Why Should You Make Your Own Jewelry?
The reason can be as easy as saving money - to having interests in starting your own jewelry selling business. We can begin by discussing why finished jewelry is so expensive, as opposed to your own home-made jewelry. First and foremost, jewelry costs a lot because the materials used to make it are rare and therefore the materials are expensive. At this time, the price of gold is well over $500 an ounce. Any jewelry made with gold is therefore going to be expensive and the more gold in the jewelry, the more the finished jewelry will cost. Second, jewelry can be expensive because some jewelry components (diamonds) have their prices set artificially by a monopoly that controls the commercial price of diamonds by limiting the number of stones available on the market at any time. A third reason that jewelry can cost a lot is that there may be a lot of labor that goes into making the item. A final reason that jewelry is expensive is that there are many companies involved between the source and the consumer and each company has to make a profit. All of these reasons are well documented and well known. However, thanks to WigJig - Beads, Jewelry Tools, Jewelry Wire, and Jewelry Supplies - you can easily and affordably make your own beautiful jewelry.
10 Minute Easy Jewelry Making Projects
Here are seven really quick and very, very easy jewelry making projects. The only tools required are some fingers, thumbs and occasionally a pair of bent chain nose pliers. If it happens that all your fingers are thumbs, don't give up. A few of these projects are even suitable for someone who is all thumbs. For complete instructions and more pictures of all of these easy jewelry makin projects, click here!
1. 10 Minute Post Earring using Snap Fit Settings. Choose any gemstone or CZ and select a pair of post findings that support the same diameter gemstone. (If you have an 8mm gemstone, choose an ear post finding that supports 8mm.) The easiest way to set these stones is to place them upside down on a cutting board and use a pair of chain nose pliers to help push the finding onto the stone as shown in the center, below. Use an ear clutch to finish the project.
2. 10 Minute Lever Back Earrings Using Snap Fit Settings. These earrings are as easy to make as the post earrings, but don't require the pliers. Place the snap fit portion of the lever back finding over your gemstone, with the gemstone upside down on a cutting board. Push the finding onto the gemstone with you fingers. Continue pushing until the stone snaps into place on all sides. Now you are ready to wear your lever back gemstone earrings.
3. 10 Minute Gemstone Pendant Necklace. This gemstone pendant necklace can be made with a gemstone and 18" of fine commercial chain, a split ring finding, a lobster clasp with jump ring finding, and a snap set pendant setting. Setting the gemstone in the pendant setting is merely a matter of placing the gemstone upside down on a cutting board and pushing down. When the pendant is ready, cut 18" of fine commercial chain and thread it through the loops in the finding. The clasp shown below-right, connects to the chain via a jump ring. (Visit here for instructions on how to open a jump ring.) The split ring is attached to the opposite end of the chain to act as the catch loop for the clasp. Split rings work in the same way that you use when adding keys to a key ring.
4. 10 Minute Bezel with Loop Lever Back Earrings. These are a very popular style of earrings and are made from a regular lever back ear wire finding and a round bezel setting for your gemstone. The round bezel setting is a special setting that has a loop built into it as shown below-left. Setting the gemstone in the bezel setting is accomplished by placing the bezel finding upside down on a firm surface like a cutting board, or on one of the sides of the Wire Press. (Continued...)
5. 10 Minute Gemstone Bezel Pendant Necklace. This gemstone pendant necklace can be made with a gemstone and 18" of fine commercial chain, a split ring finding, a lobster clasp with jump ring finding, and a round bezel setting. Setting the gemstone in the round bezel setting is relatively easy. You can view the setting, below-left and see a couple of the tabs in the setting that hold the gemstone in position. To set the stone in this setting, place the setting with the face down on a table. Place your 8mm round gemstone with the face down on top of the setting.(Continued...)
6. 10 Minute Castlite Earrings Jewelry Making Project. This jewelry making project uses our Castlite Post style earring findings to make a pair of earrings. While this is a ten minute project like the previous five jewelry making project, using the Castlite findings requires a little more experience than the findings used in the prior five projects. This is an advanced beginners to intermediate jewelry making project while the previous five projects were truly beginners projects. (Continued...)
7. 10 Minute Low Wall Bezel Earrings Jewelry Making Project. This jewelry making project uses our Low Wall Bezel Setting in either 8mm or 10mm. The earrings that will be made have plenty of bling and have the added attribute of motion since the Low Wall Bezel dangles from your ear wire. In a low light setting, these earrings will capture the available room light and reflect it, making them really sparkle. If you want to look like a million dollars but not pay a million dollars -- these earrings may be what you need. (Continued...)
1. 10 Minute Post Earring using Snap Fit Settings. Choose any gemstone or CZ and select a pair of post findings that support the same diameter gemstone. (If you have an 8mm gemstone, choose an ear post finding that supports 8mm.) The easiest way to set these stones is to place them upside down on a cutting board and use a pair of chain nose pliers to help push the finding onto the stone as shown in the center, below. Use an ear clutch to finish the project.
2. 10 Minute Lever Back Earrings Using Snap Fit Settings. These earrings are as easy to make as the post earrings, but don't require the pliers. Place the snap fit portion of the lever back finding over your gemstone, with the gemstone upside down on a cutting board. Push the finding onto the gemstone with you fingers. Continue pushing until the stone snaps into place on all sides. Now you are ready to wear your lever back gemstone earrings.
