Homemade Jewelry For Fun and Profit

I have been making jewelry for nearly 4 years now, and have found it very rewarding. Being able to take pieces of bead or crystal and create something that is beautiful and attractive is very satisfying. Being able to earn an income from making jewelry is even more fun! Whether you are a home crafter looking for an interesting hobby or you are looking to start a lucrative, home based business, this is the article for you. This article will guide you through how to make some of the most sought after jewelry, where to find suppliers, and most importantly where to sell your finished product. I will take you through projects from start to finish so you gain an understanding of how to create your masterpiece!

At the end of the article, I will provide you with tutorials on making two types of jewelry that you can start making and selling right away. One is an easy project, and the other a more advanced project. I am including them to give you an understanding of what can be involved, as well as what sells.

Definitions

There are certain terms you are bound to run across, and knowing what they mean can make a difference in not only buying supplies, but also selling to a savvy buyer. I have included the most common terms you will run across as you start your hobby.

Catch: This is the mechanism used to join ends of jewelry together, or to hold a piece of jewelry in place, as with a brooch.

Duette: A combination of two clips on a pin back. Duette was a registered design by Coro, but is now used generically for this design.

Findings: All types of construction components used in jewelry making such as clasps, pins, hooks, tabs, etc.

Fob: A short chain or ribbon attached to a pocket watch, often with an ornament or decorative seal attached to the end.

French wire: A curved wire resembling a fish hook, which passes through the pierced earlobe and has a catch closure. It is mostly used with dangling earrings due to their extra weight.

Jump Ring: A small oval or round wire ring used to link charms or pendants onto a chain. It is not usually soldered shut.

Mounting: A piece of metal that holds a gem in place.

Safety Catch: One of several means of securing a brooch to a garment.

Screw Back: A type of earring attachment for non-pierced ears.

Toggle clasp: A means of fastening two ends of a chain together consisting of a ring on one end and a short bar on the other. The bar is slid through the ring and sits across it so it does not slide or pull.

While this is not a comprehensive list of definitions, it is the most common you will see. Of these definitions, Jump Ring, Catch and Findings are the most common you will see and use. Next I will show you the tools you will need to start making jewelry.

Tools

These are basic tools, and are recommended for beginners. As you advance, and the type of jewelry you want to make changes, so will the tools you will need to make them. The tools I am recommending are starter tools and most standard jewelry such as earrings, bracelets and necklaces will require these tools. As with any hobby, you want to start with the simplest items and master the techniques to make them. Once you master one, you then move to the next level and so forth.

You will need to visit your local craft store or online retailer to obtain these tools. Some craft stores will sell them as a kit, and they are relatively cheap.

• Flush Cutters
• Rosary Pliers
• Nylon Jawed Plyer
• Beaders Plier
• Crimping Pliers
• Flat nose Pliers

These are the tools commonly referred to as Beading Tools. Most of the beginner jewelry is made using beads or crystals. These tools will make it easier for you to make your jewelry, and also to give them a professional finished look.

Supplies

The following list of supplies will give you a start with minimal cost. As you will discover, most jewelry making supplies for the home crafter are relatively cheap and can be bought in bulk to further reduce the cost. If you happen to have an AC Moore, Michaels or Hobby Lobby near you, they have a great selection of supplies for you to choose from. My personal favorite is Hobby Lobby. They have an extensive section dedicated to jewelry making.

Make a list of items you will need to take with you. Just copy this list and you will have enough to make several pieces of jewelry.

Beads: Beads are by far the cheapest single item you will buy. Most of them come in packs of 50 or 100. Choose something that is appealing to you, but make sure you get several packages of different styles. Make sure your beads all match.

Findings: Decide whether you want to make any silver or gold jewelry and purchase accordingly. You will want catches, earring hook wires or hoops and if making necklaces you might want to purchase some chain.

Jump Rings: Grab a package of these. Usually 6mm is a sufficient size.

Tiger Tail: This is the wire used to make beaded bracelets and necklaces. It is very thin, but it is a strong material.

Crimp Rings: You will need these to attach the tiger tail to the catch or jump rings.

