Jewelry Making For Beginners, Part 1

I got an idea to write jewelry making for beginners serie since I bet some of my readers would love to know what tools and materials they will need if they start to make own jewelry.

Many consider jewelry making as a fun hobby which can bring you some extra money too if you like to make them for sale. Otherwise, jewelry making is relaxing hobby and you only need few tools as starting. I have make my own jewelry past 37 years but not consistently all the time. When I opened my first Etsy shop in 2012 I started to make my own jewelry for sale and more consistently. Jewelry making skills will improve only by making jewelry and those people who enjoys to make something with their hand would most likely love to make their own jewelry. Jewelry making is creative and there isn’t right or wrong way to make jewelry. Best part is lots of experimenting and constant learning new techniques.

So today I will write about those few jewelry tools that you will need before starting to make your own jewelry.

Best tools are ergonomic friendly for your hand so I’m recommending to buy tools that have long grip. My first tools were mini size and they worked fine but my hand tired a lot when I made many jewelry per day or bending those eye pins for earrings.

Best tools I’ve bought are BeadSmith tools that have lasted for years now and they are good quality pliers. Plus their price isn’t so high. 

Chain nose pliers

Chain nose pliers are good plier to hold any jewelry, good pair with flat nose plier to open and close jump rings. This plier is also good help for adjusting jump rings since sometimes jump ring’s ends may not meet together and you need to adjust it little bit. Chain nose pliers are also good for bending wires and I use this plier to grip chain link if I need specific chain length. Many jewelry makers just cut chains but I don’t like to waist anything so I preferably use chains that have openable links.

These pliers have narrow tip, inside the pliers are smooth which doesn’t scratch jewelry parts. Beadsmith pliers have spring that returns pliers open after being pressed. Pliers stay new no matter how many times you use them. Pliers have long ergonomic grip that makes these pliers comfortable to use.

Flat nose pliers

Flat nose pliers have little wider tip than chain nose pliers and this plier is good for holding any jewelry piece, open and close jump rings. I’ve used this plier also for straightening the wire if I needed to straighten it just a little bit. Also sometimes the jump ring may not go evenly close so I have used this pliers for adjusting the jump ring ends so that they will go nicely together.

These pliers have are smooth inside so they will not scratch any jewelry parts. These pliers have spring too which returns the plier in its original position after you have pressed. Long grip makes these pliers hand friendly and comfortable to use if you make a lot of jewelry.

Round nose pliers

Round nose pliers have round tips and this plier is good for bending any loop for your jewelry. This plier have smooth surface which doesn’t scratch your jewelry piece. I’ve also used this plier to forming back jump rings that sometimes has lost their shape. 

Round nose pliers have spring too which returns the plier in its original position after press. Long grip gives good hold any jewelry or wire that you need to bend. Long grip are ergonomic and hand friendly to use.

Cutter pliers

I bought my cutter plier from hardware store where I got it reasonably price. It will not cut memory wire since it’s most hardest wire to cut. There are available memory wire cutter plier but haven’t try them since I don’t make much memory wire jewelry. Other wires this cutter cuts well and I’m happy with narrow tips which allows me cut any wire or jewelry pins exactly where I wanted.

My cutter plier actually belong electricity tools but have worked well also for jewelry making. 

With these four tools you can start to make your own jewelry. There are lots of places where you can buy the pliers. I would highly recommend long grip pliers for home and if you need to take your jewelry making supplies with you let’s say car trip or sale events, short grip tools are fine for that. 

Finnish places to buy jewelry pliers:

Helmikauppa 

Adlibris

Helmimaailma
Motonet 
Prisma
Kärkkäinen
Lekolar

Worldwide places to buy jewelry pliers:

Amazon
BeeBeeCraft
Jewelry Tools
Alexnld
eBay
RioGrange
PandaHall

I only mentioned few places since I don´t know all the places where you can buy jewelry tools. Even good grocery store may have some jewelry pliers or local bookstore. Nowadays, there are many places where you can find the pliers and I would recommend that you go to see your first pliers in person so you can see and feel it in your hand.

I hope this blog post help you get started with jewelry making and feel free to leave your favorite jewelry supply shop link in the comment box.

~ Minna

Busy Bee’s Week...

This week has been so busy for me that I forgot to write weekly blog post so sorry about that.

This week I got extra area where I distributed local ads and newspapers. This work is usually once a week and I enjoyed to doing it because the work is very independent, I get my exercise routine done when I need to carry all those newspapers and ads and I also get weekly stair train done. I’ve planned my own route and I can also decide my working hours. Paid isn’t good but still got some extra money especially when my Etsy shop haven’t got any sales this year yet but I’m remaining hopeful that things will pick up soon.

