How to Make Costume Jewelry with Beads
Making your own costume jewelry is very satisfying - almost meditational as you perform a soothing repetitive task.
Its easy to make costume jewelry with beads and a few everyday tools.
First you have to have SOME idea of what the end result will be ... although most beading projects develop a life of their own and end up as something entirely different !
So choose what you'd like to make - a ring,bracelet,ear rings or a necklace ... oh oh we need beads for that !
Here are some sources :
Where to start ?
A local jewelry class is a great investment
The website About.com has excellent beginners pages and many designs and design links.
Look at designs on the web and make something similar.
Amazon have some excellent project books and I use those myself - then I change them around and add things to them for unique pieces..
As to sources,
Well I stick to eBay myself - here's why :
Thailand and China and India are the cheapest sources.
But they all suffer from the same problem -
the combination of postal charges and the items themselves. Not to say the unreliabilty of some vendors - at least with eBay and Paypal you have some kind of protection.Prices vary wildly from vendor to vendor and from the various ebay sites. Your local ebay is a good starting point (at least the postage charges should be cheaper).
Its really common for Chinese vendors to charge tiny prices and then charge exceptional amounts for postage.(BEWARE OF THIS PRACTICE)
Air mail should be under $15 from China for a smallish package.
EMS is the most reliable service I've found and charges for that vary from vendor to vendor.
In India to get really good prices you have to buy big quantities. Similarly in Thailand..
Usually you get the best deals on beads in small stores and stores in shopping centres.
If you are visiting these countries to buy then get used to haggling - a LOT ! Often you should aim for a final price of about 10% of the asking price.
When buying in the Far East (inside a shop only !) flash the money at the vendor - they hate to see it leave their store !
To begin with only use semi-precious stones as buying precious stones is something you should not learn from books !
Semi-precious stones are really cheap in the Far East - even carved ones are cheap (so is labour),Don't forget that even semi-precious stones are still just rocks !
And they are HEAVY ...
Consider mailing cheaper stones back to yourself as air freight charges can be costly.
Use silver and gold wire to make things with as this gives a more professional finish.
If you want to make more slinky items then use tigertail or stretchy nylon/plastic to thread onto.
Your BEST resource though is your local beading store (mine is 80 Kilometres away !)
They may be a bit more expensive than eBay (or if they buy in bulk they may even be cheaper).
They will have a wide range of beads in stock and these will give you lots of ideas.
They can also help when things go wrong (and the nice thing about beading is that if things do go wrong you just start again with the same beads...)
Jewelry Making Videos

How to Make Beaded Jewelery : Using Leather to Make Beaded Jewelry
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Project books from Amazon
Starters and more advanced books
Jewelry Making & Beading For Dummies
Great starter book with lots of helpful hints (you don't have to be a dummy to learn ... I dislike the dummy label as all the books in this series are really good (no matter what the subject !)
Beading with Cabochons: Simple Techniques for Beautiful Jewelry
This book you will definitely need eventually But you should learn to WIRE WRAP before you get this book.
Glamorous Beaded Jewelry: Bracelets, Necklaces, Earrings, and Rings
Quickly make gorgeous bracelets etc with these designs
How to Make Jewelry with Beads
Beginner Jewelry Design - Turquoise and Coral
Stari Girl Jewelry presents "Jewelry Design-Turquoise and Coral" for some fun summer ideas AND to show you how easy it is to make jewelry. "How easy is it make jewelry?" "It's so easy...." Check it out and start beading.See more videos and shop for beads and findings at www.starigirljewelry.com.
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curated content from YouTube
Making Jewelry
- Topsham bead-maker offers colorful jewelry
- ?I have been making jewelry ever since I was a little girl stringing pasta on yarn,? Sersich said with enthusiasm. The daughter of a mother who pursued ...
- House of Jawi creates unique space in Bernardsville
- Owners James Wilson and James Baus specialize in making jewelry, including the shop's trademark "o-ring,'' custom made of different metals. ...
- High Desert Foods opens in downtown Durango
- Before moving in with High Desert, Jacobson was making jewelry out of his home and selling it at regional craft shows. ?I just decided this was a good place ...
