Making beaded jewelry is an exciting and fun way to express your creativity, meet new people and make some extra money in your spare time! The skills needed to make hand-crafted jewelry are pretty easy to master once you have a little practice and you’ll be able to use your skill to not only make jewelry for others, but also for yourself!
All the new terms and tools and beading supplies might be a little overwhelming at first, but you’ll soon be twisting wire, stringing jewelry and attaching clasps like a pro! You may want to begin by buying some online beads and jewelry supplies just so you can practice your skills without breaking the bank.
There are numerous places you can go to learn all the skills you need to make your own custom jewelry. Here are a few of the best ways learn the basics of jewelry making quickly and get your jewelry making business off the ground:
Visit a bead store: After you’ve been making beaded jewelry for a while a visit to your local bead shop will be like visiting the candy store. Initially, though, it might be a little confusing to navigate through the thousands of different bead types, stringing options and tools and materials available. The good news is that most bead stores are always staffed with people who were once beginners like you and most people who work in bead stores will gladly share their enthusiasm and knowledge with you. Don’t be afraid to ask even the most simple of questions and be sure to let the person know you are just starting to learn your way around the store. I’ve even been to some bead stores that offer a free “one-on-one” session with a jewelry expert to help you get started making bead jewelry of your own.
Bead Store Class: Many beading and jewelry supply stores will offer classes in a group or in a one-on-one tutoring session. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Often times bead store owners will go out of their way to help beginners because the more people they can train, the more people they’ll have buying their supplies!
Read a beaded jewelry making book: Not an earth-shattering move, but there are lots of great bead jewelry books for beginners filled with pictures and tutorials that can give you exactly the information you need for starting out. Many beaded jewelry making books are also great for getting the creativity going because they will often show you the finished product first and then explain how to get to that point from the very beginning.
Learn from other jewelry makers online: You’d be amazed by how many other people are making hand-crafted jewelry and how much they’re willing to show you and demonstrate. Some hand-crafted jewelry blogs and online sources aim at helping you run your beaded jewelry business, some are strictly dedicated to jewelry tutorials, and some are a little bit of both!
You’ll be astounded at how quickly you learn how to make custom jewelry with just a little bit of practice. Soon you’ll be able to make your own hand-crafted jewelry pieces either for your own use, for gifts for others or as a great way to make some extra money on the side.
