How to Make Jewelry

Guide Note:Add a little sparkle to your life by learning how to make your own jewelry. How to Make Jewelry gives you some basic beading instructions and information about the tools you'll need to get started. There's a whole world of creativity and fun just waiting for you.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

  • There's nothing quite like the pride you'll feel wearing something you've created with your own two hands. Learning how to make jewelry is a great way to express your creative side while also saving money. If you want to build a collection that contains a wide variety of pieces and colors, it could cost a small fortune. But you can create your own special items for a fraction of the retail price. In addition, handmade jewelry makes the perfect personalized gift for your friends and family.

Step 1: Make Some Decisions

(Creative Commons photo by Poobesh Lakshman)
(Creative Commons photo by Poobesh Lakshman)
  • The first thing you need to do is select the type of jewelry you're going to create and make sure it reflects your personal style. You will need to decide what you're making, what method you will use and whether or not you should purchase a ready-made kit.

Decide on the Type of Jewelry

  • Decide on the type of jewelry you want to make.
  • Necklaces: The advantage of making a necklace is that you'll learn how to string beads. The disadvantage is you'll use more wire and beading so it's more expensive.
  • Bracelets: A good project for a beginner is to make a simple beaded bracelet. You won't need as many supplies as you would for a necklace, but you'll still get to learn beading.
  • Anklets: You'll use the same techniques as if you were making a bracelet, but you must be careful to choose products that are sturdy. Avoid beads made from glass or crystal.
  • Watches: Making a decorative beaded watch involves the same stringing techniques you would use for a bracelet. However, there are several additional areas that need to be secured in order to attach the watch face so it's not the best project for a first-time jewelry maker.
  • Earrings: Creating earrings can involve simple techniques or very advanced ways of making jewelry. The best part is that you'll need very few beads or crystals.
  • Rings: Producing your own rings is much less expensive than purchasing them already made. You should have a full understand about prong settings before you start.

Choose Your Method

  • There are several different ways of making jewelry. The method you choose will depend on your level of skill and how much time and money you'd like to dedicate to your jewelry-making endeavors. This tutorial, How to Make Jewelry, will focus primarily on basic beading. The following serves to briefly introduce you both to beading and a few more advanced jewelry-making methods:
(Creative Commons photo by Lauren "Lolly" Weinhold)
(Creative Commons photo by Lauren "Lolly" Weinhold)
  • Basic Beading
  • This popular way to make jewelry involves stringing beads to wire. Bead stores have literally hundreds of different types of stones, beads and crystals in every color you can imagine.
  1. Supplies Needed: You'll need to purchase some basic jewelry-making tools before you get started including:
    • Design board (oblong felt-lined board)
    • Crimping tool (to secure your clasps)
    • Wire cutter (to cleanly cut your wire and stringing supplies)
    • Bead organizers (to keep supplies dust-free)
    • Components (such as crimp beads and clasps)
    • Beads include a "crimp bead" to end the string and help attach the clasp
    • Wire (such as Soft-flex or Beadalon) in different different gauges and shapes
      • The most common wire for light to medium-sized beads is 49-strand and.015 to .018 in diameter.
  2. Where to Purchase: You can purchase supplies online and in bead shops or craft stores (such as Michaels Crafts or Joann's Fabrics).
  3. Degree of Difficulty: Easy
  • Knotting
  • This method for securing beads by tying knots after each bead adds an extra decorative element to your jewelry.
  1. Supplies Needed: Basic beading supplies plus tweezers and stringing supplies (such as different types of string, ribbon and cord) that are easy to knot.
  2. Where to Purchase: You will find a wide range of string selection at beading supply shops and craft stores.
  3. Degree of Difficulty: Medium
  • Wire Wrapping
  • This technique includes wrapping wire around beads to connect them together. You can also create pendants by twisting wire into unique shapes or icons.
  1. Supplies Needed: In addition to basic beading supplies, you'll need sculpting wire, needle-nose pliers and round-nose pliers.
  2. Where to Purchase: Wherever you find basic beading supply stores online or in stores.
  3. Degree of Difficulty: Medium
  • Metalsmithing
  • This method uses various types of metals and soldering to create unique shapes and sizes for one-of-a-kind jewelry. You'll need many supplies to make this type of jewelry so you shouldn't attempt metalsmithing unless you have a large budget and have researched metalsmithing techniques.
  1. Supplies Needed: Some of the supplies you'll need include: saw frame, blades, bench pin, tool box, beeswax, pliers, hand file, needle files, solder, pin point torch tip, propane tank, vise, etc.
  2. Where to Purchase: Most items can be found at your local hardware store or online via internet specialty stores.
  3. Degree of Difficulty: Advanced
  1. Supplies Needed: There are many supplies needed for molding depending on the type you're doing. For basic molding you'll need: centrifugal caster, stainless steel tumbler, different waxes, plaster, metals (such as gold, silver, etc.), rubber base, wax sculpting tools, kiln, crucible, torch, etc.
  2. Where to Purchase: Casting equipment and supply stores online and some specialty hardware stores
  3. Degree of Difficulty: Advanced

