Beaded jewelry is extremely versatile; you can make nearly any kind of jewelry at all using beads. You can make earrings, bracelets and necklaces all with relative ease. If you take care in making these items, they can look just as good as commercially produced ones! Best of all, once you learn to make your own jewelry, you’ll never be at a loss as where to find the right piece of jewelry to match an outfit – you can simply make it yourself!
However, a lot of people rush into jewelry making and go purchase beads, but neglect to find out what else they will need. Before you go shopping for supplies, make a list of all of the materials and tools you’ll need so that you won’t miss out on picking up important supplies.
Before you get started, you’ll need to know what you’re looking for. When it comes to stringing beads, Tigertail is a good material to choose. It is very strong but it does tend to kink more easily than do some other materials. An alternative choice is soft-flex wire. You’ll probably also want to get some crimping beads. These help hold beads in place as you work – a crimping tool is also a good choice. While you could use a pair of pliers (which is cheaper), a crimping tool is well worth the extra expense since the results you’ll get are far better.
As far as beads are concerned, there are a lot of choices, so don’t think that you have to stick with ordinary styles of beads. There are shapes, sizes, colors and materials of bead which can make jewelry which is as unique as the person who will wear them.
It’s always a good idea to have a close look at your beads before you actually string them. Lay them out so you can see how they’ll look. A bead board is a good tool for this and if you don’t have a suitable place to lay out your beads, this is an item you should consider. Unless you’re pressed for time, lay out your beads and let them sit there for the day. If you still like the way t looks the next day, then go ahead and string your beads.
The only limit to the styles of jewelry you can make is your imagination. Of course, the style you choose to create will influence the length and the way that you string your beads; measuring carefully beforehand is key. It’s a good idea to get a measuring guide to help you as you get starting making jewelry. There’s nothing worse than making a piece of jewelry only to find out that it’s not the right length! You’ll usually have to remake the whole piece to fix these kinds of measuring mistakes.
Making beaded jewelry gives you the rewarding feeling of creating something by yourself. The jewelry you make will be cherished by the people you give it to – and you’ll love wearing your own designs too! Before you start, give some thought to taking some jewelry making classes or get some detailed instructions to make sure that you make jewelry which is made well as well as being beautiful.