Head Pins: These are for stringing beads for dangle earrings.

Your First Project

Ok, so now you have the tools, and your first round of supplies. Now what? Well, time to make something! We are going to be making a simple drop earring set. Drop earrings are the easiest earrings to make. You can make them classy with semiprecious stones and silver wire or funky by adding charms and beads.

All you need for a set of basic earrings:

• 2 headpins or eyepins
• 2 earwires
• Beads and/or spacers
• Round-nose pliers

Spacer beads are also useful. These are very small metal-colored beads that serve to frame the other beads.

1. Find a Head Pin

   Head pins have flat heads on the bottom, and are available in different sizes and thickness.

2. Add Beads

   Put some beads on the head pin. Experiment with different colors and styles. In this picture, spacer beads are used to break up the colored beads.

3. Begin The Loop

   Use a pair of round-nose pliers to bend the head pin 90º.

4. Finish The Loop

   Bend the end of the head pin over to complete the loop. Add a French wire or other earring finding and you’re finished.

Voila! You have just made your first pair of earrings. Easy, wasn’t it?

Practice making these earrings until you have made five or six pairs. This will get you used to using the pliers and also will improve your handmade loop skills.

For our next project we will be using the tiger tail to create a bracelet. You will once again want to design your pattern on your work surface before beginning. Once you have your design, cut a piece of tiger tail according to the size bracelet you wish to make.

The most common size is 7″, but your size may vary. You can measure your wrist using a dressmaker’s tape. Just wrap it around your wrist and where the tape meets is your wrist size. You will want to add about ½” to the size so the bracelet isn’t too tight. Make sure to add an inch or two to the length for crimping.

Next, choose the type of clasp you are going to use. I love using the magnetic ones or the lobster claw type. They are the easiest to get on and off. Take your tiger tail and slide a crimp ring onto one end. Create a small loop and bring the tiger tail through the clasp and then back through the crimp ring. Slide the crimp ring down as close to the clasp as you can and crimp it with the crimping pliers. Trim the excess tiger tail using your cutters.

Now, string your bead pattern until you are left with about ½” of tiger tail. Slide another crimp ring on, and create a loop through the other end of the clasp. Bring the tiger tail back through the crimp ring, and pull the end so the beads are tight against the crimp ring and crimp. Trim the excess tiger tail off.

Voila! You have just made your first bracelet! You can use this same technique to make a necklace, or anklet. Practice making these 5 or 6 times to once again get familiar with how to crimp the tiger tail.

Using Chain

If you choose to make jewelry out of chain, there is no need to worry about the tiger tail technique. The most common type of bracelet made besides the plain chain, is a charm bracelet. These are very simple to make, and of course you will need some charms to make them. But, you say, I want a beaded charm bracelet. How would I do that? Well, that is quite simple.

Remember how we made the dangle earrings? Well, the same basic principal applies to making beaded charm bracelets. The only difference is you are not going to use a bead pattern (unless that is what you want). Put a bead on the head pin, and create your loop. Slip the loop through a link in the chain and crimp. Repeat this at intervals along the chain. You have now created a beaded charm bracelet!

So as you can see, the basic techniques are used in different ways to create all sorts of jewelry styles. You can use the chain technique to create anklets and necklaces in the same manner.

Selling Jewelry

So now you’ve made a ton of jewelry and it is lying all over your house! What do you do with it all? Well, I’m glad you asked! I am going to provide you with a few ways that you can sell your jewelry. I am going to list 4 different ways to sell your jewelry online. Your comfort level, web skills and budget will determine which avenue you decide to peruse.

eBay

The first obvious choice is eBay. However, handmade jewelry does not always sell well on eBay. Your best bet here is to see what has been selling, and at what price. This will not only give you a list of what is selling (earrings, necklaces, etc) but will also give you some design ideas for items that are selling and their price points.

Etsy.com

Etsy is an ecommerce site dedicated to handmade crafts. You can set up a space to sell your items and you can’t beat the price…FREE! Etsy recommends Paypal for credit card transactions and instant payments. But be aware there is a 3.5% fee per transaction.

