There’s no worse feeling than planning a perfect outfit, only to find something’s missing. The outfit doesn’t feel complete, and you need something to bring it up a notch. Regrettably, you can’t find any accessories that match the vibe, and you’re stressing because the event is tomorrow. There’s no need to rush to the store and spend $50 on jewelry for one outfit when you can make your own.
Here are 5 tips for creating your own jewelry pieces and everything you need to know before starting your crafting journey:
- Create a Mood Board
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The hardest part of making jewelry is coming up with an idea. I normally have a vague concept in mind, but I’m never sure what colors, order, or style I want for a specific piece. Normally, I create a mood board on Pinterest, but you can use other forms of media.
I assemble a collage of outfits I want the jewelry to match, along with other similar jewelry pieces for inspiration. You could easily look up “witchy grunge accessories” or “cottagecore earrings” on Pinterest and scroll through inspiration for your target style.
- Gather Supplies
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What supplies you need depends on the form of jewelry you are making. The essentials for all jewelry are beads, charms, and a set of pliers (round-nose, cutter, and chain-nose), eye pins, jump rings, elastic, and wire. I like to use copper wire, which is tarnish-resistant, in gauges 18 to 22.
For earrings, eye pins will be the most useful. From that, you will add beads, charms, and an earring hook at the end. For all things wire, you will also need to use pliers to mend the wire.
For necklaces and bracelets, you have two options: threaded or wire. Wire is a similar approach to earrings. Threaded would include thread (preferably elastic) and beads. This is where most people start out, as it’s the simplest.
The fun thing about threaded pieces is that you can make patterns, as you can with wire wrapping, but instead you thread the beads into each other, which proves more difficult. For these, you need lobster hooks and an extension chain to finish it off. I recommend looking up tutorials for these, depending on the pattern you want.
- Practice Wire Wrapping
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Wire wrapping involves bending metal wire to form different shapes. If you have this skill, you can make anything you want. My personal favorite is wire wrapping with beads and adding lots and lots of swirls, but you can base your patterns based on the aesthetic you want.
My most preferred craft, earrings, requires wire. For beginners, it is easiest to use eye pins. Eye pins are wire segments with a pre-made loop at the end, forming an “eye.” Typically, I will arrange my beads on them and then form another loop at the end using round-nose pliers.
Once you form these with different bead arrangements, you have many possibilities. You could connect them and choose the length of the earrings, or, if long enough, form them into a bracelet or necklace. The good thing about eye pins is that they are easy to use and work with different types of jewelry, not just earrings.
Once you learn to wire-wrap and create your own designs with wire, you can make anything from dragonflies to flowers.
- Arrange and Assemble
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This is where you are going to reference your mood board the most. I lay all my wire wrappings on the table and try different ways to format them. If I am going for a clean look, I will make it symmetrical by placing the largest beads in the middle, whether you’re making earrings or a necklace.
However, it all depends on the occasion you’re planning to wear the pieces. You can make these pieces as dainty or chunky as you want. That is my favorite part of making your own jewelry; there are no rules, you can do whatever you want.
Being your own jeweler has so many benefits. Making any vision you want a reality is such a big flex. It’s a conversation starter, an outfit enhancer, and a perfect gift. I love creating my own pieces, but it’s also nice to share my creations with others and bring their ideas to life.
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