10 Jewelry Making Basics Everyone Can Master

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10 Jewelry Making Basics Everyone Can Master
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DIY jewelry is an excellent way to showcase your creativity, and the more you make, the more your creativity grows. In order to have a solid understanding of each project, it's important to know the basics of jewelry making. Here are the top ten jewelry project essentials to get you started.

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Stud earrings only require one basic step.
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2. How to Make Stud Earrings

Stud earrings require very little time and supplies. Because most stud earrings require the single act of gluing, you can make several pairs in one sitting. Creating different types of stud earrings is the quickest way to cure an itch to craft.

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Practice working with jewelry pliers by making a beaded bracelet.
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3. How to Make a Beaded Bracelet

Making a sweet and simple beaded bracelet is the perfect way to get comfortable with jewelry pliers. It also provides excellent practice for working with metal components such as crimp beads, clasps and jump rings.

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Special kneading techniques can turn clay into faux marble.
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4. How to Create Faux Marble

Once upon a time, marble was a trend. These days, it is a design staple. It can be spotted in everything from art to home decor. Luckily, incorporating marble into your jewelry creations can be done at home. With some oven-bake clay and clever kneading techniques, you can create your own faux marble.

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Create faux druzy stone with decoupage and glitter.
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5. How to Create Faux Druzy Stones

Much like marble, glittery druzy stones are here to stay. Characterized by jagged crystals embedded along the stone's surface, druzy adds a touch of mystery to jewelry. You can make your very own "druzy" by combining different types of glitter with decoupage. It's like sparkles for grown-ups.

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Shortening a necklace can change the look and feel of it.
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6. How to Shorten a Necklace

The best thing about DIY is knowing how to alter an item to your liking. For example, you can shorten a necklace with a standard pair of jewelry pliers. This skill comes in handy if you have a necklace that is too long for your liking. It's also a great way to save a broken or old necklace.

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Upcycle plastic fruit packaging to make a pair of earrings.
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7. How to Upcycle Materials

Since most jewelry projects only require a few materials, it's easy (and fun) to experiment with unconventional supplies. From plastic fruit packaging to bottle caps, there are so many possibilities around us. Upcycling allows even the most experienced DIYer to exercise their imagination.

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Combine leftover supplies to create mixed media jewelry.
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8. How to Make the Most of Leftover Supplies

Once a project is said and done, there are usually leftover materials. Over time, these materials easily accumulate. Instead of letting them go to waste, practice combining them into mixed media pieces. This is an easy way to give your imagination a healthy push by working with what you already have.

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Ordinary items like key rings can be used to create extraordinary projects.
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9. How to See the Potential in Everyday Objects

On a daily basis, we interact with countless items. While they may seem worthless or ordinary, they provide a totally new door for inspiration. Here's a tip for encouraging creativity: Ignore the intended function of an object and pay attention to its shape and structure. Something as simple as key rings can be the foundation for a stylish new statement

Image Credit: Jewelry Basics Every DIYer Should Know

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