How to Make Wire Jewelry

Learning how to make wire jewelry is made by using simple materials to make a beautiful piece of art and is an easy project. A simple design can turn out to be a thing of beauty in the right hands. It only takes some simple tools and materials to make jewelry you can be proud of and sell for a good price.

The first thing you need to do is get together the things you need. You have to have different sizes of wire. The higher the gauge, the thicker the wire is. The twenty-gauge wire is suitable for most jewelry. Memory wire is very suitable for making bracelets; it will stay in the shape you bend it. All you have to do is string the beads on it and bend the wire over on the end.

You have to have clasps for fastening the jewelry. Earwires, eyepins, headpins, and jump rings are referred to as findings. You will also need some chain of different types and thickness.

You will also need the right tools to make the jewelry. You will need some small pliers with a round nose. You may have to buy these at a craft shop, as the ones typically sold at a hardware store are too large. Some use chain nose pliers to grip a jump ring or the wire. These pliers are flat on the inside but the outside is round. You will need something to cut your wires with such as wire cutters.

You will also need a jig. A jig is merely a board that has pegs sticking out of it. You will use the pegs to shape the wire into the form you want and to prevent it from losing its shape.

When you have all your materials and tools ready it is time to start making jewelry. Whether you are making a bracelet, anklet or necklace, you need to start with some wire. Use your crimping pliers to make a loop at one end. Thread your beads in the design you want on the wire, when you are done cut the wire making sure you have enough wire left to loop this end also. You then attach a chain to the loop or use a jump ring to connect it. You will then need to add a clasp, do this by attaching rings to the ends and then putting on the clasp.

It is very easy to make some simple earrings, use a headpin and put beads of your choice on it using an interesting color or design. The head pin needs to be bent at a sharp angle and looped. To complete your earring, use a french wire or other earring finding on the loop and you are done.

As soon as you learn the basics, you can let your imagination run free and create unique pieces of jewelry. There are many different designs you can create to make your jewelry unique and learning how to make wire jewelry is definitely a skill that will enhance it even further.

How to Make Bracelets

Your jewelry can make or break your outfit and learning how to make bracelets can definitely have a dramatic impact on your personal style. Having the right accessories in your collection is really something that you want to do to try to be as stylish as possible. However, trying to put together a great collection of accessories can be very expensive. One way that you can reduce that cost while also infusing your jewelry collection with personality is to make your own beaded bracelets. Not only is it fun, but it will really allow you to display your personal tastes on your arm.

Making beaded bracelets is really fairly easy, but the first thing that you need to do is to make sure that you have all of the right supplies. To begin jewelry making you will need to purchase special beading thread, clasps, bead tips, beading glue, scissors, long straight pins, and perhaps most importantly beads! When selecting the beads to buy have fun! Additionally you will want to have a flat work surface to make your jewelry on, and you should pull out some towels, scissors, and flat nosed pliers from around your house.

Once you have all of your supplies you are ready to get jewelry making. You need to decide how long you would like your bracelet to be. Typically, most bracelets are about seven inches in length, but if you are making an ankle bracelet you will want to add a few inches to that length.

From there you need to decide which beads you want to make your bracelet out of. This is really the creative part, and there are no set rules to this. A good rule of thumb is to space out some of the larger beads with smaller or “spacer beads” in between them. Additionally, you will need to choose which clasp you would like to use as well as the bead tips that you are going to use in your bracelet. You will need one clasp and two tips per bracelet.

To get started you will want to set your beads out on your workspace so that you can play with their order. Take the time to plan so that you are not frustrated later with things not working out the way that you had envisioned them.

Once you have your design laid out you need to get out your bead thread. Make a knot at the end of your bead thread and trim any excess. From there you will start to thread the bead tip onto the thread. After you get the first bead tip threaded you will want to pull out your glue so that you can place a small dot onto the knot that is resting against the opening of the bead tip. Once the glue has tried use your piers to press the open edges closed.

Now you are really ready to get started. Continue by threading your beads onto the bead thread. Once you have all of the beads on you will want to string on the remaining bead tip. Tie a knot and use your straight pin to move the knot into the open bead tip. Once it is set cut any excess thread and use those piers to again close the bead tip as you did the first one.

