Have you ever admired a beautiful piece of jewelry and thought “I wish I could make that” because it cost way above your budget? well you can! Crafting your own jewelry can be incredibly rewarding, and it’s not as difficult as it sounds.
A few years back, I was passing through a miniature jewelry store with exquisite jewelries pieces on display and a particular necklace set caught my attention.
I popped in with hopes of purchasing the set that drew my attention then do a little window shopping, only to find out it was quite pricey. In truth I was taken aback by how much it costs, it was a simple but stunning piece, but I still didn’t expect it to cost that much.
That’s when I thought, “why not make this?” Just a random thought and a few years down the line I’m making my own jewelry!
I kickstarted my jewelry-making journey with basic beading and some DIY YouTube tutorials. My first few attempts were far from perfect, but I kept practicing and now I can make almost any type of jewelry I want.
Now I started this as a personal endeavor, but writing about it now, I’m thinking “I can actually make a small fortune out of this” that’s by the way.
If like me, you want to start making your own jewelry, then I’ve put this article together for you to serve a guide as you start your jewelry making journey.
I’ll cover everything from essential materials and tools to a step-by-step tutorial on how to create simple necklaces, bracelets, or earrings.
Let’s get right to it!
Essential Tools
Like any other craft, jewelry-making entails having specific tools to bring your ideas and designs to life.
Fortunately, the tools you’d need for basic jewelry making is relatively affordable and can be easily found at local or online craft stores.
Here’s a list of what you need.
Basic Tools
- Ruler
- Wire cutters
- Bent nose pliers
- Round nose pliers
- Needle nose pliers
- Crimp bead pliers
- super glue
- Measuring tape
- Small precision scissors
- Lighter
- Mini zip bags
- Clasps
- Earring hooks
- Jump rings
- Crimp beads
The tools listed are the basic tools. If you have extra cash to spare you can get these as well.
- Bracelet and necklace design boards
- Bead organizer bins
- Bead reamer
- Binder clips
- Curved tweezers
- Knot covers
- Chain extenders
- Headpins
- Eye pins
Materials
Choosing the right materials is the next step, at this point your creativity takes preeminence. You decide the look you’re going for and get your materials accordingly.
For instance, if you want an elegant look, you should opt for natural gemstones, gold-plated findings or pearls.
If a bohemian look is what you want, the right materials to go for would be wooden beads with suede cording.
Here’s a list of materials to choose from.
- Beads
- Chains
- Pearls
- Beading wire
- Suede or leather cord
- Jewelry wire
- Clear stretch cord
- wax cord
- Embroidery thread
Budget
This is probably the most important step in jewelry making. You have to calculate the cost of the materials you need and compare it with how much you’re willing to spend.
Do this meticulously to avoid regrets or mistakes later on.
As a beginner ensure you’re not spending too much on materials because you’re still in your trial-and-error era. As your skill progresses, you can then spend more to get durable materials.
Since we’ve gotten the necessities out of the way, let’s practice how to make some simple pieces. I’ll be giving you techniques for:
- Simple beaded necklace
- Simple beaded bracelet
- Chain pendant necklace
Simple Beaded Necklace
You’ll need:
- 2 crimp beads
- Beading wire
- 2 jump rings
- 1 clasp
- Crimping pliers
Technique
- Measure your neck and cut a piece of beading wire 4 inches longer than your desired necklace length.
- Loop one end of the beading wire through a closed jump ring and use a crimp bead and crimping pliers to secure it in place.
- Arrange your beads in any design of your choosing. Lay them out on a bead board if you have one.
- String your beads onto the beading wire.
- Once you’re done with that, take the loose end of the beading wire and secure another jump ring to the end with a crimp bead.
- Add o clasp on one jump ring. The other jump ring will be used to secure the clasp.
Simple Beaded Bracelet
What you’ll need:
- Assorted beads
- Stretch cords
- Superglue
Technique
- The first step is to measure your wrist and cut a length of stretch cord that’s about 5 or 6 inches longer than your wrist measurement.
- Fold the cord in half and tug gently to pre-stretch it.
- Using a binder clip or a folded piece of tape, secure one end of the cord. This acts as a stopper for the beads.
- Arrange your beads in any design of your choosing. Lay them out on a bead board if you have one.
- String your beads onto the cord. Check with your wrists at intervals to see if you have enough length beaded and ensure it’s not too tight.
- Once done, tie a double knot and pull tightly on the loose ends.
- Using a drop of superglue, secure the ends and cut out the tail ends once the glue is dry.
Chain Pendant Necklace
What you’ll need:
- Chain
- 3 Jump rings
- 1 clasp
- Pendant (any pendant of choice)
Technique
- Measure your neck to get the length of the chain you need, then cut a piece of chain 1/2 inch shorter than your desired necklace length.
- Attach a jump ring to each side of the chain.
- Attach a clasp to one jump ring.
- Loop the pendant through the free end of the chain and allow it move freely along the chain.
Simple Beaded Earrings
What you’ll need:
- Beads
- Stretch cords
- Superglue
- Earring hooks
Technique
- Measure out your stretch cord according to how long you want your earring to be. For the sake of this demonstration, we’ll be making a single-beaded earring.
- Attach the cord to your earring hook on one end.
- Add the bead from the other end and secure with a double knot
- Add a drop of glue on the knot and once it’s dry, cut out the loose tail ends.
Conclusion
I hope you found this helpful. Would you be trying out jewelry making any time soon? Let me know in the comments.
If you have questions, drop them in the comments as well, I’ll make sure to reply ASAP.
Do well to share this piece with your friends and family via social media.
Yours Stylishly!
