Jewellery making has always been a popular hobby, but the art of designing pretty accessories with beads, string and precious stones has really taken off over the past few years in particular. Creating your own jewellery is a great way to pass the time, whether you’re simply making a few pieces to show off to your friends or you’re hoping to launch a full-scale jewellery business.
If you’ve got decorative ideas flowing through your mind but aren’t sure where to start, this article is for you. Continue reading to learn about some of the basic tools and materials you’ll need to start making jewellery, in this easy-to-follow beginner’s guide.
Getting Started: Determine your Discipline & Medium
First things first – you need to determine what types of jewellery you’d ideally like to get started with. Are you looking to produce custom wire jewellery? Did you want to work with semi-precious stones? Or would you prefer to work with less precious materials and more whimsical mediums like polymer clay or even acrylic laser cutting? The answers to these questions will influence what your workshop or workspace looks like, from the tools you keep in it to the workstations that make it up.
In fact, one of the many reasons why jewellery making has become such a popular hobby today is because of the sheer range of materials available to creators nowadays. Don’t let this overwhelm you, however: most common materials can be ordered straight to your door, making jewellery production an activity you can enjoy at home and with the whole family.
For total beginners, starting with wire is the most natural choice, as it opens up endless possibilities for producing bracelets and necklaces without the extra cost of gold or silver chains. If you’re taking up this new hobby with small children, string is probably a better alternative.
Beads come in countless shapes and sizes, and can be made of glass, crystal, wood and metal. Play with different combinations of wire and beads to create unique designs that align with your personal style.
As always, it’s best to start simple. Use affordable materials for practice before moving on to more advanced jewellery making using metals or complicated machinery like laser cutters and 3D printers. And if you do want to dabble in these more technological mediums, you can always partner with a third-party printer or materials processor to keep your initial equipment investments more manageable.
Crafting your Workspace: Find a Place to Get to Work
Once you’ve determined what your workspace is likely to look like, it’s time to start putting it all together. A great place to begin here is by first, finding the right space in your home. Choose a quiet area in your house where you can concentrate that also has ample storage room for textiles and supplies. This might be a study room, a home office or a spare bedroom.
When you’re starting off, a simple table and chair will suffice when it comes to furnishing this workspace. And if you plan to stand for prolonged periods, a cushioned floor mat or thick carpet can also help prevent aching feet.
Since jewellery making requires precision, adequate lighting is necessary to reduce eye strain during more intricate tasks like threading needles or polishing materials. You should also aim to prevent clutter by devising a logical method for storing everything using trays and racks. Avoid setting up your jewellery equipment in areas where small pieces could easily get lost in furniture or slip through cracks!
And arguably most importantly, make sure you also have adequate ventilation. This is especially important if you’re planning to work with polymer clay or adhesives that emit harmful fumes.
Core Equipment: The Essentials for Jewellery Making
Again, the jewellery making techniques you experiment with will likely have some influence over the types of tools you invest in. But there are some essential pieces of equipment that most hobby jewellery makers can expect to have in their space.
Here are the essentials every beginner needs to get started in the art of jewellery making.
Pliers
These are vital for shaping, bending or cutting wires and strands of other material. A round-nose plier allows you to make loops, a chain-nose plier is best for gripping and bending, and a pair of pliers with flat-surface grips is necessary for shaping and straightening your pieces.
Tweezers
One or two pairs of tweezers are useful for handling tiny items like string and small stones with precision. When you’re dealing with tiny beads and thin fabric, tweezers can help make sure you achieve perfect placement.
Cutting tools
Cutting tools such as scissors and clippers are mandatory for trimming string to your desired length. Choose tools that feature comfortable rubber grips and which are sharp enough to slice through different materials.
A bead reamer
This tool looks a bit like a long needle, and helps you puncture holes in beads or make existing holes smoother. Bead reamers allow you to thread string through them to craft the perfect necklace, bracelet or earring that you can actually wear.
A jewellery saw
Specialised jewellery saws allow for precise and clean cuts when manipulating metal. If you want more intricate designs with a sleeker, professional finish, this type of saw will help you create jewellery that’s ready to sell.
A strong file
You’ll also want a file strong enough to work on alloys, steel and iron. This allows you to smooth out rough edges on the metal components of your jewellery. Files come in all sizes, so find one small enough to manipulate detailed elements, but large enough to use comfortably.
A crimping device
Working with beading wire requires a crimping tool. This is used to secure ornaments in place during the beading process, such as for bracelets with multiple charms attached.
Organisation is Key: Keeping your Workspace Orderly
With all your tools and materials sorted, chances are now you’re trying to figure out how best to optimise your space to ensure that everything you need is simultaneously near at hand and not in the way. Truth be told, organisation is the trickiest part of maintaining any hobby, but for jewellery making in particular, keeping track of all those intricate materials and delicate tools and equipment is paramount to ensuring you can work productively.
Thankfully, keeping your workspace organised is easier than you may expect it to be – all you need is to create a system for orderliness and then stick to that system. For example, if you’re working with clasps or buttons, storing these functional materials in their own labelled containers can help ensure you know exactly where to find them. Similarly, organising materials like beads, gemstones, or clays by colour can help minimise the amount of time you spend looking for supplies.
And once again, if you’re looking to make jewellery with young kids, you’ll also want to ensure that your systems are kid-friendly – just like your wider workspace. For mums of younger kids, consider storing smaller components that may pose a swallow hazard out of the reach of your children. Make sure your kids also never enter your workspace without your supervision. That way, you can keep your space not only organised and orderly, but also safe for the entire family to use.
Can you Earn Money from Jewellery Making?
Of course! As soon as you develop your jewellery making skills, all you need to do is find a platform to monetise your art, and you can expect to make good money from this hobby, or even turn it into a small business.
You can sell your handmade jewellery though online marketplaces such as Etsy, eBay and Amazon. When creating jewellery to sell, remember that you’re not the only one with a jewellery business out there. Come up with designs that are unique to you and place an emphasis on creating high-quality output with expert customer service and care.
Jewellery making is a skill you can develop on any scale. Whether you want to make a few pieces as a Mother’s Day gift or plan to turn your wearable art into a full-scale business, the first step is just to give it a go!
When you are ready to start selling your wares or perhaps even taking on custom orders, then you can start getting your name out there by sharing your creations on social media. Be sure to also take advantage of the Mums of the Shire Facebook group’s weekly Business Hour to share your dazzling creations with our wider community of local mums. We’re always keen to support fellow local small business owners.
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Jewellery making is a creative, relaxing hobby anyone can take up, and it can also be a great bonding experience as an after-school or rainy day activity to do with your children. Following the tips outlined above, you can ensure that you get the right equipment and raw materials to create pieces that will truly stand out. With a little practice, you can hone your skills, and before you know it, you might be selling your jewellery at local markets, online platforms or even from your very own store.