All that you have left to do is to affix the clasp. Take one side of the clasp and hook it onto a bead tip. Use your round nose pliers to secure it. Then do the same to the other side, and voila! You have learned how to make bracelets!

How to Make Jewelry - Selecting Your Wire Tools

Adding to the last two posts on general beading tools and how to make jewelry, this post will focus specifically on tools that are useful when your beading projects are dealing with making jewelry with wire. As skill progresses a beader will eventually try new techniques and variations and that includes the incorporate of wire into jewelry pieces. Jewelry design that incorporates perfected wiring techniques are truly beautiful to behold and display to others.

These tools are ones that I specifically utilize in my wiring projects -- you may even see some tools that you recognize from the previous post on basic beading tools.

I will discuss in this post how they specifically relate to the wiring process since your first introduction was their basic use for all general jewellery making creations.

Awl

The awl is a handy tool to have for whenever a project requires holes to be made in metal wire or any other metal pieces in the project. An awl is basically a steel spike with its tip sharpened to a fine point. The awl is a simple tool with which holes can be punctured in a variety of materials, or existing holes can be enlarged.

It is a staple of a lot of crafts including beaded jewelry, which you're reading here, as well as leather working, shoe making and just sewing heavy materials such as canvas.

For beading purposes, its simply used for punching holes in metal materials or any other object that requires a precise hole placed into it.

Bench Block

Since you will be dealing with a very tough opponent, the metal and wiring, it is always good to have a bench block that will help protect your workspace as well as providing a solid space where you can pound out the metal objects and apply the force that is required to manipulate metal.

Think of the bench block to wiring jewelry as a cutting board is to a chef.

There are many different types and varieties of bench blocks but there is no need to go to extravagant to begin with. For example, jewelrysupply.com has a very basic block that I have used before with great success.

Round nose pliers

The round nose pliers have now made their second appearance! You will recall the the design of the round nose pliers are perfect for manipulating the shapes of the wire for handcrafted jewelry. They can be used to create loops or rings.

Purchasing a pair of these pliers will open up the opportunities of what you can create from wiring jewelry.

Flush cutters

The flush cutters are a tool that are specifically designed for jewelry wiring and have already been mentioned as an essential tool to have, but their use will not be fully realized until you begin wiring.

Probably the one point I'd like to make is consider having two different flush cutters, one for the smaller gauge wires and another for the heavier gauges. The reason for this recommendation is that using the same flush cutter with heavy and small gauges can damage the cutter and make its effectiveness in clean cutting on the smaller gauges very poor.

Ball-peen hammer

Ball-peen hammers are divided into two classes: hard-faced and soft-faced. The head of a hard-faced hammer is made of heat treated forged high-carbon steel or alloy steel.

They are used when there is the danger of damaging a striking surface. More specifically, the ball-peen is used to flatten out metal objects and for the creation of textured designs of the metal pieces for the jewelry designs.

Metal file

The metal file is a tool that will come into use whenever your other cutting tools have begun to lose their edge and create jagged cuts and you need to file the edge down to something smoother.

Chain nose pliers

In the last couple of posts I've mentioned how the chain nose pliers are a versatile tool for use in beading. This still holds true even when your beading projects begin to include wiring in them. The basic uses for them on are for closing various clasps you've added to your jewelry piece or closing loops.

Fortunately, a few of these tools are simply a repeat from the basic tool kit you would want to have as an amateur beader. On top of that the additional tools should not put too much of a financial hit to your budget as you're building your tools. 

Any one of these items can be purchased relatively affordable; there is no need to spend money on expensive tools when a more economical one is available, which is the key when learning how to make jewelry and still have money in the bank.

Wire jewelry always adds a sophisticated look to your work. 

How to Make Jewelry - Essential Tools Pt 2

Ok we're back with part two of the how to make jewelry essentials toolkit list. In the last post, the bulk of the tools were various specialty pliers that any self-respecting beader should have with them. Since the bulk of the beading tools were listed in the other post, today’s post will be a little light reading. Following is a list of the last few tools that one should have:

Flush cutter

Now you may be asking yourself what is a flush cutter and why would I ever need one because you already have 11 different types of pliers that you went out and bought from the last post. A "flush cut", as you may or may not be aware, is one where the wire, after cut, is not left burred.

