Although the earrings are a bit more on the pricey side, ranging between £15-£30, it’s due to their quality and uniqueness, so they’re definitely worth the treat.
From classic cow earrings in a variety of crazy clashing colours, to more out there designs such as clown pigs, Jess is always experimenting with new designs and rarely recreates a style that isn’t a classic. The most defining thing about this brand is how incredibly unique, colourful and adorable it is and I just love how everything truly is one of a kind. Seeing her work on her new designs on Instagram has really made me love this brand and I’m always excited to see what’s coming next.
Photo Credit: @messykitsch
Messy Kitsch
Website: https://www.depop.com/messykitsch/
Price range: £6-£8
Home to clear plastic heart earrings with an iconic image inside, Messy Kitsch provide fun and incredibly playful earrings that are definitely a conversation starter. With a huge range of preselected designs including popular shows like The Office and The Simpsons, as well as everyone’s favourites like Dolly Parton and Bowie, Messy Kitsch has something everyone loves. From this, they also offer custom earrings where you can choose your own image for only £8 a pair making it the perfect gift for someone as it’s completely personal. Although the earrings are fairly simple in design, they make such a huge statement with the image inside and for £6 for a pair of their pre-set designs you can’t go wrong. Personally, I just love the concept of Messy Kitsch and I think it’s so fitting to current trends with the style and images available as they really do have a strong 2000s vibe to them. My Care Bear ones work perfectly for so many occasions and the versatility in the styles available means that there’s something for everyone’s interests.
by Tia Janowski (Staff Fashion & Beauty Writer)
Follow Tia’s Instagram
❀