Making Jewelry for Beginners

Jewelry can be a very personal accessory for many people. Often someone would like a piece of jewelry that is unlike any jewelry that his or her friends or family may have.
Custom jewelry is a very big business and can be a satisfying creative outlet for an artist or crafter. Making jewelry for beginners may seem like a difficult task but it is very easy to learn the basics of creating custom jewelry for yourself or others.

Things You'll Need

• Beads Jewelry wire Crimp beads Clasps Earring post Earring hook Pliers

Instructions

Bracelet Making For Beginners

1. 

   Choose the beads you would like to use. Beads come in many different styles, shapes and colors. You can use all of the same beads or you can use many different types of beads to create your custom jewelry.

2. Cut jewelry wire to seven and a half inches, longer if you would like a larger bracelet. You do not have to use jewelry wire but may also use an elastic or plastic wire instead. Wire will help the bracelet to keep its shape better and is easy to shape when you are making jewelry for beginners.

3. 

   Slide the beads onto the jewelry wire. The beads can all be of the same color and style or you can use alternating beads for a more dramatic affect. Leave space on the ends to finish off the bracelet. Slide the beads on and off as necessary. Repeat this step until you are satisfied with the placement of the beads on the bracelet.

4. 

   Attach the end clasps with a crimp bead. While you can buy special jewelry tools, pliers will work just fine until you are better at this craft. Slide the crimp onto the end of the jewelry wire. Place the clasp on next.
   Bend the jewelry wire so that the end fits back down inside of the crimp bead. Once you have the wire inside the crimp bead then use the pliers to flatten the bead, "crimping" the wire so that it does not come apart. If you are using elastic or plastic, you can just tie the wire to the clasp and cut off the extra.

5. 

   Make sure that the bracelet is the correct size for your wrist. While you cannot make it longer, you can make it shorter by removing beads and cutting the wire as needed. Make certain that you are satisfied that the beads lay correctly.

Earring Making For Beginners

1. Lay out the beads you will use for your earrings. Use any beads you would like but be aware of the weight of the bead so that it does not pull on the earlobe when you are making jewelry for beginners.

2. 

   Slide the beads you have chosen for your earrings onto a wire post. A wire post looks much like a stickpin, but is dull and not sharp on the end. Just as you did with the bracelet, you can take the beads on and off until you find a pattern of beads that you like.

3. 

   Slip the earring hook onto the wire post. Use your pliers to bend the post down into the shape of a circle, with the earring hook hoop inside this circle, which will keep the earring hook and beads from sliding off.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have sensitive ears you can be nickel free products.