Making Jewelry for Beginners
17 January 2012
Author: Ali Gripp
Making jewelry really is not as hard as you feel it might be. With a few simple tips and great products you can make two beautiful and custom necklaces that suit you perfectly! In this article I will cover some basics of making jewelry for beginners, as well the basic supplies that you will need to get started. This will be a simple, not overwhelming, start for you to create your own jewelry. Hopefully it will be the motivation you need to move forward and create more involved pieces.
Jewelry can be made from just about anything, but let's start with the basics. With the few supplies like crystals, stringing wire, pendants, closures, and some simple tools you can make these two easy necklaces. If you feel overwhelmed then let me suggest you start with a pendant necklace.
The first necklace is beautiful and so simple to put together - with no tools at all! Using a simple ball chain and bail set you can add just about any pendant you'd like, and you are finished! Really it is that simple!
If you are feeling bold you can add a jump ring using pliers and a crystal bead to this particular pendant to add a bit more sparkle.
Stringing beads is also quite easy once you get the hang of it. I would suggest using a small washcloth if you don’t want to invest in a bead board or a small square of fleece material to work on. These items will keep the beads from rolling away when you are trying to work with them.
In the example above, I laid out the beads and decided on a length that I liked and moved them around in an easy pattern.
If you are unsure about a length check out our Necklace Lengths article here, and discover how many beads you will need in our Bead Needs article here.
Once you have decided on your length, use your selected flexible beading wire and thread your design on the wire. See the full project instructions for how to crimp your ends, and add a closure.
With a few simple tools and supplies you can make many different pieces. Once you have mastered the basics and feel comfortable making jewelry for beginners, you can move to what you feel would be the next level that you want to accomplish. Whatever you decide you have now completed the most intimidating step, the beginning.