Do you want to create stunning jewelry pieces but don’t know where to start? Well, look no further! Here, I will tell you everything you need to know to create your first piece of jewelry!
1. Decide what you want to make first
When it comes to handmade jewelry, only your imagination limits what you can create! So, your first step on your jewelry-making journey is to decide what type of jewelry you want to make first. Me, I started to make earrings first, and it wasn’t until a few months after I opened my Etsy shop did I start to make rings.
Say I decided to start out with making rings. Now, I would want to decide what type of rings I want to make. This will help you know what materials to buy. There are several different types of handmade rings that you can make.
I prefer to make rings out of beads and wire, but many people use thin elastic cords and seed beads, metal, or if you want to start big, gold and silver.
For earrings, you can decide between studs, dangles, hoops, wire cuffs, etc.
Necklaces or bracelets could be made with thin elastic cord and beads, like my personality necklaces, or chain, leather cord, wire, and so much more.
I recommend choosing just one of these to start out, like necklaces made with chains and a charm for example. I am not saying that you can’t do more than one later on, but personally, I think that it is best to get the hang of making jewelry in one category before moving on to something else.
2. Find some tutorials
Once you have decided what you want to start making (earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets, etc.), then you can move on to the next step: finding tutorials!
Before you start to buy your materials, you should first go online and find some tutorials on how to make your desired piece of jewelry. I suggest doing this before you buy your materials so that you know exactly what you will need for your jewelry. Plus, many jewelry tutorials tell you exactly what you need to make that piece, so that can make things easier for you when purchasing materials.
There are so many great jewelry-making tutorials out there that can really help you out. Here are some of my favorite jewelry-making YouTube Channels:
I would also consider buying some jewelry-making books, too.
Once you have seen some tutorials and have a few ideas of what you will need to create your jewelry, then you can start buying your materials.
3. Buying your materials
There are so many cheap materials that you can get for jewelry making. In addition, you don’t always need to go to a craft store to buy your beads, chain, etc. Chances are, you have some in your own home!
1. Recycling your old jewelry
If you are anything like me, you have a box of old necklaces and bracelets just lying around. If you think that you will probably never wear these necklaces and bracelets again, you can totally take them apart! If they are still usable, that can help you save money on beads, chains, or whatever materials your old jewelry is made out of!
2. Garage sales
Another cheap alternative to buying at a craft store is going to garage/estate sales. Chances are, you will find some sort of old jewelry that you can take apart. Or, maybe you will get lucky and find someone’s collection of beads! You never really know, and that is what can make it so fun!
Before buying, though, you should check and make sure that what you are buying is in good shape and you can actually use it. If it is something like plastic/glass beads or ear hooks, you should be able to sanitize them with rubbing alcohol or something similar, just so they are clean.
3. Craft store buying tips
Of course, craft stores, even Amazon, offer some pretty great jewelry-making materials. If you are planning for the long term, buying in bulk is the best thing to do. It may even be cheaper, too. If you just want to try out, say earring-making, and don’t know if you will stick to it, then I would just start with a few materials instead of buying everything in bulk.
Unfortunately, not all craft stores are cheap, though. The ones I live by sure aren’t. Because of this, I have learned to buy things when they are on sale, or with coupons. For example, the beads at my favorite craft store were 50% off for quite a while. When that sale ended, I pretty much stopped buying beads, unless I really needed something. Then, when they go on sale again, I will buy more.
The same thing with wire. At my craft store, a spool of wire from my favorite brand is usually about $9. When I need 2 or 3 spools, I don’t always want to spend that much money. Unless I need the wire right now, I will usually wait until it goes on sale.
Don’t want to buy a bunch of materials separately? Try buying a kit! Personally, I think that these are a great way for a beginner to start making jewelry. There are so many great kits out there that you can get, especially for bracelet and necklace-making. This way, you can get everything that you need, all at once.
4. Start making your jewelry!!
After you have the materials that you need, you can start making your jewelry! Follow along with one of the tutorials you found or, if you are feeling confident, invent something of your own! Don’t worry if you can’t do it without the tutorial at first, that will take time.
Please don’t get discouraged if your first pieces of jewelry don’t look how you want them to. It took me a while before I was finally satisfied with what I was making. Sometimes, even now, I still end up with a decent sized reject pile. It takes practice. Practice and a whole lot of patience. And maybe some more practice. But eventually, you can make some really amazing pieces of jewelry!
Jewelry-making really does have so many benefits if you stick to it. For one thing, you can make yourself jewelry that you would normally have to spend lots of money on! I think that’s pretty stinkin’ cool.
In addition, you can start making money from your jewelry, which is what I did! You don’t even have to do anything big, like an Etsy shop. You can just sell to friends and family.
I hope that this article was helpful! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out and contact me. Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog for some exclusive updates, jewelry tutorials, and maybe even special coupon codes to buy my jewelry!
Thank you so much and don’t forget that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, made perfect in Jesus!
See you next time!
