| Starting you own handmade bead jewelry | | | | leather. You can, however, make some amazing |
| business can be an exciting and fun adventure, | | | | bookmarks using a few simple beading skills and |
| but it can also be frustrating when you work so | | | | supplies and a little bit of imagination. A lot of |
| hard and attend your first craft show only to find | | | | people who shop at craft shows are also heavy |
| a dozen other more experienced jewelry artists | | | | readers so creating something that is both useful |
| all working at the same show and vying for the | | | | and beautiful at the same time is always a great |
| attention of the same audience. | | | | way to pull people over to your table. Shepherd |
| Lots of bead jewelry artists give up after they | | | | hook bookmarks are flat metal hooks that are |
| spend all their time and money making traditional | | | | decorated with a beading design of your choice. |
| jewelry pieces and don't sell many items at their | | | | They have a nice heft to them and they really |
| first few craft fairs or flea markets. That's a | | | | catch people's eye when you have a long line of |
| shame because once you've mastered some of | | | | them displayed at your craft show table. You can |
| the basic skills of making jewelry then you've got | | | | also make beaded ribbon bookmarks if you're |
| a business that can grow in a number of different | | | | looking for something easy and fast to make. |
| directions. | | | | Beaded Eyeglass Holders - If you need reading |
| You need to learn to set your business apart | | | | glasses then you know how useful it is to use a |
| from other bead jewelry artists even if your | | | | corded eyeglass holder so that you can hang your |
| jewelry making skills are not yet fully developed. | | | | glasses around your neck for easy accessibility. |
| One of the best ways to garner attention at a | | | | Why not spice up those old dull corded strands |
| craft show filled with other tables selling | | | | with some beads? You can make them in various |
| handmade jewelry is to create useful items that | | | | lengths and with lots of different styles and colors |
| are not always thought of as jewelry. Sure, you | | | | to fit every audience. Be sure to use beads or |
| will probably still want to offer the traditional | | | | materials that are comfortable when laying against |
| beaded necklaces and bead bracelets and | | | | the back of the neck. |
| gemstone earrings that everyone else does, but | | | | These are just some of the many different |
| you'll also want to have some eye-catching pieces | | | | projects you can create with the skills you've |
| that make people stop at your table to learn | | | | developed by learning how to make your own |
| more about what they see from a distance. Here | | | | jewelry. Once you've learned the basics don't be |
| are two great examples: | | | | afraid to experiement with different ideas. With a |
| Beaded Bookmarks - When you think of a | | | | little creativity and luck your table may just be |
| bookmark you may think of them being made | | | | the hit of the craft show! |
| out of traditional materials such as paper and | | | | |