You need a good flush cut for making proper jump rings, or for making any kind of chain from rings for your jewelry designs. The flush cutter is commonly V-shaped on one side and flat on one the other. Once again it all comes down to how professional you want the piece to be.

Wire cutter

While you may ultimately have specialty cutters for specific wiring types such as metal, it is never a bad idea to have some plain old wire cutters for your handmade jewellery projects. You can use them for the more pliable beading wire –basically none of the metal wiring.

Ultimate Craft Scissors

In the last post I mentioned how the chain nose pliers are the most versatile of pliers; well the next versatile tool in the bunch would be some sturdy utility scissors. These can be used for a myriad of tasks related to your beading projects. You can use the utility scissors for things like cutting plastic, elastic items or even beading thread.

Beading Needles

Beading needles may be pointed or ballpoint and straight or curved and are perfect for beaded jewelry designs. The size of the beads and the thread will help determine the needle size, which, as with tapestry needles, is lower when the needle is thicker and higher when it is thinner. They are longer than standard sewing needles, enabling you to string multiple seed beads and other beads.

Twisted wire needles come five to a packet. Beading needles are very thin, flexible needles most often used for seed bead work. The advantage to using this type (rather than regular sewing needles) is that their eyes are the same width as the rest of the needle, so there's no added metal width to get in the way as you pass through seed and other small-holed beads. Beading needles are long, thin and flexible.

Now to find a tool box for your beading tools!! At this point, you have setup your room to be organized with all of your beading materials and you have now added to the storage an effective arsenal of beading tools with which to create beautifully designed jewellery for yourself to enjoy or sell making the learning process on how to make jewelry fun.

Starting a new hobby can be intimidating so if you're still not ready to start, you can still save money with your jewelry purchases.

How to Make Jewelry - Supplies Storage

Learn How to Make Jewelry - Organizing Jewelry Making Supplies First

So you have decided that you want to learn how to make wire jewelry as a hobby. This may be just to fuel your creative juices that you have inside or perhaps you want to make a little extra money by selling some of your handmade jewellery on the side. While beading is a very rewarding hobby you want to make sure that you have all the proper tools in place before you begin or frustration will definitely sink in.

Where to Start

Your first thought when you are learning how to make jewelry by beading might be, how could I run out of storage space? Beads take up so little space so it shouldn't take up so much space to make beaded jewelry. Surprisingly, though, the storage bins of tools, thread, string and beads can add up quickly. Before you know it, you can no longer get into your project room. Another significant downside to an unorganized project space is that will begin to take you sometimes two and three times longer than it should to design new bracelets or necklaces because you will spend your time hunting down your beads than actually stringing them together.

Now don’t jump ahead and buy a bunch of new bins from Michael’s or some other crafts store. That is something that is later on in your organizational strategy which will make your journey of learning how to make jewelry much more rewarding and stress free.

The first priority is putting together a game plan for sorting your beads. When you start out you may only have one type of bead and one type of string – the sorting will be easy at this point – however once you find your comfort level with one set of materials, there will be a significant increase in the assortment of beads and other materials.

As I said, the first step in keeping an organized beading space is to begin sorting. Now, I’m not going to tell you exactly how to sort because it will be your choices of projects that dictate what sorting method will be most effective for you.

This could be a simple sorting of the types of beads – an example being by seed beads, glass, Milagros, gemstone, etc. Then again, you may want to sort by the sizes of the beads, their type or bead color. The key is to make sure that you start with a strategy and don’t veer from it because your workspace will soon turn into an area that looks like a tornado hit your room!

Once you have decided how things will be sorted, the next task at hand will be to choose how to store them. You have options here too, but the most basic concerns for beaders are typically whether to choose storage bins that you can see into – an thus aware of what stock you have, or just some solid colored bins. The beader can choose a bin with many small drawers or ones with just a few.

And you thought that learning how to make jewelry; specifically beading was simply a string and clasp job and you’re done! In all seriousness, beading is an enjoyable hobby and can continue for many years as such; as long as you properly organize your jewelry making supplies from the get go.

Unused Bulk Beads, Making Jewelry with Unique Design Ideas

There comes a time for everyone who is in the habit of producing creative material-- regardless of whether your creative energies involve beads, making jewelry pieces or even creating a blog post.