Consider a Ready-Made Kit

  • Instead of gathering all your supplies individually, you can also buy jewelry-making kits that include everything you'll need. The disadvantage of this is that you don't get to handpick your beads or colors. The advantage is that everything you need is contained in the kit.

Step 2: Choose Your Design

(Creative Commons photo by Anne Norman)
(Creative Commons photo by Anne Norman)
  • Now that you know what you're making, you should choose your design. Most jewelry patterns have the skill level needed listed on the design. Once you have some experience, you may want to design your own patterns. But for now, choose a pattern from online sources or jewelry-making books.
  • Necklace Patterns
  1. WigJig: Necklace Designs
  2. About.com: Necklace Designs  WARNING: Pop-ups
  3. Michaels: Necklace Project Ideas
  4. Beading with Eden: Bead Patterns
  5. Auntie's Beads: Necklace Projects
  • Bracelet/Anklet/Watch Patterns
  1. Michaels: Bracelet Project Ideas
  2. WigJig: Bracelet Designs
  3. Artbeads: Beaded Bracelets
  4. About.com: Bracelet Projects for Beginners  WARNING: Pop-ups
  5. Beading with Eden: Bead Patterns
  6. Auntie's Beads: Bracelet Projects
  7. Rings & Things: Beaded Watch
  8. Beadage: Beaded Anklets
  • Earrings Patterns
  1. Auntie's Beads: Earring Projects
  2. Beadage: Beaded Earrings
  3. Michaels: Earrings Project Ideas
  4. Artbeads: Beaded Earring Projects
  5. WigJig: Earrings Designs
  6. About.com: Earring Projects for Beginners  WARNING: Pop-ups
  • Ring Patterns
  1. WigJig: Ring Designs
  2. Auntie's Beads: Ring Projects

Step 3: Create Your Jewelry

(Creative Commons photo by Jessica)
(Creative Commons photo by Jessica)
  • Now that you have all your products, it's time to make your jewelry. Basic beading techniques begin with locating a flat surface to work on.
  1. Using your pattern, lay out the beads on your board.
  2. Arrange the beads in order.
  3. Take your wire or string and estimate the length you'll need based on your design.
  4. Before you cut your wire, try it on to make sure it's the correct length. You may need to add beads to your design if you have excess wire.
  5. Add about 3 extra inches of wire to your total measurement.
  6. Cut the wire.
  7. With your wire cut and your beads arranged on the board, you can now apply one end of the clasp.

Step 4: Master the Clasp

(Photo by Hannah Chapman)
(Photo by Hannah Chapman)
  • One of the most difficult parts of making jewelry is learning how to attach a clasp to the ends of your wire. Creating a secure and stable clasp will protect your jewelry from breaking or falling apart.
  1. After cutting your wire, string one of your crimp beads on the wire.
    • A "crimp bead" is a special kind of bead used to finish a string of beads and create a loop for the clasp to attach to. There are two kinds of crimp beads—tube-shaped and round-shaped. Both are available from craft and bead shops.
  2. String one end of your clasp to the wire.
  3. Take the wire and string it back through the crimp bead creating a loop. Don't use too much extra wire when you string it back through the crimp bead but leave enough of a tail to secure the clasp.
  4. Using your crimping tool, lay the crimp bead in the slot closest to the handle.
  5. Press down securely on the crimp bead creating a half-moon shape.
  6. Turn the bead over and put it in the other clot of the crimper.
  7. Press securely folding over the crimp bead. There will be some excess wire left over after you've attached your clasp. If there's too much wire, trim off the excess. You have now attached one end of the clasp.

