How to Make Your Own Professional Jewelry

Creating fashionable jewelry to match your wardrobe is all the rage these days. In fact, rather than buy lackluster gems from accessory shops, crafty divas from all around the world opt to design, make and sell their own professional jewelry. Arts and crafts stores carry supplies, teach classes and offer advice for beginning crafters. With the right tools in hand, you can learn how to make professional jewelry to wear and sell.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Crimping tool Pair of diagonal wire cutters Small pair of round pliers Earring hooks Headpins Crimp beads .45 mm beading wire Glass, wooden and ceramic beads Seed beads in a variety of colors Crystals or bicones Round spacers Toggle clasps

1. Decide what kind of jewelry you want to make, and gather up the appropriate supplies. Earrings require one or two medium to large beads and three or four crystals or seed beads in addition to two headpins and earring wires. Necklaces and bracelets require more beads as well as crimp beads, spacers, beading wire and a clasp.

2. To make earrings, start with one headpin. Slide the beads on one at a time until there is 1 cm of exposed wire above the last bead. Grasp the round pliers in one hand and use them to grab the tip of the wire. Roll the wire tip in a circular motion until you have formed a circle above a bead. Open up the earring wire using the pliers and slide the headpin full of beads onto it. Secure the headpin onto the wire and close the loop with the pliers. Repeat with the other headpin until you have made two identical earrings.

3. To make a necklace or bracelet, measure your neck or wrist with a piece of the beading wire. Add 5 cm to the necklace and 2 cm to the bracelet to ensure comfort. Loop a piece of the beading wire through a toggle clasp and hold on to it so it will remain tight.

4. Slide a crimp bead through the doubled up piece of wire until it reaches the toggle. Using the crimping tool, tightly squeeze the bead flat. Flip the wire upside down so that the toggle is dangling.

5. Start arranging the beads of your choice on the wire in a pattern. Make sure to space out large beads and separate them with seed beads and crystals or bicones. Leave enough room at the end to add another crimp bead and the other part of the clasp.

6. Holding tight to the necklace, slide another crimp bead onto the wire so that it is touching the last bead. Slide the second part of the toggle clasp onto the wire. Loop the open end of the wire through it. Make sure that the doubled up wire can slide through the crimp and seed beads a couple of inches.

7. Pull the wire tight with one hand. Use the crimping tool to flatten the second crimp bead. Use the wire cutters to trim excess wire. The necklace or bracelet is ready to wear.

Tips & Warnings

• Vintage jewelry can be taken apart and used again to create an ultra-trendy modern look. Beads rolled out of patterned paper or old magazines make interesting conversation pieces.
• Keep a strong grip on the beading wire so that the beads do not fall off.

Resources

• Simple Drop Earrings
• Bottle Cap Earrings
• Beaded Jewelry Tutorials