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
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Make Your Own Jewelry : Casting, Patterns & Molds : Making jewelry molds
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Make Your Own Jewelry : Casting, Patterns & Molds : Jewelry making kit
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Make Your Own Jewelry : Casting, Patterns & Molds : Ring sizing tool
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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 !)
Amazon Price: $13.59 (as of 07/26/2008)
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.
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 07/26/2008)
Glamorous Beaded Jewelry: Bracelets, Necklaces, Earrings, and Rings
Quickly make gorgeous bracelets etc with these designs
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/26/2008)
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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Making Jewelry
- Confection connection
- ... gives me a chance to show off what I can do.? Ross said she has been making jewelry for a few years, but has only recently gone to events like Sweet Dreams.
- NORMAN A. ZECKSER
- He became a lapidermist, and enjoyed making jewelry. The arts were a passion of his, he was an avid reader, and also enjoyed painting, sculpting, ...
- Posted By LARA BRADLEY, THE SUDBURY STAR
- "My uncle gave me a kit and we started making jewelry for family and friends," Darby said. "My great-aunt came from Italy. We made her some things. ...
- Greenwood woman to bring her craft to Uptown
- Svensson has been making jewelry for about 20 years, and the shop will act as a working studio for Svensson so visitors can watch her bending wire and ...
Beading Photos
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Beading Program
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Beading Blogs
- THREE KINDREDS PRAYER BEADS
- This version of the Prayer Beads is more Druid in content, honoring the Three Kindreds: The Ancestors, spirits of the ancient dead; The Earth Spirits who share this world with us; and the Gods, or the Shining Ones. ...
- Hip to Bead Review
- Check out Barbe Saint John's rockin' review of my book, Hip to Bead, over at Craftgossip.com's jewelry making page. She says, "for anyone who may be having a ?not so hip' feeling kinda day, this book will bring you back up to being ...
- Beaded Quilt
- 4 pkgs. seed beads beading needles Directions: Cut the following fabric pieces: 42 - 5-1/2" squares yellow fabric 2 - 4-1/2" squares yellow fabric - cut these in half diagonally to make 4 corner triangles ...
- UFO's
- I have so many beads and so many projects I want to do, but with moving, I can't get to my supplies. So I'll just post things I find and would like to do, sometime when I can.
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 !)
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How-To and Resource videos
Beaded Jewelry Making Tips on Beading Techniques and Bead Supplies : Using Pearls in Beading
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Learn How to Make Handmade Beaded Necklaces: Jewelry Crafts Project : Spring Ring Clasp: How to Make Handmade Beaded Necklaces: Jewelry Craft Project
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Learn How to Make Handmade Beaded Necklaces: Jewelry Crafts Project : Toggle Clasps: How to Make Handmade Beaded Necklaces: Jewelry Craft Project
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Free Guide to Finding Clothing Bargains at Consignment Stores & Garage Sales : Buying Jewelry at Garage Sales & Consignment Stores
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New YouTube vids
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
Beadwork is the art or craft of attaching beads to one another or to cloth using a needle and thread. 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 byJoin Ebay UK
THere are even MORE beads on Ebay UK !
Lapis 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
Learn By DVD: Beading
Amazon Price: $9.98 (as of 07/26/2008)
I'D RATHER BE BEADING 11 oz. White Mug
Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)
Professional Jewelry Crafting Series DVD Collection
Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)
Basic Wire Work for Bead Jewelry by Kate Drew-Wilkinson
Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)
Enamel Bead Making with Pam East
Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 07/26/2008)
