Leopard Print Peyote Triangle Tutorial – A Free Beading Pattern

My plan for 2026 is to upload a free beading tutorial once a week. I am starting strong with this leopard print peyote triangle earrings tutorial. These peyote triangles are only 8 rows of beading but, with their sparkly crystal drops, make a bold statement pair of earrings.

I am shifting solely to video tutorials so I will add the video at the end of the post. In the meantime, I will just cover some basics. These include bead colours and what to look out for with those gorgeous but sharp crystal drops!

I actually bought the crystal drop about 6 months ago when I first thought of this pattern so I am relived that I have finally got around to making them. They are very heavily inspired by this Leopard Print Beading Pattern that I added onto my Etsy shop last year.

These are the fanciest earrings that I have beaded in a while. As the Christmas decorations were coming down, I felt the need to add a touch of sparkle and glamour back into my life.

Bead List and Supplies

These peyote triangles are made with three colours of size 11 Delica beads. These are :

• Delica Opaque Tan (DB208)
• Delica Transparent Metallic Rose (DB115)
• Delica Opaque Chocolate (DB734)

You will also need :

• 2 x Preciosa Crystal Smoke Topaz Drop Pendant (6mm x 10mm)
• Beading Thread ( I used Gold Miyuki but do read my warning about using this if you are adding the crystal drops!)
• Beading needle
• 2 x Gold plated earring hooks
• Video Tutorial

Thread Choice and Those Crystal Drops

I used my gold Miyuki beading thread as it goes best with my bead colour selection. First and foremost, I would usually suggest you use what colour thread looks best with your beads and to use what you have. On this occasion though it may be best to use a thicker, stronger thread. Something that is trickier to cut, such as wildfire.

Much to my horror, when I was beading my second earring, the thread just snapped at the point where my crystal was. I had already reinforced the stitching so it wasn’t even just one strand of thread but several. From where the thread broke it was clear that my crystal must have been sharp. I had no issues with my first earring though so I could just have been unlucky.

Other Bead Colour Choices

If you are a big fan of leopard print but you like to have it in non animal print colours then definitely try some other colour schemes.

I have made leopard print jewellery several times over that last few years and my favourite alternative colours are blue leopard print and red leopard print. As long as you have three distinct shades of blue or red then it will work well.

When I have made my bead selection I like to thread some on an eye pin and just see how they look together. There are occasions that I think there is enough contrast between them but once they have been lined up together they can be less distinct.

It is also fun to play around with bead finishes, so for this pattern I have used two opaque bead colours and then the third is metallic. This means that when the earrings move around the light will catch the earrings in some parts and not others.

Leopard Print Peyote Triangle Earrings Tutorial

I am already planning next weeks tutorial. I think there will be some hearts creeping into the beading as we move towards Valentine’s Day.

Thanks for reading,

Hannah xxx