ECrater.com

ECrater is my favorite by far. It is very similar to etsy.com, but it does support some excellent features. One of these features is the google base connector. In case you are not familiar with this, google base is the ecommerce side of google. If you are looking to buy something, you can search for it on google base. I have received more traffic from google base than anything else, so it does work. ECrater also supports google checkout, and it is cheaper than paypal.

Your Own Site

If you are tech savvy, or know someone who is, setting up your own website might be the way for you to go. There are a number of shopping cart solutions out there that are free for you to download and install. Most of them support paypal and google checkout. Be aware though, hosting your own site leaves all of the problems and maintenance issues to you. You will also have a monthly hosting fee to pay as well.

Two other methods of selling are craft shows/festivals and parties. Craft shows and festivals is probably the biggest venue most crafters will utilize in selling their products. The problem is there is a considerable cost involved and it takes a lot of time. You will also need to purchase some sort of tent, and in most cases you will be traveling so there is also the cost of food and lodging.

Parties are a favorite of home crafters. They will usually set up appointments with friends who invite their friends and relatives to the party. Normally the host gets a free piece of jewelry or two for hosting the party. This is a great venue for seeing the genuine reactions to your creations. You will get a sense for what types of designs have mass appeal, and which ones fizzle.

No matter how you decide to sell your creations, make sure you explore each one and list the pros and cons of each. Know your limitations and set your expectations. Make sure there are no surprises in whatever method of selling you decide to pursue.

Profitable Projects

You now have the basic skills needed to run a profitable jewelry business, both online and off. I am going to provide you with two of my projects that have done very well for others and myself. If you want to start making money right away, these two projects will get the ball rolling for you.

Snowman Earrings and Necklace

For this project, you are going to need small and medium Swarovski ball crystals, Black square beads, color and silver collar, flat black beaded disk, head pins, ear wires and chain for the necklace.

Start by putting the larger crystal ball onto the head pin. Next, slide the colored collar on, followed by the smaller crystal. Slide the flat disk and top with the square black bead. Create your loop above the square bead. You will need 3 of these, so repeat until completed. Attach two of the snowmen to your ear wires. For the third one, put the chain through the hand made loop and crimp the loop closed. You now have a pair of dangle, crystal snowman earrings with matching snowman pendant necklace. I sell these every fall season for about $20 per set. Depending on your supplier, your cost should be about $3 per set. Gross profit is $17.00 each. Not a bad profit for about 15 minutes of work! That translates into $70 per hour!

Spoon Bracelet

This project is a little more advanced, and does require a hacksaw, small baseball bat, clamps or vise and a drill press. A tee ball bat works best here. The result of this is truly amazing though, and worth it. You will want to go to a yard sale or thrift store and buy 2 spoons or forks that match. A lot of the time you can find matching sterling for about $1 per pair.

Take and cut the spoon/fork portion off, leaving only the handle. Next, you will want to sand the cut ends so they are not jagged and sharp. Next, using a drill press, drill a 1/32″ hole at both ends of the handle. Make sure you remove any burrs left behind.

Using either a vise or a clamp, clamp one end of the handle to the baseball bat on the fat part of the bat. Push the handle as far as you can to make it start to curl. If you are using a vise, you can rotate the handle and repeat. If using a clamp, it is best if you have a second clamp to further curl the handle. Repeat the process for the other handle. Once the handles have been formed, take a sturdy jump ring and attach at the non-cut end of the handles. Next, take your clasp and attach each end to the ends of the two handles. You now have a spoon bracelet.

One thing I do with mine is to put either a bead or crystal on the jump ring to add a little bit of style to the bracelet. Once you get the hang of this, you can make one in as little as 10 minutes. These sell great, and there are not a lot of artisans who make them. If you can find monogrammed silverware, you now have created personalized bracelets!

I once purchased an entire set of sterling silverware for about $12 from a thrift store. Out of that purchase, I was able to make 10 bracelets in about 1 ½ hours. Each one of these sold for about $24.95. So my gross profit was over $237.00! So I made about $150 per hour making these. Not a bad little sum of money! Of course you may get more for your depending on how you sell them. I have seen these sell for over $50 each!