Whether you’ve got old jewels and you want to breathe new life into them or you have been looking to flex your creative muscle, making your own jewelry can be a very rewarding experience. But what do we need to know about this?
Think About What You Want to Achieve
While ambition can certainly get the better of us, especially with regard to a completely new skill, it’s important to remember that while there will be mistakes along the way, we can all benefit from visualizing that final product. Whether you’ve been looking for a ring to house your elegant oval lab diamonds or there’s a few pearls that you would like to incorporate into a whole new necklace, that final product gives you a road map.
Start Simple
If you’re completely new to the art of jewelry making, you need to look at those basic techniques. Attaching clasps or stringing beads needs to be refined first before you start exploring the more advanced techniques such as resin casting or wire wrapping. The road to making a piece of jewelry can be frustrating but also fulfilling in equal measure. This is why it’s so important to start with the basics to get your confidence levels up.
Understand the Right Tools and Techniques
Lots of people think that making jewelry is simple, and it totally depends on the type of jewelry you want to make. There will be tools like wire cutters or bead boards that could be essential to you, and when you have the right tools, the process is going to go much smoother. Likewise, there are different techniques that will require practicing and refinement. It’s about finding the things that you enjoy. If you have a grand vision for a pearl necklace but you don’t get along with the technique, it might be worth handing this over to a specialist instead. It should be an enjoyable process, and if you find that you need to get your head around a certain aspect, there are plenty of online tutorials that can give you step-by-step guides.
Be Patient
It is a very precise practice with great attention to detail. If you are hoping to create an intricate design or something very delicate straight out of the gates, you may find yourself disappointed. It’s about making sure that you take your time and gradually increase those abilities to give you the confidence, but also remember that it is not a race. You need to get to the end but in your own time. Likewise, if you make mistakes and something doesn’t turn out as you expected, just keep on keeping on.
Like any form of crafting, it is a creative outlet. It’s important that we enjoy the process and experiment. Making jewelry allows you to experiment with different styles so you can find the thing that resonates with you. Lots of people put pressure on themselves, but instead be patient, practice, and above all else be creative, and this will result in something that you will be proud to wear.
