Jewelry Making Tips for Beginners with Tammy Powley
Jewelry making is a fantastic hobby that continues to grow in popularity with hobbyist thoughout the world. While there is nothing wrong with buying pre-made jewelry, the satisfaction you get from designing and crafting your own is a wonderful experience because you can then wear your personalized pieces of art rather than set them on a shelf to collect dust. You can make jewelry to match any outfit and also create a personal style all your own. Though the techniques and materials used for jewelry making have a huge range – from metal work to fibers – it is a hobby that you can start pretty easily by learning one of the most popular forms of jewelry making called bead stringing. Here are a few tips for the novice jewelry maker to help get you started in this addictive craft:
- Kits are an excellent way to get started with bead stringing because they often include all the beads, stringing materials, and findings you need. The only extra items you need to purchase are a few hand tools.
- When looking for hand-tools, such a round-nosed pliers, wire cutters, and chain-nosed pliers, opt for smaller tools that will fit comfortably in your hands. There are tons of jewelry vendors on-line these days who sell tools made especially for jewelry making, so there’s no reason to have to use a pair of clunky pliers you dug up in the garage. Good tools will result in well-made jewelry and a better experience for the beginning jewelry maker.
- Beginners often feel that they must settle for cheap beads because their skills aren’t at the level to justify higher quality beads. You don’t have to go for the gold, but you don’t necessarily have to go for the cheapo stuff either. In fact, sometimes cheap beads have uneven holes or other imperfections that can give you problems when stringing. Plus, believe it or not, your jewelry will normally last at least a few years, even if you are a beginner. So, avoid cheap beads and buy something you really like so you can enjoy your beaded jewelry now and for years to come.
- Test-drive any new designs. Once you start making your own beaded creations and become comfortable experimenting with new jewelry designs, it is always a good idea to wear your new jewelry pieces around the house or out to the store before you start giving them as gifts or consider selling finished jewelry. You learn a lot when you wear your jewelry: How comfortable is it? Does it drape well? Is it easy to put on and take off? Does it handle lots of wear without fear of breaking?
- Seek other beaders in your local area and on-line. The bead community is full of helpful, generous people who enjoy sharing their knowledge, so take advantage of jewelry making forums (like mine at http://jewelrymaking.about.com/mpboards.htm), yahoo groups, local bead societies, and rock clubs. It is wonderful way to learn and get to know others that enjoy the same hobby as you do.
- Finally, remember to enjoy what you are doing and don’t expect perfect results immediately. Granted, bead stringing is one of the easiest type of jewelry making to get started with as far as learning the basics, but like anything new, it does take some practice. Allow yourself time to make mistakes because that is part of the learning process.