I made new jewelry for BlueBellJewelry but haven’t got yet photos since days have been very stormy. It’s probably leftovers Dennis storm that UK have. I’m excited about new choker necklaces that I made. 

I got the glitter faux suede leathers and made three different chokers that I would love to listing soon as possible in my Etsy shop.

Love these glitter faux suede cords and these four leaf clove charms
are perfect addition to bring you luck

As many of you might know, I’m enthusiastic crocheter and now I’m working ear warmers to my friend who usually wear beanies during Winter but she ordered from me now ear warmer that I started to make for her.

This pink yarn is very soft but kind of hard crochet since it’s little furry so
I can’t see the stitches that I need to so I need to feel the next stitch with my
fingers. I feel like I’m blind crocheter 😂

~ Minna 

Valentine´s Day History & Facts

Valentine’s day is celebrated every year around the world but do you know where Valentine’s day came from? How it became so popular?

Valentine´s day is second popular day of the year for sending cards. About 1 billion Valentine´s day cards are exchanged and over 50 million red roses are given for Valentine´s day every year.

The origin of Valentine´s day is traced back to the ancient Rome and Romans had a festival called Lupercalia on February 15 which started their Spring time. The first Valentine´s day was in the year 496 and Valentine´s day named after Saint Valentine, a Catholic priest who lived in Rome 3rd century. In 1537 England´s King Henry VII  officially declared Feb 14 the holiday of St. Valentine´s day.   

So why Valentine´s day is so important? Valentine´s day is an annual festival to celebrate romantic love and friendship. By sending a Valentine´s day card you can tell how much someone means to you. Valentine´s day is also very popular day to get engage or pop the question. Most popular gifts on Valentine´s day are chocolate box and roses but also jewelry. 

People buy Valentine´s day gift for their loved ones, friends and family but also pet owners give Valentine´s day gift for their pets which is lovely idea. I have cats but this never across my mind that I can give a Valentine´s day gift for them too so I´m heading to the store to buy some delicious food for them and some nice toy this year!

💕 Other cool facts about Valentine´s Day: 💕

💘 Richard Cadbury produced the first box of chocolate in the late 1800s for the Valentine´s day

💘 73 % men buy flowers on this day and only 27 % are women

💘 The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, Roman goddess of love

💘 Teachers will receive the most Valentine´s day cards followed by children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets

💘 220 000 is average number of wedding proposals on V-Day every year

💘 The name Valentine is derived from a Latin word meaning valor

💘 Lace is often used on V-Day decorations. The word "lace" comes from Latin laques, meaning "to snare or net", as a catch person´s heart

~ Minna

 

What´s Up BlueBellJewelry

I´ve been so busy with my Etsy shops and planning new jewelry. I´m also planning birthday party for myself. I´ll be 40 this year and I don´t feel old at all. At this age, I´m probably know me more better and still I got excited about new things and still want to learn new techniques. 

I want to deepen this magazine during this weekend
after my birthday party when I can dress cozy and
just read good magazine that probably get me excited
more about macrame techniques

Lately, I´ve been gather macrame things. I know that macrame technique isn´t new but it´s new for me. I actually have been made friendship bracelet back in primary school but have to refresh my memory of how to make it again.

Other day, I scrolled my Instagram feed and ran into advertise that showed new Finnish magazine where are cool macrame techniques so naturally I was so excited when I found this magazine on the grocery store´s magazine shelf.

I´ve been wanting to make wall decoration by using macrame technique but secondly, I´ve cats and they probably would rip it off the wall. Have you anything macrame decorations in your home? I would like to know how your cat react with the wall decorations especially when the decorations have hanging yarns that would be too irresistible from the cat´s perspective.

Currently I plan to make choker necklaces for BlueBellJewelry and ordered some parts already but still waiting them to arrive. As a jewelry maker I always waiting anxiously jewelry part package to arrive so I can finally admire the beads that often looks more beautiful in person than in the photo and I love to explore all the parts more closely. Sometimes, the parts do not correspond what I wanted them to be but that don´t happen a lot so I usually get what I expected. Ordering in online is easy but sometimes your expectations don´t meet. 

My choker necklace idea isn´t new but lately velvet as a material have been interested me. Just walked through my apartment thinking new chokers that I want to make and noticed that my new ceiling lamps in bedroom and living room are velvet too. What a coincidence huh? Below is a picture about my idea what I want to make but I always modify all the jewelry idea so I´m not making exactly same because that would be copying and I want to add something my own idea into it. So I often use jewelry photos as a inspiration what to make.

Here´s my inspiration jewelry photo that I want to make. I don´t like to copy
jewelry design so I´m always adding something my own into it. 

Next week I´m talking about Valentine´s day. I´ve heard some history of it but trying to find something uncommon facts about it so until then I wish you fabulous week ❤

~ Minna