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Hints and tips on how to start your first beading project
Jewelry making can be an inexpensive hobby or business. Anyone can get started vith a very small investment and a little bit of good advice.
- The first and most important piece of advice we can offer is not to overspend on fancy expensive tools. Your project will be a hit if 1) you plan your work, 2) design your project well and 3) make use a few basic tools to help you along. We offer you suggestions on the tools you'll need here.
- Start with an easy project first! While most of us want to create a master piece as soon as we start beading, there are a few techniques that must be mastered first. Start with a simple pair of earrings. Earrings can be simple and elegant and can be easy and fast to create. Your second project can be a simple one strand bracelet. This will teach how to design and finish your work.
- Use inexpensive materials for the first few projects. Use silver plated beads or findings. Use glass beads instead of crystal. Remember, beautiful jewelry can be made inexpensively. Later, when you've developed your style and tested your technique you'll have every opportunity to use expensive jewelry components.
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The tools and materials you'll need to start making jewelry
You only need a few basic tools to get started with your first project. The tools we suggest you buy will help you tackle small to medium sized projects. As you get more profficient and creative, you can add more tools and gadgets to make your work look more professional.
You'll need the following basic tools: pliers, cutters, needles and tweezers.
Pliers, there are a few basic types:
- Chain-nose pliers (also called needle-nose pliers or long-nose pliers) to close crimps and jump rings. These can also to form loops.
- Flat-nose pliers for crimping and squeezing.
- Round-nose pliers for making loops.
Cutters, you'll need two:
- When it comes to cutting wire during your beading project you'll need flush wire cutters. A new sharp pair will cut wire very cleanly.
- Put a basic small scisor in your tool box. They'll come in handy for cutting anything that is not made of wire.
Beading needles, there are several kinds:
The most important thing to look for when you're buying needles is to ensure that the thread you plan to use will go through the eye of the needle, and then, that the needle itself will go through the bead easily. Beading needles are not expensive so it may be worth while to get a couple of different kinds to discover for yourself what your preferences are.
- Beading needles come in size #10 (largest) to #15 (smallest). They are like sewing needles but longer. They come in different packages sizes. Some packages contain up to 30 (or more) needles with different thicknesses and lengths.
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Big Eye needles are easy to thread since the whoole needle is an eye with points on both ends. They come in lengths up to 5 inches.
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A twist beading needle is just twisted wire. It is very long and it has an eye that flatens out when going through a hole. These come in thin, medium and heavy wire thicknesses. You'll need a few sizes so you can use them when working on any project from freshwater pearls to very large beads.
Tweezers are very handy when working with seed beads and other small findings such as crimps and jump rings, we suggest you get two types:
- If you are working with seed beads or other small round beads, you should get tweezers with a cup hold at the tips.
- Get a pair of pointed tip tweezers for other findings.
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