When you first get started in learning how to make wire jewelry or other pieces of jewelry, there are going to be a lot ideas or themes that you will want to create. After some success with the smaller projects you begin to expand your operation. You get extremely ambitious in your endeavors and begin to stock up on your supplies -- from bulk jewellery to bulk beads -- making plans for the great designs and pieces that you will create!

Then it happens....

You're sitting at your desk and NOTHING is coming to you. What are you going to make next. When this happens you should look no further than your bedroom closet.

Look at that new top you bought last week at the mall. You know the one you got for a "steal" off the clearance rack!! No I won't tell your significant other that you raided the rainy day fund for it! :-)

Fashion can be a very inspirational outlet to help you grind out more unique and fantastic pieces

So where do you get your inspiration for your beads making projects? If you have a unique piece of jewelry posted on the internet, please let me know and I will promote it here!

Troll Beads: Jewelry Tidbits

Troll beads are created by internationally renowned jewelery designers; designed from Italian Murano glass, natural pearls, semi-precious and precious stones. Trollbeads are amazingly high-quality beads made from a variety of different premium materials and designed by numerous different people and are perfect for those who want to know how to make wire jewelry with unique pieces on them. They work almost like a charm bracelet, allowing the wearer to attach any bead to a chain to make her own piece of bead jewelry with its own story! Troll beads are beads originally created by a Scandinavian company and used in bracelets. They are whimsical and fun and are similar to the popular US "charm bracelets".

Charm bracelets have been the subject of several waves of trends. Queen Victoria wore charm bracelets that started a fashion among the European noble classes. Charms also were worn in the dark ages to represent family origin, religious and political convictions.

Trollbeads are compatible with Chamilia and Pandora beads. Those beads will fit on a troll beads bracelet however the Troll beads will not fit on a Chamilia or Pandora bracelet or chain. They are created by eighteen Danish and internationally renowned jewelry designers.

Troll beads allow you to create your own story with many different symbols, flowers, animals, zodiac signs, colors and materials, there are endless combinations or variations.
They really are remarkable, beautifully-created, and wonderful charms/beads - that take art of creating a bead or charm bracelet so much fun! Not only is it fun, but you can quickly and easily change your bracelet with every whim of desire, or to match any outfit you might wear ANY day!

Genuine troll beads are made from the highest quality raw materials including sterling silver, 18 karat gold, Italian Murano glass, natural pearls, semi- precious stones and amber. They are solid cast beads that simply slide onto the bracelet or necklace and are completely interchangeable. The beads do not lock into place, but move freely.

Start learning how to make jewelry designs that are stunning by adding to your collection of beads by adding troll beads.

How to Make Jewelry with Trollbeads

Here is a small project that you can use to put all of your newly purchased genuine troll beads to good use. I found this project, created by Kathy Mamet, who has nearly two decades of beading experience and providing classes to aspiring beaders. This a very good project for those that are wanting to learn how to make wire jewelry:

Twisted-Wire Bracelet

Skill level: Beginner
Estimated time: 1 hour
Tools: Chain-nose pliers (flat nose), round-nose pliers, wire cutters
Supplies: 20-gauge brass wire, 1 brass toggle clasp, 45-60 Troll beads with holes large enough to fit the 20-gauge wire.

Instructions:

1. Cut 4 yards of wire. Fold in half. Insert wire through ring on circle portion of toggle and slide to fold.
2. Using chain-nose pliers, make first twist by holding wires together, approximately 1/4 -inch down from toggle. Grasp toggle and twist until twisted wire is approximately 1/8 -inch long. (Note: do not over twist wire)
3. Now separate the wires. About 1/2 inch past the twist, bend one wire into a "U" shape. Slide a bead into the "U." Hold bead and twist until wire beneath forms a twist.
4. Repeat step 3 with the second wire.
5. Using chain-nose pliers, hold both wires 1/4 inch down from beads. Twist beaded section until twist is 1/8 -inch long.
6. Continue steps 3, 4 and 5 until bracelet fits comfortably around wrist, allowing room for adding stick portion of clasp.
7. Cut remaining two wires, leaving each with a 2- to three 3-inch tail. Using round-nose pliers, bend joined wires to 90-degree angle above twist.
8. Make loop by bringing wires over top jaw of round nose pliers. Slip toggle stick into opening of loop.
9. Grasp partial loop with round-nose pliers. Hold wire tails with chain nose pliers and wrap tightly around wire stems beneath loop, two to three times. Trim excess wire.

