| Jewelry making is an ideal way to start | | | | afford one pair, get memory wire shears. |
| earning a little extra money from home. You | | | | These are designed to make clean cuts on |
| don't need to spend a lot to get going. | | | | tough memory wire, so can also be used for |
| Initially your circle of friends will be your | | | | softer wires. |
| customers. Your friends will tell their | | | | |
| friends, who will tell their friends, and so | | | | 2. Chain-nose pliers (sometimes called |
| on and so on. | | | | needle-nose pliers) - Very versatile for |
| | | | picking up and grasping small items, bending |
| Though you may start with a kit or two for | | | | eye pins, closing jumps rings, even closing |
| the learning experience, you can't rely on | | | | crimp beads. |
| kits if you want to make money selling your | | | | |
| work. People will pay more for one-of-a-kind | | | | 3. Round-nose pliers - Used for creating |
| pieces. Plus, the mark-up on kits is quite | | | | loops on beaded head and eye pins. Can also |
| high because another artist has done the | | | | be used for winding your own jump rings and |
| design work for you. In other words, you can | | | | as the second pliers you'll need for closing |
| both charge more and keep your costs lower if | | | | jump rings. |
| you design your work yourself. This is how to | | | | |
| maximize your profit. | | | | 4. Optional pliers - Wire-looping pliers |
| | | | which have several graduated circumferences |
| A good place to start is by flipping through | | | | to allow you to form perfectly uniform jump |
| magazines and catalogues. Clip jewelry photos | | | | rings and loops (in place of the round-nose |
| that appeal to you, along with price | | | | pliers mentioned above). Crimping pliers |
| information if available. Get a notebook and | | | | which have little notches to allow you to |
| fill it with the pictures. | | | | both flatten a crimp bead and then bend it to |
| | | | form a rounded finished look (instead of the |
| You're not going to copy them. This is just | | | | flat crimp you get using the chain-nose |
| to give you ideas and get your creative | | | | pliers). |
| juices flowing. The pictures will also come | | | | |
| in handy when you can't quite figure out how | | | | As for materials, I recommend some assortment |
| to do something you have in mind - kind of | | | | packs of beads in coordinating colors, some |
| like your own illustrated how-to book. | | | | decorative metal spacers, seed beads in both |
| | | | silver and gold (These can serve as spacers |
| There are two easy to learn jewelry making | | | | and beautifully set off your other beads.), |
| methods to consider: beading and wire | | | | tube-shaped crimp beads (Buy the best you can |
| sculpting, also know as wire wrapping. | | | | find - these are what hold it all together!), |
| | | | head and eye pins. |
| Beading requires little skill other than a | | | | |
| good sense of design and the materials are | | | | Other than that, let your choice of project |
| inexpensive. | | | | be your guide. You might want some silver or |
| | | | pewter charms. For earrings, you would need |
| Wire sculpting or wire wrapping is not that | | | | ear posts or wires or clip-on bases. For |
| much harder to learn, but since you are | | | | bracelets, you need memory wire or stretchy |
| dealing with gold, silver and genuine | | | | cord or beading wire and clasps. For |
| gemstones, the materials cost a bit more. But | | | | necklaces, memory wire or beading wire, |
| the markup is much higher. | | | | clasps and perhaps pendants. |
| | | | |
| Tools and Materials | | | | A bead board is a good idea too. Its ruled |
| | | | tracks help you measure and lay out designs |
| Here's a list of tools you will need to | | | | for bracelets and necklaces; as well as to |
| start: | | | | corral the beads you are working with at a |
| | | | given time. |
| 1. Jewelers' wire cutters - If you can only | | | | |