How do I start making my own jewelry?

Have you always wanted to make your own jewelry? In addition to the fact that making your own jewelry is a lot cheaper than buying jewelry, it is also a super fun activity to do with for example your sister or best friend. Do you want to make your own jewelry but you don’t have any idea where to start? Following the steps in this blog, you can make your own jewelry in no-time. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Think about the kind of jewelry you want to make

There is an abundance of options to choose from regarding jewelry making. This could make it difficult to decide what you want to create. First, think about the kind of jewelry you prefer. Do you want to make earrings, a necklace or rather a bracelet? Then, it is good to think about the appearance of this piece of jewelry. Are you into beads or do you prefer to keep it simple with a leather cord and a charm attached to it?

Step 2: Tools

Now that you have envisioned what your jewelry should look like, you should think about the necessary tools. They are an important part of jewelry making. By using the right tools you will notice that the process becomes much easier. But how do you know which tools you need? This depends on the piece of jewelry, but some basic tools are always handy to have around. For example:

• side cutter
• round nose and flat nose pliers
• tape measure
• bead organizer

Step 3: Jewelry findings

Now that you have figured out the basic jewelry making tools to have at home, you will also have to buy different materials for the jewelry. To do this, it is of course important to specify what your jewelry will look like. The findings to consider are:

• The type of stringing material you want to use.
• The different findings for your jewelry, think of clasps, jump rings, head and eye pins, rolo chains and spacers.
• Do you want to make jewelry with beads or do you prefer charms on your jewelry? All kinds of sizes and colors of beads and charms are for sale.

Tip: are you still unsure of the materials you want to use for your jewelry? Take a look online for inspiration! Various blogs, websites like Dreambeads, or for example Pinterest can help you on your way.

Step 4: Basic skills

You bought the materials and you know what your jewelry should look like. This means that it’s time to learn the basic skills needed to make your jewelry. To learn these skills you can follow a jewelry making course, but nowadays there are also enough DIY videos online that allow you to easily master the basic skills.

Step 5: Let’s get started

Ready for the final step? Make sure you have a nice workspace which is big enough so that you can work efficiently. Organize all your materials using a bead organizer. Next, you can start making your jewelry. You will surely get stuck now and then or things will not work out the way you wanted them to. Just don’t get discouraged and have fun!

Is it the first time you are going to make jewelry? Take a look at our jewelry making starter kits!