- Local women find passion in jewelry
- They shared the same occupational field, but it wasn't until recently that they realized they share the same passion for making jewelry. ...
Beading Blogs
- flipflops and applesauce: Beading Necklaces
- Beading Necklaces. The girls informed me they were through with making necklaces from wooden beads and shoelaces. They wanted to make a REAL necklace. After all, they are 5 and three quarters. So, I pulled out the glass beads, ...
- Beading Arts: Magazine review and giveaway: Totally Creative online
- So here's the giveaway: leave a comment below, telling me what your favorite craft or art form is besides beading, and you'll be entered for a chance to win a free subscription to Totally Creative for a year! That is six issues, ...
- Beading Foot | Welcome to Carousel Crafts :: We're Glad You're Here!
- Beading Foot. Solar Group of Companies Manufacturer, exporter and trading of cosmetics, personal care, nail care, skin care, manicure and pedicure series. (Hong Kong, China). Since 1996 we are manufacturing complete range of beauty ...
- Beading Arts: Making a floral necklace
- Using the cute little beaded flowers that I showed you a couple weeks agao, plus a few more styles, I fashioned a floral necklace that I named for my mother: RuthAnn's Garden. RuthAnn has an absolutely magic touch with flowers of all ...
Beading kits - a great way to start -
What do you also need ?
Pliers (preferably round nosed and a pair of flat or chain nosed pliers will help) and a pair of wire cutters (I use big nail clippers and throw them away when they get blunt !)
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byHow-To and Resource videos

How to Make Beaded Jewelery : Using Pearls for Making Beaded Jewelry
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How to Make a Beaded Necklace : Using a Spring Ring Clasp for Making Beaded Necklaces
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How to Make a Beaded Necklace : Using Toggle Clasps for Making Beaded Necklaces
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How to Find Clothing Bargains : Buying Jewelry at Garage Sales & Consignment Stores
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Well that was nice but I need some pretty beads now ...
How about Lampwork beads - they can be very special ..
Lampwork beads vary in price from pennies to $100s each !
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand bySwarovski beads make your jewelry really sparkle
(some shopping channels use these as simulated diamonds !)
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand bySilver finding would be nice to hang things from ...
make sure they are not NICKEL as many people are allergic to nickel
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byBeading Article
Category: File - :Chain pearl necklace.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Various types of freshwater pearls mounted with silver wire to a sterling chain. Matching necklace and bracelet. A drilled shell is also used to construct the necklace.
Beadwork is the art or craft of attaching beads to one another or to cloth, usually by the use of a needle and thread or soft, flexible wire. Most beadwork takes the form of jewelry or other personal adornment, but beads are also used in wall hangings and sculpture.
Beadwork techniques are broadly divided into loom and off-loom weaving, stringing, bead embroidery, bead crochet, and bead knitting.
Most cultures have employed beads for personal adornment. Archaeological records show that people made and used beads as long as 5,000 years ago. Beads have also been used for religious purposes, as good luck talismans, and as curative agents.
Lets save money and buy wholesale !
Buying ebay wholesale items saves you lots of money
Usually to buy wholesale you have to have accounts,letterheads,govt numbers etc etc - buy here and cut out all that stuff ...
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byExotic beads for different jewelry
make your jewelry memorable
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byLapis Lazli for a terrific Blue !
Since Egyptian times this has been one of the most popular beads
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byCabochons for a brilliant effect
Larger stones to make pendants or decorate jewellery etc
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand bySilver Wire
For wire-wrapping or making into jewelry you need lots of this
Silver wire is probably the most used wire (buy some cheaper copper wire - lots - to practice with) You can also make jewelry or chains with it.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byGold Filled Wire
Gold filled wire has a slightly harder centre (usually copper)
This gives the effect of real gold (which the outside is !) and enables you to handle it more easily and make lovely things from it. You can wire wrap with gold filled wire and also silver wire for lovely combinations
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byFinishing Touches
Presentation is the finishing touch to your jewelry
Buy some ring and jewelry boxes to make them look even better ( build the price in though !)
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byBeading from Amazon
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