How to Make Costume Jewelry with Beads

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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

Learn how to make simple rings and bracelets before going on to necklaces.

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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Project books from Amazon 

Starters and more advanced books

These are really good starter 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 07/14/2009) Buy Now

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 07/14/2009) Buy Now

Glamorous Beaded Jewelry: Bracelets, Necklaces, Earrings, and Rings

Quickly make gorgeous bracelets etc with these designs

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/14/2009) Buy Now

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 

Teens turn their talents into business opportunities
When she's not making jewelry, Ms. Jones is taking classes for her GED and planning to go to trade school in New York City to learn more about designing and ...
Emmy Macak isn't your average first-year 4-H'er
?I decided on making jewelry to pay for my rabbits,? said the enterprising 9-year-old. And in the way of many things 4-H, with one project leading to ...
Upward Bound aims to motivate students to stay on track for ...
"Everybody goes bead-shopping at the beginning of the class," said Whited, public relations coordinator for ATI, who said her "other job" is making jewelry. ...
Charlotte's multi-tasking gem: Jewelry artist Ginger Wagner
Making jewelry and selling it online appeals to both the desktop publishing/writing side of me as well as the artistic side too. It is a great fit for me. ...

Beading Photos 

Not mine - Claudina's finished Robin Project by SharkeyinColo

Not mine - Claudina'...

Not mine - Claudina's finished Robin Project by SharkeyinColo

Not mine - Claudina'...

For Facebook-12 by -mrsraggle-

For Facebook-12

Close-up by -mrsraggle-

Close-up

P1000239rk by Paul8032

P1000239rk

Bracelet (B&W) by Sarah G...

Bracelet (B&W)

Bracelet by Sarah G...

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Beading Blogs 

Find out how other people do it !
Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter: Book Review: Jewelry and ...
This book is designed for the beginner and the projects are totally appropriate for someone ready to dip their toes into the jewelry and beading pool, but there is plenty of information for the more advanced beaded jewelry maker as well ...
Another necklace from Mary Lyon : Jewelry and Beading - Jewelry ...
Beading wire 12 large faceted rose quartz nugget beads, graduated in size from ¾? to 1¼ inch 1 extra-large faceted rose quartz nugget bead, preferably in a different shape than the 12 other beads ...
| Snap out of it Jean! There's beading to be done!|
I've got my traveling studio up and running, and the first Travel Beads are available in my BeadShop! Something NEW - Postcard Beads! They're Troll-Style Beads, hand-stamped with the names of some of my favorite places as we travel. ...
Beading Class available! « :: patternz ::
Beading Class available! Are you interested to Bead? If u wish to learn so that u can glam-up ur Baju Raya, Baju kahwin, Baju Raya Baby? (baju skolah anak cannotlah.. nanti guru besar marra..) u are at the right place. ermm.. not quite ...

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 


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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 !

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Swarovski beads make your jewelry really sparkle 

(some shopping channels use these as simulated diamonds !)

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Silver finding would be nice to hang things from ... 

make sure they are not NICKEL as many people are allergic to nickel

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Beading Article 

Category: File - :Leather and pearls.jpg|right|thumb|230px|Freshwater pearls and drilled shell mounted with silver wire on a leather 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. 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 ...

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Exotic beads for different jewelry 

make your jewelry memorable

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Join Ebay UK 

THere are even MORE beads on Ebay UK !


Click Here to shop at eBay.co.uk

Lapis Lazli for a terrific Blue ! 

Since Egyptian times this has been one of the most popular beads

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Cabochons for a brilliant effect 

Larger stones to make pendants or decorate jewellery etc

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Silver 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.

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Gold 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

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Finishing 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 !)

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Beading from Amazon 

Learn By DVD: Beading

Amazon Price: $9.98 (as of 07/14/2009) Buy Now

Enamel Bead Making with Pam East [VHS]

Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 07/14/2009) Buy Now