Sunday, March 28, 2010

Techniques that got me started

In this posting, I will explain how I got started with jewelry making. These techniques are not only great for beginners, but even with more complicated designs.

For this bracelet, I used nylon coated beading wires, glass beads, metal charm beads, 2 crimp beads, needle nosed pliers, and wire cutters. Here are the beads I used:



To start, decide how much wire to use by wrapping it around your wrist and deciding how tight or loose you want it, and then give yourself a couple inches extra so you have room to put on the clasps. Once you know how much you need, use your wire cutters to cut the length you will be using.



Next, you need a crimp bead and one end of your clasp. Put the crimp bead on your wire followed by the clasp, and loop the closest end of the wire back through the crimp bead.



Next, use needle nosed pliers (or a crimp tool) to "smash" the crimp bead and secure the clasp.



Now you can start adding beads to the wire. You can have a very symmetrical pattern, or string them at random. I did a mix between the two for this piece. To make it easier to put the bracelet on, it's best to use small beads on both ends. Be sure to put the beads on both the main strand and the one that was looped through the crimp bead.



Once you have put on the amount of beads you want, which should be enough to create the length you desire, put another crimp bead and the other part of your clasp on the wire. Loop the wire over the clasp and through the crimp bead as you did before, as well as a few beads to make it more secure. Then hold the clasp with one hand and use the needle nosed pliers to tighten the wire.



After you have finished this step, smash the crimp bead as you did before and snip off any extra wire. Then wear and enjoy!



The matching necklace:




Keep reading for more tips!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Hello!

So, those of you who know me at all know that I love making jewelry! I have even started looking at people's jewelry and trying to figure out how to make it (which I have successfully done several times). I have so much fun making it, and so many little adventures associated with it, so I thought I would make a blog about it.

I first learned how to make jewelry when I was an assistant girls' camp director the summer of 2008. We were supposed to plan a craft for every day, and the director knew how to make bracelets. She wasn't able to be at the camp during the day because she had to work, so she taught me to make bracelets. From their, I figured out how to make some rough necklaces as well. I taught the girls to do both and it was very fun!

After that, I found I could make jewelry to go with my clothes cheaper than I could buy it. So I would buy materials specifically to match an outfit. I went on that way for some time.

Then about a year and a half later, or about four months ago, my friend was looking for ideas for a girls' night, and I volunteered to teach how to make jewelry. That incident rekindled my love for the craft. I learned new ways to make clasps hold, new ways to make bead strands and create different looks, styles, textures, etc. Now it has practically become an obsession and I love it! It is very stress relieving for me.

Keep watching for more adventure stories, pictures, and even a few tips for making it too!