Do you love jewelry? Are you looking for a new hobby? Do you want to save money and make gallery quality jewelry at home? We have beginner tips for you! If you are just starting out, we can help you get your beading supplies and inspire you to make your first design. Learn about this wonderful craft and how rewarding it is to make a new necklace. And the best part is, it is SUPER beginner friendly. If you make a mistake or think something is missing in your design, we can show you how to remedy that and make something you LOVE!
Check out our Live Sales! Click the image above to visit our new sales platform. We have an exciting gallery full of amazing gemstones and beads. You can register to shop here - Register. And download our app here - Soft Flex App. If you would like to be notified when a sale is coming, sign up for our texts.
How to Make Jewelry at Home | Easy DIY Jewelry Making Ideas for BEGINNERS
Make Jewelry At Home | Save Money & Have Fun
If you’ve ever wanted to create beautiful handmade accessories, there’s never been a better time to make jewelry at home. Jewelry making is a fun and creative hobby that allows you to design unique bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and other accessories that reflect your personal style.
You don’t need to be an experienced jewelry designer to get started. With basic jewelry making supplies, just two simple tools (crimping pliers and cutters), and some creativity, beginners can quickly learn how to create beautiful handmade jewelry from home.
What about mistakes? What if you are not happy with your handmade jewelry design? You can restring a necklace with ease. Switch out the beads and try something different. Nothing is set in stone and you can change anything that is not working. You are virtually guaranteed to create something you love!
Whether you enjoy colorful beads, natural gemstones, delicate charms, or bold statement pieces, DIY jewelry making gives you the freedom to experiment with countless designs. And it is so easy to finish a design with a crimp that will last.
Why Make Jewelry At Home?
One of the biggest benefits of making jewelry at home is the ability to create something completely your own. Instead of purchasing mass-produced accessories, you can design handmade pieces using your favorite colors, shapes, gemstones, and beads. There is nothing better than making a signature design that is one-of-a-kind. Nobody will have the same jewelry you are wearing!
DIY jewelry making is a relaxing and creative activity. Spending time stringing beads, arranging gemstones, and developing new designs can provide an enjoyable break from your everyday routine. Need stress relief and to forget about the world for awhile? Find a quiet room and start stringing a new design with your favorite gemstones!
There are many reasons to start making jewelry at home, including:
- Creating personalized jewelry that matches your style
- Making thoughtful handmade gifts for birthdays or holidays
- Sharing a creative hobby with friends and children
- Designing unique jewelry that you won’t find in a store
- Building a collection of handmade accessories
- Starting a home-based business selling your creative work
Essential Jewelry Making Supplies For Beginners
Before starting your first project, you will need a few basic jewelry making supplies. As you string more and more jewelry designs, you will find other tools that are beneficial for your work. But if you are just starting, you really only need a few items. The absolute essentials are crimping pliers, cutters, wire, crimps, and a clasp. If you have those on hand (and beads, of course), you are ready to make jewelry!
Beads
Beads come in all shapes and sizes. DIY jewelry making thrives on colorful and fun beads. Czech glass, ceramic beads, seed beads, and shell are great starter beads. Find a color or shape that speaks to you and your necklace may design itself!
Gemstones
Gemstones are another wonderful option for handmade jewelry. Gemstones can add color, texture, and natural beauty to bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. Try combining different stones to create designs that are colorful and distinctive.
Beading Wire and Elastic Stringing Material
Beading wire is going to be your best option for creating a jewelry design that is meant to last. Soft Flex Beading Wire is created with stainless steel and is so flexible that you can tie knots in it - as soft as silk, as strong as steel! Stretch Magic is a great elastic-like option for beginners. Elastic cord will allow you to make a very simple design. Elastic is also wonderful for children learning to string jewelry.
Jewelry Findings
Findings are the small components that help turn your beads and materials into finished jewelry. Common findings include clasps, jump rings, crimp beads, ear wires, and headpins. The beginner findings you are going to need are clasps and crimps. These two will allow you to close and secure your jewelry designs. Artisan clasps, like those pictured above, can wait until you are more comfortable designing. You can start with basic crimps and clasps. But you will want to upgrade those once you are able to finish designs you want to last for decades.
Jewelry Making Tools
A few basic tools can make your DIY jewelry projects much easier. Beginners will need only two basic tools to start out. Cutters will allow you to cut your beading wire and elastic. Crimpling pliers will allow you to finish your crimps so your wire stays secure in the design and does not slip and spill your beads. It is best to get a good pair of crimpers and not use regular pliers to smash your crimps. A smashed crimp will not be nearly as strong or pleasant to look at.
Easy DIY Jewelry Making Projects For Beginners
If you’re new to jewelry making, start with simple projects that allow you to learn basic techniques while creating something you can wear.
