Jewelry Making 101: The Basics of Making Jewelry

Beaded Jewelry

Beaded jewelry is among the most popular and easiest jewelry-making processes. All you need to get started are colorful beads and a medium to thread the beads together like string, elastic string, or elastic cord.

The easiest way to make beaded jewelry is to form a knot on one end of the string, add the beads in the order you choose, and complete the knot when it’s done. This design is similar to the style seen in traditional friendship bracelets.

Wire Jewelry

Wire jewelry involves using craft wire to thread beads and charms onto earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. This process requires the use of additional tools. You can use these tools to cut the wire to your preferred length, which will determine the style and fit of the jewelry.

Wire jewelry making also requires using these tools to create looped closures on the ends of the wire. You can add mechanisms like lobster clasps onto the ends of these closures for necklaces and bracelets. You can also use looped closures to keep beads sturdily in place for earrings.

Wire-Wrapped Jewelry

Wire-wrapped jewelry making is a technique that involves using craft wire to wrap an accent piece like natural stones and/or raw crystals. The craft wire used for this process is typically of medium thickness and above, and is intricately weaved around the gemstone using needle nose pliers.

The finish of wire-wrapped jewelry is always one of a kind. This technique, however, may require a bit of practice on the crafter’s end–but practice makes perfect!

Metalsmith Jewelry

Metalsmith jewelry is a more intensive process involving manipulating metals, such as gold, copper, and silver. Sterling silver is among the most popular metals used for this process.

Using a myriad of tools like a hammer, bench pin, bench block, jeweler’s saw, and soldering supplies to change the appearance of metal. These tools and others are used to form, shape, saw, drill, solder, texturize, stamp, and perform other manipulations to the metal.

This method of jewelry-making allows creators to be extra creative by crafting the look and feel of a piece in its entirety. Though it requires practice, and safety is of the utmost importance, it’s an esteemed technique that’s nearly 10,000 years old.

Fused Glass Jewelry

Fused glass jewelry is among the most colorful jewelry-making processes. This technique involves using several layers and pieces of colored glass, which are then fused into one piece using a kiln.

Depending on vision and personal skill level, arranging the glass into ornate designs is possible. Some crafters arrange the glass to create a mosaic tile look, while others achieve an ombre finish, and still others aim to resemble the likeness of famous works, like Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night.

Enameled Jewelry

Enameled jewelry bears the likeness of colored metals. One of the more popular types of enameled jewelry is bracelets that are colored on the outside and feature exposed metal on the inside.

This type of jewelry-making technique is a bit more difficult to achieve at home because of the conditions it requires. First, an enamel coating is applied to the outside of the metal as a powder or paste.

To fuse the coating to the metal, it is exposed to a temperature of 1500°. The high heat allows the enamel to achieve a vibrant color.

Macrame Jewelry

Macrame jewelry tends to be more time-consuming, but this process undoubtedly produces majestic-looking pieces. Macrame entails knotting strands of cord together using square knots, and doing so in a repeat pattern.

Many people begin creating macrame jewelry by using cord alone. Over time, they may integrate beads, charms, and other add-ins into their designs. In addition to jewelry, macrame is a popular method for creating home decor like coasters, table runners, and wall art.

Hand-Stamped Jewelry

Hand-stamped jewelry is exactly what it sounds like. This method involves making an impression into a metal blank. Tools needed to achieve this finish include a stamping hammer, stamping block, metal stamps, and stamping tape.

To hand-stamp jewelry, ensure your stamp is lined up straight. Use the stamping tape to secure the metal blank in place. Then, use your hammer to hit the top of the stamp, which will force the impression to transfer.

Engraved Jewelry

Engraved jewelry is similar in scope to hand-stamped jewelry, but the method of application is different. Rather than imprinting letters or symbols into blanks, engraving requires tools to remove material to create these impressions.

Jewelry engraving is typically more time-consuming than making hand-stamped jewelry, but it allows the creator to incorporate more detail. You can engrave jewelry by hand using gravers or an engraving pen, or use an engraving machine, which is certainly the more expensive option.

Resin Jewelry

Resin jewelry is a trend that’s been on the rise as of late. The main ingredient in resin jewelry is epoxy resin, which is a two-part clear substance that, when combined, turns into a clear solid. The great part about resin jewelry is that you can do a lot with it. You can add pigment to change its color, mix in glitter, or layer in charms.

Resin is typically used to make accent pieces, such as charms, pendants, and earrings, although it’s possible also to make beads.

To create resin jewelry, you’ll need to purchase resin molds, which are available in practically every shape and size available. There is a learning curve when it comes to resin jewelry making, but within time, it’ll feel like second nature.

Clay Jewelry

Clay jewelry is a great method to try out, particularly if you’re a beginner at jewelry making. Certainly, your designs will become more detailed with time, but clay is a relatively forgiving material that’s easier to use, shape, and manipulate.

Clay is particularly popular to use to make earrings and beads. Polymer clay is a go-to ingredient for crafters because it’s easy to work with. You can also bake polymer clay in the oven, according to the instructions on the packaging, which hardens the design and allows you to wear it time and again.

There are also different techniques that you can experiment with using clay. One of these techniques involves marbling the clay, or mixing together different colors and shades to achieve a marbled effect.

Terracotta Jewelry

Terracotta jewelry is one of the oldest forms of jewelry that exist! This method involves using terracotta clay molded into different shapes and then baked to create ceramic accents in a signature reddish-orange hue.

Unlike polymer clay, terracotta clay requires the use of a kiln. The clay must be baked between temperatures of 1000 and 2000 degrees Fahrenheit to harden. However, products are available that can be created at home using a standard kitchen oven.

After terracotta jewelry has been baked and hardened, you have the option to paint over it. Some creators use vibrantly colored paints to make intricate designs, though your color pallet is entirely up to you!

Leather Jewelry

Using leather to make jewelry is also popular among crafters. Oftentimes, thin pieces of leather are braided to make bracelets and necklaces, or cut into shapes to make earrings.

Making leather jewelry is a relatively straightforward process, once you get the hang of it. The tools required to create this type of jewelry include leather–you can purchase sheets of leather or leather cord–scissors, a leather hole punch, a leather snap/rivet setter, heavy-duty snaps, and a rubber mallet.

Recycled Jewelry

Recycled jewelry is jewelry that’s made from upcycled components. You can create one-of-a-kind recycled jewelry using costume jewelry you haven’t worn for a while. You can also collect unique pieces from thrift stores and yard sales.

Another fun idea is to gather a group of friends together and encourage everyone to bring a few pieces of long-forgotten jewelry from their wardrobes.

Recycled jewelry is a low-cost way to breathe new life into old pieces. If you have a collection of costume jewelry–whether that includes earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings, or ankle bracelets–that don’t quite match your style anymore, you can gather the beads, chains, and charms that do, and combine them in a new and attractive way.

Remixed Jewelry

Remixed jewelry refers to jewelry that’s created by using the broken pieces of other jewelry components, such as beads, charms, and chains, as well as glass and clay pieces. Large collections of broken jewelry are available for purchase on the internet and offer a variety of pieces.

You can use other jewelry-making techniques, such as resin jewelry, to combine the broken pieces together in an attractive way. With resin jewelry, in particular, you have the freedom to arrange the jewelry pieces as you’d like, which includes changing any pieces that may be otherwise challenging to reconfigure.