Fashion jewelry that involves mostly assembly of pre-made components may require simple hand tools like pliers. However, if you plan to create fine jewelry products, you may require expensive and highly specific equipment. First, decide on a design and metal to work with, from copper to brass or silver to gold. There are several tools you will need to start making jewelry, and the specific tools depend on the jewelry technique you plan to practice.
You just have to think about how you’re going to build your design with layers. Like for example, let’s make a flower with a protruding center, like a dome. If you can see here, i built the center with more layers than the rest, so it sticks out. So if you want some details of your design to protrude, just make those with more layers. It’s very easy to make really organic shapes too, because cardboard is very easy to sand and shape. I use illustration board for these because it’s easily available here and it’s very sturdy but easy to cut.
Attending a handmade market is not only a great way for emerging brands to gain exposure to built-in audiences and validate an idea—they’re also important for established online businesses. “Markets offer the opportunity to get out and see customers in person and get feedback directly,” says Corinne. Handcrafting fine and one-of-a-kind (OOAK) jewelry can be one of the most involved yet personal and versatile of the production methods.
What do you need to make your own jewelry?
Bluprint offers a wide array of classes, whether you want to learn metalsmithing skills, wire working, or beading. They offer a free course on MicroTorch basics which gave me the confidence to start doing metalsmithing at home. This class in metal clay techniques is designed for both beginning students and those seeking to refresh skills and learn new ones. You can make jewelry at home with a few basic tools and materials.
Before you begin your project, you’ll need to acquire the right supplies. For this guide, we’ll be using epoxy resin, as it is the safest and most resilient option for resin jewelry. There are other options, but they either don’t hold up as well, can’t be colored, or aren’t as safe (e.g., nasty fumes, poisonous to skin contact, etc.). Also, those materials tend to be quite expensive for me, so i tried making pendants with stuff that i already have. If your production team is larger or your requirements are a little more complex—as with metal work or silversmithing workshops—consider commercial space outside of the home. If it’s out of your budget at launch, look into co-op studio space or share the costs of space and equipment with other creatives.
- Or check out the full library of free jewelry making instructions, perfect for beginners.
- Large magnetic clasps are perfect to finish off the bracelets and a base of dark leather is always good.
- However, crafting handmade jewelry can mean much more than making nice pieces of jewelry pieces at lower cost; you can also make jewelry that closely matches your personal style and taste.
- You can set up a Shopify store using a free theme, customized with your brand assets, fonts and colors.
Your brand guidelines will inform everything you do as a brand. This essential document will capture everything from voice and tone to mission and values. It will be useful in keeping your communications consistent even as you scale. I cover many of these tools in more depth in my beginner-level course, Metal to Masterpiece. Here are three of the most popular jewelry ideas you’ll find on the blog.
Define your brand
Influencer marketing offers a level of social proof you can’t get with straight advertising. Younger consumers increasingly trust social media creators for product recommendations. Shopify Collabs is a great place to connect with influencers looking to promote your product. Corinne has also had success with Instagram influencers, bartering product for a dedicated post.
Before reaching out, she says, be sure your curation and hashtags for Instagram are strong so influencers can see if your brand aligns with their own. “Creating a lifestyle around what you do is worth more than anything,” she says. The Shopify App Store is packed with companies that can turn your designs into a number of goods, from mugs to t-shirts to jewelry. If you’re interested in creating a website to sell your jewelry, I highly recommend you check this course on CreativeLive. Just like making jewelry is about making something tangible, nothing compares to the feeling of flipping through the pages of a book.
Guides To Industrial Art
There are several online resources for how to make jewelry online, including wholesale jewelry making equipment, tools, and supplies, including precious gemstones and raw metals. This is an essential step, even for a small business, so don’t rush it. Megan Auman, a professional jewelry designer and metalsmith, offers a really in-depth course on CreativeLive that helps you price your work. If you want to sell in person, hosting a jewelry trunk show in your home or someone else’s home is an inexpensive way to start. Or learn how to host a virtual a trunk show and sell your products through a free platform such as Facebook. The Crucible is a fine and industrial arts nonprofit in Oakland, CA that teaches classes in blacksmithing, ceramics, neon, glass blowing, and more.
The history of jewelry making
In order to manipulate the thin wires and small links, you’ll need both chain-nose pliers and round-nose pliers, as well as wire cutters. Chain-nose pliers have a tapered tip; the pincers are round on the outside but flat, with ribbing for grip, on the sides that touch. Use this versatile tool for open-ing jump rings and crimping bead tips. Round-nose pliers are also tapered, but the tips are completely rounded. In any jewelry-making project, choose good-quality tools that feel comfortable in your hands. Using copper and silver metal clay, create fine metal skulls using a variety of rolling, texture, applique, and carving techniques.
Metal Clay Rings
Sand each section with low-grit sandpaper until you’re happy with the shape. If the fibers of the paper start sticking out or the layers come apart, just dab some superglue on it and continue sanding. If the section is like, really tiny and just one layer thick though? Taking the plunge might be scary at first, especially in a market as saturated as jewelry.
Your printer MIGHT be able to handle the thickness of card, otherwise you’d have to print onto paper, stick that to your card THEN cut each piece out… Create pendants, earrings, and wearable sculptures from copper and silver metal clay, practicing and perfecting a variety of rolling, texture, applique, and carving techniques…. Create and design multiple rings from copper and silver metal clay, practicing a variety of rolling, texture, applique, and carving techniques.
It was traditionally used as a storytelling technique and is now used to make jewelry and sculptural artwork. The process consists of wrapping wire components over one another to connect them without soldering or heat. Now that you’ve mixed your first batch, it’s important to pour it right away. Next, you’ll be mixing up a batch of epoxy, enough to fill each mold/bezel/casing halfway. Dip it in varnish once, lay it onto a piece of plastic (like the protractor in the previous step) then let it dry for a couple of hours.
