DIY Jewelry Making Tips and Tricks
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Tips to elevate your handmade pieces!
I love jewelry, I love looking at it, I love making it, and I love wearing it. But there are some parts of jewelry that I don’t love. I can’t stand it when a piece is uncomfortable and scratchy to wear, and I also can’t stand poorly constructed jewelry that looks like it will fall apart after two wears, so I thought it would be fun to share with you some things to look out for so that you always make strong, comfortable jewels that you will enjoy for years to come.
Here are my tips for making long-lasting, professional looking and comfortable jewelry:
1: Make sure you tuck away the ends of the tiger-tail wire. I usually achieve this by running the wire through a few of the beads at each end of my beaded designs so that it doesn’t poke out. You can also use a crimp cover which covers any sharp ends of the wire. You can see some examples below.
2: Avoid using elastic in your designs. Elastic might be easy to put on and take off (and in some cases, is the only appropriate option in terms of accessibility). Unfortunately, this accessibility comes with a trade off, elastic tends to wear out quickly, and you can find your beautiful bracelet scattered all over the floor at the most inopportune moment. I suggest making your beaded jewels with nylon beading thread or tiger-tail wire for a longer life span. I’ve got a post about the pros and cons of different beading materials here.
3: Pull your wire tight at each end of your beaded pieces. I’ve noticed with the trend towards beaded jewelry in recent years, beaded tiger-tail necklaces are being sold with large loops at each end. This loose loop can catch on things and lead to breakages. I also personally think it looks sloppy and makes your work seem less polished.
4: Try to use precious metals! I spent a long time making jewelry using findings made from base metals. While these materials are cheaper and great for when you’re starting out, I think investing in fine metals such as sterling silver, is a great way to elevate your designs and make them seem more polished and professional.
Here are some sterling silver materials you can buy and use in your designs:
5: I don’t always follow my own advice, but when you are making beaded pieces with pearls, it can pay to spend some extra time knotting your beading thread between each pearl. This technique not only protects the pearls, it also stops you from losing them all in the case of a breakage! I have’t made a pearl knotting tutorial yet, but I think there will be one on the way soon so keep an eye out.
So there you have it, a few tips and tricks to elevate your jewelry making to that next level! Please note that this post contains affiliate links.
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Choosing bead stringing materials for your project…
Some people have strong preferences for the bead stringing materials they prefer to use when making their jewelry. I recommend playing around with different materials to find what you like using, but I thought I would share my thoughts on my preferred bead stringing threads. Please note that this blog post contains affiliate links.
I was inspired to write this post after finding this broken bracelet…
This bracelet was made from elastic thread tied to a jump ring at each end. When I found it, the elastic had broken or come undone at one end and there were beads spread all over the ground. I picked a few up to see if I could reuse them.
1: Beading elastic
Here’s where I introduce the first stringing material that I’ll be discussing here, clear beading elastic. There are a few pros and cons to using elastic, one pro is that it is easy to secure the ends closed and that elastic beaded bracelets are easy to put on, they stretch over your hand so you don’t have to fiddle with any clasps. A downside (a big one in my opinion) is that elastic isn’t very hardwearing or sturdy. Elastic stretches out and loses its elasticity over time, it can also snap or untie easily, so you end up with the situation pictured above.
If you want to try out beading on elastic, you can follow our tutorial for making a beaded elastic bracelet here. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, I’ve got some more bead stringing information for you below…
2: Tiger Tail wire
Another material that I often use for stringing beads is tiger tail wire. Tiger tail is a metal wire coated with nylon. It is flexible and can be bent into shapes. I find tiger tail wire a much stronger and sturdy material for beading compared to elastic. There are also a couple of cons to using tiger tail, you need a few more materials and tools to use it, and if you crease it, it is hard to get it back to its previous shape.
I have LOTS of tiger tail tutorials, so here’s one of my favorites that you can try out.
3: Nylon thread
A third bead stringing option is using nylon beading thread. This method is probably the most traditional and is useful when you are using delicate bead materials like pearls. Thread allows you to create knots between beads so that they don’t rub together on each other, knotting also means that if your piece does break, the beads won’t fall off and fly everywhere!
The downside of bead stringing onto nylon thread is that it can be a bit fiddly to work with and you need to use a needle to add beads to the string. Here’s a tutorial that shows you how to create a simple beaded necklace using nylon string.
Which bead stringing material do you like best?
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Here’s how to clean your precious metal jewelry at home…
Jewelry, just like everything else, sometimes gets dirty and needs cleaning. There are a few ways that you can clean your precious fine jewellery. Please note that this post contains affiliate links.
1: The first option is to take your pieces to a jeweller and pay a fee to get your pieces cleaned. Professional jewellers often use a machine called an ultrasonic, which is a tank filled with water and detergent that vibrates to loosen and remove dirt from your jewellery.