Let me know what you think of this project and I will try to find more that you can use to make even more of your troll beads jewelry. This is a pretty simple project for those just beginning to learn how to make jewelry.

Genuine Troll Beads Make Great Gifts

Earlier in the month I wrote about how you can be quite selfless by creating heartfelt jewelry made from troll beads and donating them to sick children. Let me ask you if there has ever been a time...usually after watching a Kay Jewelers or Jared's commercial for the millionth time that you wish provide more meaningful gifts for your family and less time trying to track down the new iPhone or a new Lexus?

Starting a new hobby by learning how to make wire jewelry with your family, even if its just one night a week, can help tremendously to build the bond with your kids. Beading is quite a simple and even addicting hobby to start.

When you can make outlandish or pieces of jewelry that stand out, you will capture the imagination and enthusiasm of your kids. Even in an article by Kim Mitchell for GO! Magazine there is mention.
"Glitter and glam could be just the thing to get your girls interested in making Christmas gifts, Riall said.

With so many options in the jewelry isles, Riall said the time consuming part won't be the making, but the selecting."

So start by getting involved with your kids with you, clear off the kitchen and start putting troll beads onto your jewelry pieces. And if you're so inclined, give them as gifts to those your care about!

If you want to read the whole article from Kim click here

Spend Time With Family Making Jewelry with Troll Beads

Have you recently used any troll beads to create jewelry? If not you should begin to consider it. Now you may be asking me, "why do I even care?" when you're just starting out learning out how to make wire jewelry. That is an excellent question!

The reason why you should care is because if you have ever wanted to pass the time with a new hobby, spend a weekend bonding with your kids, or even make a little extra money to add to the vacation stash....jewelry making most definitely is the way to go.

According to Debbie Albritton, the owner of Charmed, a jewelry making business, this past time is growing in popularity by an astounding pace. She said, "It's right behind scrap-booking which is number one".


That alone should at least get you interested enough to investigate...That's what I did. That is when I found out how much fun it is to decide on a charm or jewelry design and then choose from a wide variety of beads including troll beads, Pandora beads and the list goes on.


Turn that tv off, clear off the kitchen table and have a fun night with your family!

Troll Beads give your Jewelry & Accessories more Life

The other day I was thinking of the many ways that troll beads can be used to enhance your jewelry collection, when I couldn't help but think of how my sisters are obsessed with accessorizing everything that they own! Typically when you are learning how to make wire jewelry, these beads can be perfect for giving them a unique look to them. How ever, they were using them in completely different ways than I had even considered. When I visited them in July, all of their jeans, purses and even their shirts were "personalized" with their own artistic graffiti! Troll beads are so unique that they are something that can enhance anyone's clothes. Oddly enough, I found an article that was speaking on the same thing explaining that "beads add pizzazz to designs by giving sparkle and depth to the finished pieces. It's fun deciding where to place them on a design, like in a flower center."
There truly is so many different things that can be done with these beads; if you are an animal lover, there are complete collections of different animal troll beads that you can buy to attach to your purse or new jeans that you bought for a great deal off the discount rack!

You can find the whole article here

Give Homemade crafts and jewelry a unique look with Troll Beads!

It is very rare when items as small as troll beads can create such a one of a kind flair and increased interest in jewelry creation and similar crafts. They are a wonderful complement to the various beads you incorporate when you are learning how to make wire jewelry. A lot of this interest can be attributed to the individual personality that each bead is created with. Troll beads also give a nod to fantasy and astrology as explained by How to Rama:


"Each bead tells its own history that is inspired greatly for one by mythology since trolls are actually fairies believed to possess magical powers that help fulfill your wishes. The troll beads, additionally, are inspired by astrology - each of us lives in our own fate that is predetermined by astrological conditions. Aside from these, troll beads also take inspiration from fauna, flora, fairy tales, cultural diversity, and the typical things we see in everyday life."
To see the whole article click here
Remember these beads the next time you are creating handmade jewellery.