Step 5: Start Beading

(Creative Commons photo by girl_named_fred)
(Creative Commons photo by girl_named_fred)
  1. Following the design you created on your bead board, start stringing your beads.
  2. As you string the first few beads, make sure you cover the tail left by the clasp attachment.
  3. Continue stringing your beads until you've completely your design.
  4. Before you attach the final end of your clasp, carefully hold the end in place as you try on your jewelry to make sure it's the size you want.

Advanced Stringing Technique

  • In some cases, you may want to add knots to your jewelry. Using a knotting tool, you would tie a knot after each bead. The advantages of knotting is that your beads will stay in place in case your wire ever breaks. If you decide to use knots, you should add at least 10 inches of extra thread if you're making a necklace.
  1. Cut two strands of wire or string.
  2. Secure a clasp on one end.
  3. String one bead on.
  4. Tie a simple knot to secure the bead.
  5. String another bead pulling the wire through with a tweezer if needed.
  6. Tie another knot after the second bead.
  7. Continue beading and knotting until complete.

Step 6: Finish the Clasp

(Creative Commons photo by Jenni Douglas)
(Creative Commons photo by Jenni Douglas)
  1. String a crimp bead onto your wire.
  2. String the remaining part of your clasp.
  3. Using the same method as you did previously, take the wire and string it back through the crimp bead creating a loop.
  4. Hide the tail by stringing it through the last few beads of your jewelry. If the tail is longer than one inch, cut the excess off.
  5. Use your crimping tool in the same way you did before by first laying the crimp bead in the slot closest to the handle and then pressing down securely leaving a half-moon shape.
  6. Turn the bead over and put it in the other slot of the crimper.
  7. Press securely, folding over the crimp bead.

Step 7: Don't Break the Bank

(Creative Commons photo by Madzik)
(Creative Commons photo by Madzik)
  • Now that you've completed your first piece of jewelry, you are probably anxious to make your next piece. Remember that you don't need to spend a lot of money in order to become a great jewelry-maker.
  1. Shop Around: Use a variety of stores and online catalogs for purchasing supplies. Some larger stores offer discounts that smaller stores don't.
  2. Go Small: Try some of the jewelry pattern projects that can be made for under $10 available online.
  3. Buy in Bulk: Crystals are a great way to add sparkle to your jewelry at a reasonable cost. You can save money buy purchasing Swarovski crystals in bulk instead of individual pieces, especially if you're purchasing beads online.
  4. Go Natural: Pick the type of beads according to your budget. If you have enough money to splurge, you can decide on using semi-precious gems or vintage crystals. For a less expensive option, you can purchase natural gemstones for under $10 per strand.
  5. Avoid Tool Overload: You can substitute certain tools for items you already have, such as using nail clippers or sharp scissors instead of wire cutters.
  6. Get Creative: Make your own design board by covering an oblong piece of cardboard with inexpensive felt fabric.
  7. Measure Corrently: Be careful when you cut your wire. Don't waste wire by not measuring correctly.
  8. Don't Splurge: Remember to only purchase supplies you will need, otherwise you'll have leftover products you might never use.
  9. Recycle: To create unique vintage jewelry, visit garage sales and thrift stores where they sell antiques and broken pieces of jewelry for a discounted price. You can incorporate parts of that jewelry into your new design.
  10. Try Tigertail: Instead of using Soft-flex or Beadalon, you can use Tigertail to string your jewelry. In addition to being less expensive, this hard wire holds its shape and easily lets you bead directly to the wire.

Conclusion

  • For some people, making their own jewelry becomes a lifelong hobby. There is no limit to the types of jewelry you can create. Not only can you save money, but creating a piece of jewelry for a loved one is a great way to make them feel special. With a little imagination and creativity, you can create works of art straight from the heart.

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Jewelry | Necklaces | Earrings | Rings | Bracelets | Watches | How to Make a Friendship Bracelet