Prior to you making a start on any of the jewelry making projects, you will want to gather together some necessary jewelry making equipment, tools and jewelry materials, but after that the process of putting items together is not that hard.
Whilst there are home tools that can provide a basic foundation for almost any jewelry making, some methods call for more specialist tools.
I have listed the jewelry making accessories that I found essential below, along with a brief guide to what’s available at the best prices online.
Initially, I managed to find all of the jewelry making equipment I needed at the Amazon Jewelry Making Section. There are several Amazon sellers in this section, so to keep shipping costs down I decided to select just one or two and order all products from them. Over time reading through reviews and researching I narrowed it down to a few good Amazon sellers like Beadsmith, Beadaholique and Beadnova, they were all recommended for better quality and durability.
The jewelry making equipment I list below ought to be kept in your basic crafting box, close to hand, ready to be called upon whatever project you are putting together.
Jewelry Making Tool Kits
But it is possible to skip the list below and simply purchase a packaged tool kit. This is a great idea if you are just dipping a toe in the ‘jewelry making waters’ or if you are on a budget.
Amazon sellers have some great value starter tool kits, they have everything you need to begin and if you shop around you could find some with a selection of findings or a handy bead board.
- Tool kits are inclusive and usually very sensibly priced, making them an excellent for novice jewelry makers. When I was just starting my jewelry making adventure I could have used a set of smaller tools like these.
- The sets usually come in a handy little case and usually include round nose pliers, chain nose pliers, flat nose pliers, crimping pliers, knot cutter, thread cutter, knotting tweezers, split ring tweezers and side cutters.
- The handles on these tools are nice and comfy to grasp and the spring action also decreases repetitive straining after prolonged use.
Jewelry Pliers
A basic set of jewelry pliers includes round-nose pliers, chain-nose pliers along with flat-nose pliers. Spend money on the highest quality pliers within your budget because cheap pliers tend to lose alignment a lot more quickly compared to better quality versions.
Where To Buy: Jewelry pliers at Amazon
Crimping Pliers
Crimping pliers are also used to compress the crimp bead against the wire. A set of crimping pliers has two notches on the jaw, a mouth shaped notch to create your initial crimp as well as an O shaped notch that will round out the bead to create a properly formed secure end.
Where To Buy: Crimping pliers
Here’s how to use your crimping pliers.
- Thread the crimp onto the beading wire.
- Press the crimp shut using the holes closest to your crimping pliers handle. This gives your crimp a fold in the middle.
- Flatten the crimp with the holes closest to the pliers tip for a neat finish.
- Add a small holed bead and a crimp on the other side.
Learn how to make a homemade necklace
Wire Cutters and Tweezers
The flush cutter is helpful to snip the ends of the beaded strand when you’re finished. Some tweezers or Needle-Nosed Pliers can also be quite valuable for undoing knots or even in place of an awl when producing knots. Also check out another multi tool the needle nose pliers with a cutter
Other Jewelry Making Equipment You Might Need
- Findings – Simply just the metal parts that are used to construct your designs. Crimp beads, head pins and jump rings really are a must together with earring wires and clasps.
- Beads – There’s literally thousands of jewelry making beads available online. In fact most suppliers dedicate an entire section to the many styles and designs of beads.
- Threads and Wires – There are lots of jewelry making threads to pick from. Your choice is determined by the size as well as weight of the beads and pendants, the size of their holes and whether or not any of the thread will be left showing.
- Pendants and Charms – You can explore an awesome variety of finely crafted charms and pendants for jewelry making, offering a wide array of designs and concepts.
- Jewelry Kits – These kits are the simplest way to create expert looking jewellery and never have to purchase all the materials individually. Every kit comes with the parts that you need to create the piece.
- Tape Measure and Ruler – Accurate measuring is vital when cutting lengths of wire or thread.
- Craft knife and Cutting Mat – A sharp craft knife is usually called upon along with the cutting matt will certainly protect your work surface and offer an even surface to work on.
- Scissors – An essential item! I prefer to use embroidery scissors to cut the thread, you can find embroidery scissors on Amazon.