2: You can get your own at home ultrasonic cleaning machine. Here are a couple of options…
Be careful with placing certain gemstones in an ultrasonic, the warm water and vibrations can damage soft stones, I suggest only cleaning stones such as diamonds or cubic zirconia in an ultrasonic cleaner. It’s also good to check the settings and make sure they are tight before placing pieces with stones in an ultrasonic, otherwise they can come loose and be lost!
or, and this is my preferred method…
3: You can gently clean your pieces with a few utensils that you’ll already have at home. All you need to clean your jewels at home is:
an old toothbrush:
a bowl:
some warm water
and some dish-washing liquid:
mix up some warm water and dish-wash liquid in a bowl, dip the toothbrush in the bowl and then gently scrub your jewellery, focusing on places where dirt and debris have built up, this is often in recessed parts of the design or underneath stones. Be careful to hold your pieces over a soft cloth or your water bowl so that you don’t lose any loose stones or broken pieces down the sink! Once you’ve removed all the dirt, you can carefully lay your jewels down on a soft cloth or paper towel to dry, or wipe them down gently using a microfibre or paper towel. Once dry, you could also give them a quick polish using a soft jewellery polishing cloth.
You can get a jewellery polishing cloth here:
And that’s how easy it is! No need for expensive equipment or any extra errands. Avoid cleaning or polishing plated metals, as the thin plating can wear off with abrasives and chemicals. This method is best for solid metals such as sterling silver and gold. If you don’t feel confident cleaning your precious fine jewelry at home, take your pieces to a professional jeweller, they’ll be happy to help you!
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Need some home-made Mother’s Day gift ideas? Here are some you can create
Mother’s Day is coming up here in Australia and it’s the perfect time to exercise your creative skills to make your mother something special! Here’s some inspiration.
If you are only seeing your Mom virtually, why not make her some statement earrings that will up her video call style game?
How about some beaded triangle dangles with tassel charms?
Or some lightweight and colorful ribbon earrings
Upcycle some fabric into beautiful fluttering silk earrings for Mom
If your Mother isn’t into earrings, try making her a statement necklace like I did!
Maybe she’d like a colorful beaded necklace with a beautiful feature pearl
Or how about you show your love more literally with a beaded heart necklace?
Make your Mother’s jewelry work extra hard by making something convertible like this scarf brooch pendant necklace. You can take the chain off to wear it as a pin.
Here are some other pieces you could create to celebrate your Mom this Mother’s Day.
A simple knotted bracelet
A handy glasses chain
A cute embellished hair comb
I hope this post gives you some inspiration for some handmade Mother’s Day gifts!
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Here are some romantic handmade jewelry ideas for Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s day can be kind of cheesy and generic, but these handmade jewelry ideas will bring some sentimental value to your Valentine’s day gift for your lover! Here is a list of tutorials that you could follow to make some amazing and thoughtful Valentine’s day gifts.
Love heart earrings and a matching necklace
This one is kind of obvious, but what is more lovely for Valentine’s day than a set of love heart themed jewelry? Here are two tutorials that show you how you can made a pair of beaded love heart earrings and a matching pendant necklace. Here are the links:
Turn an old sentimental piece of costume jewelry into something new
This tutorial shows you how to transform an old costume ring into a pendant necklace. This idea is perfect for the sentimental lover who will appreciate being able to wear a piece of jewelry from their past in a new way. Here is the link.
For something a little sexy, why not make this bra chain harness?
This is perfect for adding a little spice to your V-Day celebrations. This harness is shiny and sexy! Find the link here.
If you are short on time, here is a super easy bracelet DIY
Make this bracelet for a quick but special handmade piece. This bracelet is super easy to make but looks great. Put it together when you have a few minutes and are in need of a handmade gift for your loved one. Here’s the link.
Make this peach anklet for the cheeky fun lover in your life!
The peach emoji has become synonymous with the butt. Celebrate your lover’s great bum with this peach charm anklet! Find the link here.
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DIY Jewelry Christmas Gift Inspiration
I love giving handmade presents to people for Birthdays and Christmas. If you are looking to gift some handamade gifts this festive season here are some ideas:
A crystal pendant necklace
I love this design and it is perfect for the crystal lover in your life. Pick a crystal that resonates with a person’s actions or desires, for example citrine for abundance or lace agate for calming vibes.
A beaded chain bracelet
This tutorial is perfect for the person in your life who likes to stack loads of colorful bracelets up and down their wrists. Make a bunch of these in different colors to impress your bracelet loving friends!
Adorable beaded flower stud earrings
These earrings are great for people who have multiple piercings. Make multiples of this design in different colours so that they can have a bunch of flowers running up and down their ears!
A beaded statement anklet
Anklets are trendy at the moment. Make your fashionable loved one a unique beaded chain anklet so that they can be trendy and stand out at the same time!
Amazing beaded fringe earrings
I love these fringe earrings, they are so so cute! Use some vibrant glass and plastic beads to make a pair for the statement earring lover in your life.
