How to Pick Tools for Beaded Jewelry

Making beaded jewelry is an enjoyable endeavor that can easily fill up hours of your time. Having the right tools for beaded jewelry is an essential part of crafting the right way because the quality and type of beading tools that you choose will have a direct impact on not only the quality of the jewelry that you create, but also the enjoyment of the activity. After reading this tutorial you should have a much better idea of how to choose the right tools for beaded jewelry.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Determine what type of beaded jewelry you will be making. Different types of beaded jewelry require different tools, including pliers and other accessories. For example, if your beaded jewelry is going to make use of wire, wire manipulating tools like round nose pliers, needle nose pliers and wire cutters will be required. If you are doing bead stringing, your tool chest should include a good pair of scissors for cutting the stringing material, and crimps, clamps or other finishing tools for the ends of the jewelry. Once you know what tools you will need, you can determine the best tools for beaded jewelry.

2. Now that you are aware of what tools you will need, you can go about choosing the best tools available for you. The rest of the steps in the process will be to look at different characteristics of the tools that you are considering, in order to determine whether or not they are the best tools for your beaded jewelry endeavor.

3. In any beaded jewelry making endeavor, you will be handling your tools quite a bit. Accordingly, you should pick tools for beaded jewelry that have comfortable handles. Not only should the handles be ergonomically designed, but they should also be the right size and shape for you and your unique hands. Having tools that are comfortable is an important part of making sure that you enjoy making beaded jewelry.

4. The quality of the tools themselves is also important, so when picking tools for beaded jewelry, you should select tools that are high in quality. Feel the metal material. Does it feel soft and smooth or rough or textured? Most beaded jewelry tools should feel smooth and coated with rubber or another material to make them easier on the wire and other materials that you are working with them. If you use inexpensive metal pliers, you may mar the metal that you are working with, turning a beaded jewelry masterpiece into something unsightly. Find tools that have tips coated in rubber or another similar substance, or have it done for you when you purchase your tools.

5. Keep in mind that brand name does mean something. Buying the super outlet store's generic brand tools may get the job done for a few days, but these jewelry tools tire out quickly and stop performing near as well after only a handful of uses. Choose high quality products like Beadalon or Beadsmith, and you will see the quality of your tools shining through the quality of your beaded jewelry work.

Tips & Warnings

• Beaded jewelry tools should be replaced every couple of months to prevent them from tiring out. Tools that are over used can have a negative effect on the results of your jewelry.