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From times unknown, we had an eye and love for pretty little things and that has evolved with us. Then or now, we love jewellery. Well, who doesn’t? While expensive pieces certainly have a special place in our hearts and lockers, there’s much more fun and joy in wearing little trinkets. Call them artificial jewellery all you want, but there’s a certain charm (and of course a cool factor!) to handmade jewellery; Not just in wearing them or gifting them, but also in making them. Who knows, jewellery making at home could turn into your favorite hobby, or it could very well bloom into a business. 

So, Hey you, who’s out there! Whether you are trying your hand at homemade jewellery for yourself or your business, let’s get right on to the game. Shall we?

How to Make Jewellery at Home?

Let’s start at the very beginning—the fundamentals. If you want to get started right away, you can always buy a jewellery designing kit for beginners and get cracking. That’s a fun way, but you need to get a few things correct if you want to start from scratch. 

What Jewellery are You Making? 

Jewellery can mean various things; you could make earrings, necklaces, rings, pendants, bangles, anklets, bracelets, etc. You could decide to make a particular type, or you could decide to make them all. They can be minimalistic or they can be fancy. You can choose the style you like. If you’re planning to build a business, try to find a niche for your jewellery that would attract the right kind of customers.

Have You Decided on the Material? 

What do you want to make the jewelry from? You could choose from various materials such as beads, strings, crystals, kundans, macramé, metal, plastic, resin, wood, clay, and even paper. If you initially do not have an idea, you can surf the internet for different views. Follow the social media handles of fellow designers and see what inspires you. 

What Tools do You Need? 

Initially, jewellery making requires simple tools like wire cutters and pliers. Your household tools might not help you as you would need tools customized for this kind of work. As you start working, you would notice that even a single piece of jewellery sometimes might have 2-3 processes and they might need different tools. As a beginner, you would need the following essential tools:

• Wirecutter
• A set of various pliers
• Bending wires
• Ruler
• Pegboard

While buying these items is an investment, they don’t need to burn a hole in your pocket. You don’t need to get the premium-quality equipment, but take some time to scour local markets and amazon to find good quality tools. That should suffice.

Is it Time to Go Supplies Shopping? 

Now that you have settled on the type and material for your homemade imitation/artificial jewellery, it’s time to get your necessary supplies. Getting the right materials of good quality materials adds value to your jewellery and brings out how they look after finishing. So, you must get this step perfect. Apart from the raw material (in case you are using wood, resin, paper, etc), you would need

• Beads
• Strings
• Gauges wires (for bending)
• Clasps/Hooks
• Rings
• Pins
• Industrial strength glue

What Jewellery Making Techniques Should You Be Familiar With?

Now that you have your tools, supplies, and raw materials set with you. It’s time to get into practice. You need to first start by learning some fundamental jewellery making techniques. Your best sources would be Youtube and Pinterest, where you can find tutorials and step by step instructions for stringing, beading, cutting and bending wires, etc. There are tonnes of arts and crafts sites too for detailed steps. Of course, you can also go old school and join a workshop or simply buy a book and learn. 

Is There Anything Else to Keep in Mind?

There are a few things that you need to remember now:

Measurements – If you are making rings or bangles that come in different sizes, then it’s time to get acquainted with the measurements, take them, and implement them in your designs. 

Make a workspace – Now that you have started a highly rewarding and super creative hobby(or for some, it’s a business), you need to make yourself a dedicated space for jewellery making. Somewhere there’s enough space where you can keep your materials and work peacefully. Someplace where you don’t need to shift materials continuously. As jewellery making involves small parts, it might get frustrating if you are working in a make-shift workshop and while cleaning the mess, you miss a part or two. 

Practice. Practice. Practice – To become an expert, you need to perfect your craft, and for that, the most important thing is practice. It might take you a few failed attempts to get it right and fall into a rhythm. That also means some wasted material in the process. So, hang in there till you nail the process. 

Find your style – Once you have got the hang of the process, it’s time to experiment and innovate. Bring out the designer in you, explore the world for inspiration, go mad, you know, that’s how you would find your style. 

Think about future steps – If by now, this hasn’t fizzled out as a short time hobby, or you had a plan to start a business all along. Think about how you would start making profits from your homemade jewellery. This could be a lucrative side hustle for you or if you spend enough time and effort, this could be your next source of income. Regardless, you should at least have an online presence – could be a simple Facebook or Instagram page that showcases your designs. Better yet, a website. If that seems too big a step, you could register yourself with websites like Etsy to sell your handmade jewellery. But, hey it’s your choice. It’s always good to have a plan at hand right?

Happy with the step by step guide for jewellery making? Perhaps you want another step by step guide for specific jewellery making? Do let us know in the comments!