A pair of custom bobby pins
I don’t know if you have noticed but 2019 has been the year of the statement hair clip. Make some customised bobby pins so that the hair model in your life can pin those locks back in style.
A pair of rainbow pearl earrings
Pearls are another hot jewelry trend at the moment. These earrings feature dainty pearls which dangle from rainbow beaded hoops for a lightweight and trendy look.
A practical and stylish glasses chain
I think glasses chains are so cool, and they’re handy too! If you are having an Australian Christmas, make your active loved one a beaded glasses chain so they don’t lose their sunnies in the surf or when playing a game of Christmas cricket.
A rhinestone hair comb
This might be a special piece you could make for a friend who might be getting married in the new year. Gift them a crystal embellished hair comb they can use to adorn their hair when walking down the aisle.
A rainbow and pearl beaded necklace
This necklace is beautiful. Made using rainbow glass beads and a statement pearl, this necklace is a cool way to give someone the elegance of pearls without looking stuffy!
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Stuck for Mother’s Day gift ideas? Here’s our DIY jewelry gift guide!
If you need some ideas for Mother’s Day, here are some tutorials that might inspire you to make the mother figure in your life something special and sentimental.
Gift idea one: A necklace made out of an upcycled brooch.
Find all the steps to make a brooch necklace here.
Gift idea two: A lock and key jewelry set.
This is such a cute idea, turn your childhood diary lock and key into a sweet jewellery set! Find the steps here.
Gift idea three: Some delicate wire threader earrings.
These are for the Mother who loves the simple things. The full threader earring tutorial can be found right here.
Gift idea four: An elegant floating pearl necklace.
This necklace is so cool! Find the tutorial here.
Gift idea five: A custom made charm.
Use a special bead or a handmade one and transform it into a one of a kind charm. All the steps to create this special charm are right here.
Gift idea six: A beachy pendant.
Fill this pendant with reminders of the beach or the bush. All the steps to make this sentimental pendant right here.
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Last Minute Handmade Gifts for Christmas 2018!
Have you left your gifts to the last minute? Why not make your friends and family some special accessories? Here are five DIY Christmas gift ideas.
A Festive Headband.
Headbands are back! This headband design uses some luxurious ribbon for a cool effect. Find all the steps here.
Collar clips for your stylish friend with all the flair!
These collar clips make clever use of clip on earrings. They’re perfect for people who love quirky accessories. Find out how to make them here.
For the person who likes to keep it simple: curved threader earrings.
These earrings look so delicate and elegant! Make your own by following this tutorial.
For the crystal lover: a leather and crystal choker.
This choker design is perfect for showing off those protective crystals. Find all the steps here.
Here’s something for the sentimental: Earrings made with found feathers.
I made these earrings using feathers I found myself. Using found materials can make your designs extra special for the people who receive them. Here’s how to make these feather earrings.
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Need Some Ideas for a Special Valentine’s Day Gift? Why Not Make One of these special pieces?
Nothing’s more romantic than a handmade gift for your loved one on a special occasion! Here are some DIY gift ideas for this Valentine’s Day.
1: Handmade Cufflinks
Use some special charms or some vintage buttons to make some one of a kind cufflinks for that special someone in your life. Click here for the the full tutorial.
2: A Rose Quartz Bracelet.
Rose Quartz is a crystal synonymous with love, which makes it perfect for a Valentine’s gift! Here’s the full tutorial.
3: A Custom Charm Bracelet.
Is there anything more sentimental and romantic than a charm bracelet full of special and meaningful charms? Here’s how to make an adorable charm bracelet.
4: Some Pink Pom Pom Earrings.
These earrings are fuzzy, flirty and the perfect Valentine’s gift for a fun loving pal. Here’s the full tutorial.
So there you go! Four ideas for special and sentimental Valentine’s gifts. Which one will you make?
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It’s Gift Giving Season! Here Are Some Cool DIY Jewelry Gift Ideas
If you are sick of trawling the shops looking for the perfect presents you might be interested in our 2016 DIY Jewelry Hub Christmas gift guide! With these DIY Jewelry tutorials you’ll be sure that your presents are the most unique and meaningful this festive season.
Gift Idea 1: This delicate gemstone ladder bracelet
This bracelet is a great way to show off some fabulous gemstone beads and is the perfect present for someone who loves wearing beautiful bracelet stacks.
Gift Idea 2: A charming beaded chain choker
If there was an accessory that represented 2016 it would be the choker. What could be a better gift for sending off the year in style? This choker design is simple to make but looks wonderfully elegant, perfect for NYE celebrations.
Gift Idea 3: A gemstone laden memory wire collar
This collar makes a cool statement, and it couldn’t be easier to make. It might just be the perfect item to make this Christmas.
Gift Idea 4: An awesome leather anklet
Why should the top half of your body get all the jewelry fun? Sometimes you’ve gotta give those legs some love. This leather anklet is sure to go down a treat under the Christmas tree.
What will you be giving this Christmas? Have these tutorials inspired you to get creative for Christmas 2016?