New to Jewelry Making? We Have You Covered!

Everyone's jewelry making journey begins somewhere and there is always that "spark" that inspires you to seek out how to make handmade jewelry. For me, it was a shop window in Paris 20 years ago. I had been walking around the city on a rainy Sunday (when most shops are closed) and happened upon a boutique with some incredible handmade jewelry in the window. I stood there mystified. It was so beautiful (and so out of the range of anything I could ever afford) but I knew instantly that I loved it. Beyond loving it, I was intrigued as to how it as made. After returning home, I decided to seek out how to make jewelry. That was my spark!

When you are first starting out, it can be overwhelming. There are jewelry making tools that look confusing and terms you don’t understand. There are even supplies that you leave you scratching your head thinking “what the heck do I do with that?” We were all there once. Everyone starts as a beginner and adds to their skills as they go. In this blog post, the goal is to provide you with a starting point on your adventure. Then as you dive deeper into jewelry making and find the disciplines that intrigue, you can check out our more specific technique guides and our almost 2000 instructional how-to videos!

A really great place to begin is with our Learn to Bead video series. This is a series of 7 videos that walks you through all the basics such as an overview of beads, findings, tools, stringing materials and more. If you follow the videos in order and watch all 7, you will end up with a really good base knowledge of jewelry terms, available materials, tools, and what you need to get started.

Featured Video: Learn To Bead Video #1: All About Beads

Another great resource is our Intro to Stringing 101 Guide. This is a curated collection of videos and projects that cover stretch bracelets, strung jewelry, as well as memory wire jewelry. These are three fun and easy techniques to get started making jewelry.

A couple must-view videos are:

Featured Video: How to Open and Close Jump Rings

Featured Video: How to Make a Simple Wire Loop for Jewelry Making

Featured Video: How to Make a Wrapped Wire Loop for Jewelry Making

Catching a Beadaholique Live Class is also a great resource. The beauty of these weekly live classes is that you can ask questions directly of our designers during the show. So if you are stuck on something, you can ask a designer! Each week is also themed to a specific project or technique so you will be able to learn about a wide variety of jewelry styles, supplies, and tools and see which appeal to you! These videos are also saved so you can always go back and rewatch.

Featured Video: Beadaholique Live Class Replay: Making Earrings with Raven's Journey Beads

Wherever you are in your jewelry making journey, we are here to help. If you need a little inspiration to get started, head over to our free beading projects and be inspired!