Make a Beaded Bracelet
A beaded bracelet is one of the easiest jewelry projects for beginners. Mix and match beads you love. You can design them in a pattern or choose an asymmetrical design. If you are a beginner, make sure you do a fit check before cutting your wire off of the spool. The size of the beads on the bracelet can make the bracelet feel too small if the beads are larger and you do not have enough wire. On the design above, we added a cute charm. Feel free to be adventurous!
Create a Stretch Bracelet
Stretch bracelets are another beginner friendly jewelry making project. All you need are beads and elastic. It helps to have a glue on hand to seal your knot, but it is not absolutely required. We recommend a gap filling glue to seal the gaps inside the knot. Special T Illusion Glue is our glue of choice. These jewelry designs are meant to be fun and easy. They will not withstand the wear and tear that a design strung on beading wire will. This option is great for a holiday project with children as they can string and knot their jewelry with ease.
Design a Beaded Necklace
Necklaces are as easy as beaded bracelets. Choose the gemstones or beads that suit your design idea. With necklaces, you can get even more creative - add a focal bead or pendant and finish with an artisan clasp to really bring your handmade jewelry to the next level. One fun thing about our Soft Flex Beading Wire is that it comes in colors. A lot of people shy away from exposing the wire on a DIY jewelry design. We EMBRACE the wire - SHOW your colors! With this design, we definitely did not hide our beautiful wire under all of the beads. And this is design is as easy to string as a basic necklace. Get creative!
Make Simple Earrings
Earrings are easy and so quick to make! You can wear a new pair of earrings every night of the week with very little money or time spent crafting. All you need are ear wires, beads, and Soft Flex Wire or a head pin. The best thing about earrings is that you can make them out of remnant wire leftover from a previous project - maybe you cut too much (don't throw it away). Maybe you have four or six beads that do not fit into a bracelet or necklace - they are going to look amazing on a pair of earrings!
How To Finish A Simple Bracelet Or Necklace | How To Crimp
If you are a beginner beader, crimping is likely to be the first hurdle you face. Fortunately, it is easy to crimp beads to finish a piece of jewelry. It sounds much more difficult than it actually is. In the video above, Sara explains the crimping tools and process in easy to follow directions. One thing to note, crimping does not require strength. You do not want to SMASH your crimps. It is best to apply the same pressure you would when you shake a grandmother's hand. A firm crimp will not work harden the metal and make it brittle, the way a smashing grip would.
Want to practice and get better at crimping? One great idea is to buy a spool of economy wire. And then buy some decent crimps. Practice crimping on these budget supplies before you start crimping on designs that you want to last. Make sure you feed two wires through the crimp. You can crimp a single wire - but this is more for advanced jewelry, like illusion necklaces. Once you feel comfortable crimping economy wire, finishing a necklace will be a breeze!
Check out these links for more information on Crimping:
How To Choose Beads For Your Jewelry Projects
Check out our Gemstones and Beads!
Choosing beads is one of the most enjoyable parts of DIY jewelry making. Start by thinking about the overall look you want to create. Selecting a colorway is a good idea. A colorway is a collection of complementary colors. Using colors that pop and make your piece stand out is a great foundation for elegant and amazing jewelry.
For a soft and elegant style, consider pastel beads, pearls, or delicate gemstones. If you prefer a bold design, combine bright colors and larger statement beads. Don't be afraid to use CHUNKY eye catching focals and beads! You can also experiment with contrast. Pair smooth beads with textured beads, small beads with larger focal pieces, or neutral colors with vibrant accents. Don't be afraid to experiment. Some of our favorite designs were ones that challenged us and took us out of our comfort zones.
Look For Sales | Shop Soft Flex Live Sales & Check Out Our Weekly Discounts
Check out our Live Sales!
We always have amazing deals on our sales. We have an incredible selection of items that have been hand curated from decades of travel and hitting bead shows. The inventory on our Live Sales is generally from our gallery and not available online. Sometimes we invite guests to our sales and include their fabulous beads. Sometimes we find a local artisan that we just cannot ignore and feature their incredible handmade designs. We have traveled the world to find beads and jewelry that speak to us and we love sharing them with YOU!
You can register to shop here - Register. And download our app here - Soft Flex App. If you would like to be notified when a sale is coming, sign up for our texts.
Our Themed Jewelry Making Kits Make Getting Started Easy
Our jewelry making kits make everything easy for beginners - and jewelry designers, alike! Our kits always have a unique colorway. You can take all of the guesswork out of bead selection and beading supplies by simply buying a kit. They make wonderful gifts for beginners, too! Our beading kits are designed to be easy enough for a beginner to use and we like to add challenging elements for seasoned designers to work with - you never know what we might add to a kit!
Every mystery kit we sell is the promise of an adventure. We have celebrated artists with our kits. Travel to exotic locations from the comfort of your couch with kits that evoke the romance of the Italian coastline or the beauty of a Greek village. During the holiday season, we carry spooky kits and kits that are perfect for jewelry OR ornament making! Need a fall design for the cozy vibe of autumn - we have those too! Our kits are always topical and fashion forward!
