{"id":53190,"date":"2018-05-30T12:43:25","date_gmt":"2018-05-30T19:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ponoko.com\/blog\/?p=53190"},"modified":"2018-06-18T16:11:42","modified_gmt":"2018-06-18T23:11:42","slug":"making-jewelry-for-beginners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ponoko.com\/blog\/how-to-make\/making-jewelry-for-beginners\/","title":{"rendered":"Jewelry Making For Beginners"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Making<\/p>\n

An Introduction To Jewelry Making<\/h2>\n

Jewelry. Humans have been adorning themselves with it for thousands of years. In fact, jewelry is one of the oldest types of archaeological artifacts<\/a>, with 100,000-year-old beads made from Nassarius shells thought to be the oldest known jewelry. But the first signs of established jewelry making didn\u2019t happen until around 3,000-5,000 years ago in Ancient Egypt.<\/p>\n

Since then, much has changed, yet much has stayed the same. Whether you call it jewelry<\/em> in the States, jewellery<\/em> in the UK or jewelery<\/em> elsewhere, these accessories make a statement, indicate status and showcase personal style.<\/p>\n

Forget items being cranked out by the thousands (or millions) at a factory. There\u2019s something much more satisfying in creating your own jewelry designs to sell or even use to promote a brand. Hand-made, one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces forge style and sentiment into a single, unique DIY accessory that has a story to tell.<\/p>\n

\"Making<\/p>\n

Like with any good story, we must start at the beginning: The Fundamentals. This jewelry making for beginners guide will show you how to make jewelry that is functionally sound, aesthetically pleasing and professional looking so that you can not only confidently sell it to make a profit or use it promotionally but also proudly wear it yourself or happily give it to friends and family.<\/p>\n

Jewelry Making Tools<\/h2>\n

Many of us had our first jewelry making experience in elementary school by weaving friendship bracelets<\/a>. They\u2019re inexpensive, easy and require no tools. But there are limitations to style and sophistication.<\/p>\n

Opposable thumbs are great for simple projects, but they don\u2019t cut it when hundreds of tiny parts must be threaded together. Plus, fingers are only so strong. Making jewelry should be fun, not painful. Enter tools.<\/p>\n

In jewelry crafts, tools are used in a number of applications for holding and manipulating materials, including tasks such as bending, folding, cutting, attaching and finishing.<\/p>\n

In the beginning, you\u2019ll need simple hand-held tools such as wire cutter and pliers. But don\u2019t head out to your dad\u2019s\/grandpa\u2019s\/uncle\u2019s\/brother\u2019s\/ husband\u2019s (or wife\u2019s) toolshed. Jewelry tools are a bit more specialized than what you\u2019ll commonly find around the house to fix the plumbing.<\/p>\n

To get a sense of what jewelry tools look like, jump in behind the scenes of Hannah Ferrara\u2019s work profiled on Renegade Craft Fair<\/a>. Her Asheville studio, located in the mountains of Western North Carolina, is just as beautiful as the jewelry she creates in it.<\/p>\n

\"Jewelry<\/p>\n

To get you started, this tools<\/a> tutorial at The Spruce helps you dive right into the basics: Wire cutters, round nose pliers, chain nose pliers, flat nose pliers, crimping tools and bead stoppers. Why so many implements to perform seemingly basic tasks?<\/p>\n

In the process of making just one piece of jewelry, there are typically multiple steps that require specific tools. Pliers are most commonly used to attach fasteners, chains and the like as well as manipulate parts. Each style is suited to a specific function, so using the right one is key. Gotta have the right tool for the job.<\/p>\n

Take a glimpse inside the studio of Scandinavian jewelry sculptor Karin Best and you can see that she\u2019s got all the tools necessary to make her amazing designs for Kajs Jewelry<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Jewelry<\/p>\n

While having a sound set of jewelry making tools is an investment, you don\u2019t have to break the bank. But don\u2019t go totally cheap, either. Get a quality set of tools that will perform and grow with you as your jewelry making skills increase. They\u2019ll make the work easier and finished products look amazing.<\/p>\n

To see many of these tools in action, check out this how to make jewelry tutorial from the London Jewellery School:<\/p>\n