Feeling creative but don’t have a ton of time to sit in your study? Papier mache, collages and painting can take serious dedication. Still, you can scratch the crafty itch with some straightforward jewellery making! Also, what is more, rewarding than being able to wear your art? Whether you’re a fan of intricate beading or appreciate some inventive wirework, there are various fun techniques to perfect when crafting bracelets, bangles, or brooches.
Stretch out your creative muscles and tailor some beautiful earrings or a necklace to your taste with this guide to jewellery making for beginners.
Are You A Beader Or A Metalsmith?
Before you can even begin, you must answer one big question. Are you going to be a beader or a metalsmith? A beader uses wire and a colourful array of beads to create their jewellery. At the same time, a metalsmith will fashion unshaped gold, silver or iron into wearable items. Beading requires a less specialised setup since you won’t be working with intense temperatures.
While you’ll need to decide which type of jewellery work you like now, you can always give the alternative a try later on!
Beading For Beginners: Your First Steps
So decorative beads and bright colours catch your eye, and you’ve decided to focus on beading. That’s the very first step, but now you’ve got to gather the correct equipment.
You will need:
- Decorative beads
- Beading wire
- A clasp
- Crimping beads
- Pliers
Your Beading Method:
- Cut your beading wire to your desired length with pliers, whether you’d like to create a bracelet or a necklace.
- Use your pliers to press a crimping bead to one end of your wire. That bead will stop your decorative beads from slipping off the other end.
- Arrange your decorative beads however you desire. Get creative! Experiment with smaller and large beads in a sequence for some texture.
- Attach both parts of your clasp to the ends of your wire, so you’ll be able to open and close your bracelet or necklace with ease. We recommend a lobster clasp to begin!
Getting Started Metalsmithing: Your First Steps
Beading isn’t quite what you’re looking for, and you fancy a bit of a challenge. The art of metalsmithing will be more brutal to master. Still, you’ve got to invest in suitable materials and accessories before you begin.
Your Jeweller’s Bench Will Require:
- A jeweller’s saw
- Soldering supplies
- A blowtorch
- A selection of hammers
- A bench block
- Wire cutters
- Pliers
- A mandrel
- A bench pin
Your Metalsmithing Method:
- Choose a sheet of silver, brass or copper. Copper is exceedingly soft and a great place to start.
- Cut your sheet to desired width and length using your saw and your bench pin, depending on whether you’re creating a ring or a bangle.
- Heat your sheet with your blowtorch to anneal your metal. Annealing softens your material and makes it malleable so you can shape it.
- Position your annealed metal against your ring or bracelet mandrel, and hammer it with a rawhide mallet into your desired shape. Repeat the annealing process if it hardens too quickly.
- Take extra care to hammer both ends of your sheet together, or you’ll have a gap in your bangle or your ring.
- Keep practising, and experiment with fitting a clasp to both ends of your sheet when shaping to create a thick necklace.
The Conclusion On Jewellery Making
Well, there we have it! Two different jewellery-making styles for you to explore and without even a hint of craft glue. Give both a try and figure out which style suits you best. And if you enjoy neither, you can always head back to sewing with our supplies at Singer Outlet! There’s no end to your crafty capabilities when you use your creativity.