If you are new to beading, each kit comes with findings, beads, wire, and surprises. You can design a lot of amazing jewelry for one low price. All you will need are crimping pliers and cutters to finish your jewelry designs. Everything else is provided inside! We usually celebrate our kits with opportunities to buy a bead strand with the same theme or a bead mix from the kit you can buy seperately. This will enhance the kit and you can design even more fabulous creations!
Our kits are limited in quantity and usually sell out before the end of the month. At the end of each month, we reveal our recent kit on the Soft Flex Facebook page and YouTube Page. Open your kit when you get it or wait for Soft Flex Company to reveal the contents and open yours along with us live!
If you purchase a kit, make sure you share your designs with us on our Facebook VIB group. Every design you post is an entry to get the next kit for free! We love to see what our friends and community make. Every kit comes with the same supplies but everybody's interpretation of the kit is wildly different. You will see so many unique styles from one kit!
Check out these finished jewelry designs from our Beach Bonfire Jewelry Making Kit - Finished Jewelry
Tips for Making Jewelry at Home
Creating a comfortable workspace can make your jewelry making experience more enjoyable. Use a clean, well-lit table where you can organize your beads and tools. A bead mat or bead board is a simple solution for organizing your beads while you are making jewelry. A bead mat will keep everything in one place and stop beads from rolling away. Bead boards have a channel to place your beads in, so you can lay out your design before you string it. Bead boards also tend to have measurements on them, so you can take the guesswork out of the length of your design.
If your love of beads expands into a full hobby, you should consider investing in bead organizers and containers. You can also look for furniture to accommodate your beading supplies. Having everything organized will make it easy to work on a project without getting distracted by messes. If you would like pro tips and help on organizing your beads, make sure you check out our Storage Solutions blog!
Here are a few additional tips:
- Start with simple projects. Learn how to make a simple necklace. This will teach you the basic techniques.
- Keep your supplies organized. Store beads, findings, and tools in separate containers.
- Experiment with color. Try unexpected color combinations to develop your own style. Check out our blogs from Margie Deeb!
- Practice basic techniques. Learn how to use crimping pliers with basic wire and crimps. Practicing makes it easy to master!
- Share your designs with us. Join our VIB Facebook Group. Our group is a great place for instruction and inspiration!
- Don’t worry about perfection. Handmade jewelry is special because it reflects your creativity.
Visit our Tips and Tricks page for quick answers to all of your questions!
FREE Handmade Jewelry Project Ideas & More | Find Us On YouTube!
Our YouTube Channel is a great place to find a little bit of everything. We have over a thousand videos with a bunch of innovative and informative tutorials. We have videos that highlight basic techniques, like crimping and stringing. We have videos that show you how to make Kumihimo jewelry designs, knitting spool jewelry, bead weaving, loom work, and so much more!
Our handmade holiday and ornament videos are among the most watched videos on our channel. Quit buying ornaments from the store and make creative decorations that come from the heart. Our stunning ornaments can become your family's favorite heirlooms. Unbox a wave of cozy nostalgia every time you decorate the tree!
We also feature tons of other videos. We love interviewing industry legends and learning about them. We have love throwing beading parties and making handmade jewelry with our friends and community. We are a part of The Great Bead Extravaganza , which is like joining a virtual bead show. Come check out our channel and learn all about jewelry design!
Start Making Jewelry at Home Today
You don’t need an elaborate studio or years of experience to begin making jewelry at home. Start with a few basic supplies, choose a simple project, and give yourself permission to experiment - check out the fun and HOT Pinterest Trend: “Cabbage Crush” jewelry (see the image above). Don't be afraid to break the rules. And failure is only going to make you a better designer. If you make a mistake, you can ALWAYS restring your design.
From colorful beaded bracelets and gemstone necklaces to handmade earrings and personalized gifts, DIY jewelry making offers endless opportunities to be creative. Gather your favorite beads, gemstones, charms, jewelry wire, findings, and tools, choose a project that inspires you, and start creating. Your next favorite piece of handmade jewelry could be something you make yourself!
Join our Facebook group – VIB. Stay in the know. Stay up to date. From our bead shows to our video shows and sales, you can stay in touch with us. The community is full of artistic and helpful beaders and crafty people. Inspire and be inspired. Share your pictures and get the beading bug from others!
Visit the Soft Flex Company YouTube Channel!
Blog contributor Thomas Soles loves Jazz Age writers and crunchy french fries. His favorite gemstones are Lapis and Pietersite. His favorite hobby is day dreaming. And his favorite mustache is Freddie Mercury's. As you can see, he has a healthy (or possibly unhealthy) sense of humor. You can write to him at Thomas@SoftFlexCompany.com