Have you ever admired a piece of jewelry and discovered the owner made it using beading supplies? Do you have an artistic streak and want something new to try? Beading and jewelry making are popular hobbies, and for some side jobs, that provide creative freedom and wearable art.

What do you need to begin making jewelry? The correct jewelry making supplies are essential to crafting beautiful pieces that you’ll enjoy for years. Don’t let inexperience keep you from beginning a new and entertaining endeavor.

Jewelry Tools You Must Have

No master of their craft could do it without the proper tools. Crafting and jewelry making with beads is a precise and delicate procedure. Through the decades, people crafted tools designed to make the process easier.

Pliers

You’ve probably got a pair of pliers in your toolbox and they’re handy, but probably not right for beading. There are several types of pliers used for beading including round nose, chain nose, flat nose, crimping pliers and wire cutters.

Wire cutters cut the used the material crafting the jewelry such as string or wire. The other pliers are designed for specific purposes such as the round nose for making loops and bending wire.

Beading Wire

When crafting jewelry, you need something sturdy to hand the beads or stones on and that’s usually wire. There is string available as well, but if you want longevity, then wire is preferred.

There are various thicknesses such as 14-16 gauge for larger pieces and clasps. Medium sized jewelry uses 18-20 gauge wire and small or thin jewelry uses 24-26 gauge wire. If you’re starting out, then you’ll want a little bit of each gauge until you find the ones you prefer best. Jewelry making is a fun hobby, but you can earn some money from it as well.

Miscellaneous

Jewelry is made up of many items besides wire and beads. You’ll need clasps, connectors, caps, crimps, bails and several others. These all connect the jewelry together and add embellishments. They come in all types of colors and sizes. Each one has a different purpose and use them together to create truly unique jewelry.

Beading Supplies Begin and End with Beads

The star of the show of any piece of jewelry is the beads and stones used in it. They shimmer and shine or provide stark color contrast. They transcend your jewelry from a hunk of metal to a gorgeous accessory that is the envy of all.

You can find beads of every size shape and color, but here are some of the most popular and why.

Magnetic Hematite Beads

These are stone beads from a magnetic material that many consider to have healing properties. They are naturally beautiful and come in a high power magnetic and non-magnetic variety.

Glass Beads

Glass beads can be fragile, but you can’t beat the beauty. In addition, they are easy to sculpt and mold into innumerable shapes and designs.

Miracle Beads

Miracle beads are unlike any others. They have a mirror plated finish with a Lucite core than give them an illusion of depth. They come in 4, 6 and 8 millimeters sizes and are perfect for necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

Mother of Pearl and Bone Beads

These are natural beads and each one is different. They have a vast array of textures and colors. Mother of Pearl beads come from pearl oyster and freshwater pearl muscles. Bone beads are unique and easy to carve into shapes and figures. They’re placed into a smoker during their antiquing process and often have a slight smoky scent.

Give Beading a Chance

Beading and jewelry making is a fun way to create your own masterpieces. It’s a fun hobby that doesn’t require a major investment. Start small with mid-priced tools and beading supplies before expanding as you hobby grows. Make sure you have a good sampling of wires and beads to find the ones you like best and, most of all, have fun.

If you’re interested in learning more about beads and jewelry making, feel free to explore our site.