Tips for Jewelry Making
by Diamont Julwen
http://www.fredjewelry.com
Jewelry can worn to reflect your personal style. Though
even the idea of a watch send shivers down the spine of
some, there are plenty of folk at the other extreme -
displaying on their bodies every imaginable form of
jewelry: in various piercings, on the wrists, around the
waist and ankles, dangling from their ears... If you are a
jewelry lover then jewelry you make yourself can be great.
So here are a few tips and suggestions:
Many of the raw materials for jewelry making are easy to
get hold of via the web or from local craft places. There
are shops that only sell those beads, clasps and linkages
that go to make up bead jewelry. Not much to it - buy the
bits and piece them together. The trick is complementing
them so the result looks great.
Making your own earrings, necklace bracelet, broach or
whatever takes your fancy is a good idea if you have an
outfit and you cannot find anything in the stores that you
can buy to accessorize it. The vast selection of beads
available means that you can easily make something to color
co-ordinate with your outfit.
Wire jewelry is a great home making option. The right kind
of metal wire is easy to source from the bead and
handicraft stores. You think up the design and push and
pull the metal to your desired shape. Appropriate tools
make the job easier - special cutters and fine pliers are
available, and soldering kits can complete your kit.
Lovely leather jewelry can be made by the enthusiastic
amateur. Material shops sell suede, leather and imitation
leather. Give yourself free reign and be imaginative.
Include taffeta in your leather designs for belts or
broaches, for instance. Native American art may inspire you
- make use of shells and feathers. Cutting leather takes
practice and to start with draft out your designs in
cardboard and use this as a template. If you are a amateur
dressmaker then you could have all the tools you need
already.
Another fun idea for making you own jewelry is to use clay.
Nowadays you can buy clay that does not need to be cooked
in a proper kiln but can be cooked by being left in the sun
or close to a radiator. You can mould shapes or make your
own beads which you can paint and, using clasps and links
bought from a craft shop, you can make earrings, bracelets
and necklaces. Children love to do this so if you have
children that are stuck for something to do, make an
afternoon of it and get them to make jewelry for themselves
and their friends.
If you would rather stick to the gold and silver jewelry
you can usually find a silversmith or craftsman to make it.
It is a way to get back missing jewelry or to make up sets.
If you want something unusual take a trip to a museum and
be inspired by what they made in ancient Egypt or what the
Celts wore. Take a photo, make a sketch and ask a
professional to make it up for you.
Commissioning pieces is a great idea for a really
personalized gift for someone close to you, especially if
they have a favorite design, hobby or interest. So use your
imagination, you'll never want to buy a piece of production
line jewelry again!
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