Super-Easy Jewelery Tutorial

One of my little secrets for saving loads of $$ and still keeping up with the trends is making my own jewelery! If you've never made jewelery before, this post is for you! I think some people may be surprised to learn how easy it is to make simple jewelery and how inexpensive it can be in the long run. After buying the basic supplies (it varies what "basic" means, but for me it was a plastic box for storage, a couple of wire cutters, a wire-bender, some clasps and earring studs, and beads), you will have a way to make really affordable statement pieces, like those turquoise earrings I made above! 

 

I found these beads at JoAnne fabrics on MAJOR sale. They were $0.97 for all three! I love turquoise and had been wanting some turquoise jewelery for a long time, so I snatched them up. Granted, these are faux but really, at $0.97 who cares? =)

From those 3 beads, I was able to make a pair of earrings and a necklace. Since I used things I already had on hand, all 3 cost me only the price of the beads. Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

So if you are inclined to start off on your own jewelery making adventure, here's a quick tutorial about how to get started! 

As I mentioned earlier, it varies a lot what the "basic" supplies are. But if you have a hobby lobby/ Jo Anne Fabrics/ Michaels near you, chances are you will be able to find a kit with basic wire trimmers, wire wrapper, small pliers and a few other necessities. Here's what I used to make a pair of earrings: wire wrapper, wire cutter, jewelery pin for the base, and beads. Not pictured is a smaller pair of pliers and the ear wires.  

Once I had everything together, I assembled the beads how I wanted them on the earring:

Next, using the wire bender I gently looped the wire at the top:

And then used the wire trimmer to cut off any excess. 

Finally, I slipped the newly created loop onto the loop of a silver ear wire and used a small pliers to clamp it shut.

And that's it! So easy, right?

Here's a couple tips if you are looking to get started making your own jewelery without breaking the bank:

• Use your weekly ad coupon to buy a basic kit (they run anywhere from $9-$20, mine was on the cheaper side!)
• Only buy the beads that you know you will use! Sometimes it gets a little crazy in the bead aisle, with all the amazing products. But it can really add up fast! I try to only buy beads on sale, and have a really specific use for them so they don't just sit in my craft drawer.
• Stock up on some basics like silver ear wires, gold ear wires, jewelery pins, chains, and links. That way you won't have to go out and buy those things every time you want to make something.
• Jewelery makes great gifts! I made necklaces and earrings as gifts for all the bridesmaids in my wedding, and it saved me a lot of money. Plus, I was able to match them to the colors that I wanted instead of searching all over the place for the right accessories!

Happy Jewelery Making!