3. 10 Minute Gemstone Pendant Necklace. This gemstone pendant necklace can be made with a gemstone and 18" of fine commercial chain, a split ring finding, a lobster clasp with jump ring finding, and a snap set pendant setting. Setting the gemstone in the pendant setting is merely a matter of placing the gemstone upside down on a cutting board and pushing down. When the pendant is ready, cut 18" of fine commercial chain and thread it through the loops in the finding. The clasp shown below-right, connects to the chain via a jump ring. (Visit here for instructions on how to open a jump ring.) The split ring is attached to the opposite end of the chain to act as the catch loop for the clasp. Split rings work in the same way that you use when adding keys to a key ring.
4. 10 Minute Bezel with Loop Lever Back Earrings. These are a very popular style of earrings and are made from a regular lever back ear wire finding and a round bezel setting for your gemstone. The round bezel setting is a special setting that has a loop built into it as shown below-left. Setting the gemstone in the bezel setting is accomplished by placing the bezel finding upside down on a firm surface like a cutting board, or on one of the sides of the Wire Press. (Continued...)
5. 10 Minute Gemstone Bezel Pendant Necklace. This gemstone pendant necklace can be made with a gemstone and 18" of fine commercial chain, a split ring finding, a lobster clasp with jump ring finding, and a round bezel setting. Setting the gemstone in the round bezel setting is relatively easy. You can view the setting, below-left and see a couple of the tabs in the setting that hold the gemstone in position. To set the stone in this setting, place the setting with the face down on a table. Place your 8mm round gemstone with the face down on top of the setting.(Continued...)
6. 10 Minute Castlite Earrings Jewelry Making Project. This jewelry making project uses our Castlite Post style earring findings to make a pair of earrings. While this is a ten minute project like the previous five jewelry making project, using the Castlite findings requires a little more experience than the findings used in the prior five projects. This is an advanced beginners to intermediate jewelry making project while the previous five projects were truly beginners projects. (Continued...)
7. 10 Minute Low Wall Bezel Earrings Jewelry Making Project. This jewelry making project uses our Low Wall Bezel Setting in either 8mm or 10mm. The earrings that will be made have plenty of bling and have the added attribute of motion since the Low Wall Bezel dangles from your ear wire. In a low light setting, these earrings will capture the available room light and reflect it, making them really sparkle. If you want to look like a million dollars but not pay a million dollars -- these earrings may be what you need. (Continued...)
Where To Go for Supplies and Instruction
For all of your jewelry wire, jewelry tools, jewelry making supplies, and FREE jewelry designs, visit WigJig!We also have a great online store for Beads!
And remember, the WigJig website offers over 2500 pages of FREE jewelry design and jewelry making instruction!
Jewelry Making Links
- 10 Minute Easy Jewelry Making Projects
- Sixth page of free instructions for making the Bling Gemstone Jewelry Making Projects made using WigJig jewelry making tools, beads and jewelry wire Page 6.
- Jewelry Making Designs Using Beads and Jewelry Wire
- Free jewelry making designs using beads and jewelry wire. Links to all our free bracelet, necklace, earring and other jewelry making designs.
- :: Beads & Jewelry Making Supplies by WigJig Store
- Online bead and jewelry making supply store.
- Jewelry Making for Beginners
- Intro Making Jewelry with wire and Beads -- Free instructions using WigJig tools and jewelry supplies.
- WigJig Beads -- Our Online Beading Supplies Store
- Beads by WigJig an online beadstore. We also include Beadology -- information on the sizes, shapes, types and styles of beads. Page includes links to jewelry designs.
- Beads, Jewelry Tools, Wire, & Jewelry Making Supplies by WigJig
- Making jewelry with wire, beads and gemstones. 2500+ free web pages of designs. Online store selling jewelry tools, beads, wire and jewelry making supplies. This is our home page.
- Home Decor Projects with Wire and Beads
- This lens is brought to you by WigJig University's Home Decor, Hair and Clothing Designs, your online source for information on hand crafted wire and beads projects for home designs.
- WigJig on Myspace
- MySpace profile for WigJig with pictures, videos, personal blog, interests, information about me and more
by Brittany9984
Brittany is the niece of Gary and Suzanne Helwig, owners of the WigJig company - and daughter of Marcia, the WigJig customer service represe...
(more)Explore related pages
Make Your Own Bead, Earring, or Bracelet Stand- This article is provided by WigJig - internet supplier of jewelry supplies, jewe...
Tips on Using the WigJig Jewelry Making Tool- This lens includes discussion on how we recommend people use WigJig jewelry...
Cute Beads for All Your Beading Needs!- For those of you who want to get into making necklaces and bracelets by stringin...
Make Your Own Multi-Stranded Jewelry- This lens is brought to you by WigJig, your online source for information on han...
WigJig University - How to Make Your Own Turquoise Bib Necklace Using Wire and Beads- Learn to make this beautiful, glamorous, turquoise necklace yourself - for a dra...
Make Your Own Ribboned Beads Necklace!- This lens is brought to you by WigJig, your online source for information on han...
