Jewelry-Making Resources

Created by: Rita Hutchinson 1. The extra jump rings used when hanging the cluster of charms on this necklace help keep the spiral charm facing forward. 2. For instructions on making beaded head pin loops, and the best way to open and close jump rings, see Basic Jewelry-Making Technique Sheet (PDF)

Created by: Rita Hutchinson 1. Start with plenty of 26-gauge wire, and anchor wire to one side of arc connector. Add 4mm beads and extra lashes between each bead. Finish off the end with additional anchor lashing. Tighten anchor lashes with pliers.

Created by: Mollie Valente 1. Use a steel burnisher to carefully smooth (burnish) the prongs down onto the rivoli stone in the bezel setting. 2. For step-by-step instructions on setting a crystal stone in a bezel, see below.

Created by: Michelle Horning 1. For step-by-step instructions on creating macramé jewelry, see How to Macramé a Hemp Bracelet. 2. A choker will usually fit as a double wrap bracelet on most people. Double the amount of working and anchor cord in the original (blog) tutorial for this project.

Learn a simple and sparkling way to make bangle bracelets with hex wire. No soldering or wire wrapping required! Created by: Rita Hutchinson 1. Unroll and straighten enough wire for all bracelets you plan to make. Add an extra few inches of wire, as the ends won’t be twisted, and the total length will shrink a tiny bit.

Created by: Mollie Valente 1. The Complete Metalsmith provides a useful chart for selecting saw blades. 2. Use rubber cement to adhere a paper Scottie dog pattern to the brass. Saw the design out. File the metal to shape. 3.Repeat process with patterned brass heart.

Created by: Polly Nobbs-LaRue 1.Unspool approximately 26" of copper wire. Pull it smooth with flat nylon-jaw pliers. 2.Trim the end neatly (flush) with flush cutters. 3.Use ring-bending pliers to make as many equal sized coils as you can easily fit on the pliers.

Created by: Polly Nobbs-LaRue 1.Unspool approximately 20" of copper wire. Pull it smooth with flat nylon-jaw pliers. 2.Trim the end neatly (flush) with flush cutters. 3.Coil the wire around a 14-20mm round mandrel, looping pliers, or bail-making pliers.

Created by: Cindy Morris 1. String necklace and finish ends following directions in Beading Cable How-to Sheet below. Use Wire Guardians for a professional finish at the ends of your beading cable. When using soft solder, you can use either a soldering iron or a gentle touch with a butane micro torch.

Created by: Rita Hutchinson 1. Clean both parts with alcohol and allow to dry. Apply flux to key points on the back of the scarab, and then apply small dots of solder to these points using soldering iron. 2. Add flux to the flat side of the money clip. Set money clip in pumice, arranging so that the top of the clip is level. Set the scarab on top of the clip in desired location.

This project uses durable, springy memory wire as the base, and 26-gauge dark blue Artistic Wire as an accent. Created by: Amy Mickelson 1. Use heavy-duty cutters to cut memory wire. 2. Lashing the beads onto the memory from the center outward allows you to keep half of the wire needed on the spool, making the wire wrapping easier to manage.

Created by: Polly Nobbs-LaRue 1. Jewelry Lab: 52 Experiments, Investigations and Explorations in Metal has a great tutorial on fold forming. 2. To make a matching pair of earrings, cut 2 squares or rectangles of silver sheet, and fold each in half as precisely as possible. Use a nylon hammer to flatten the fold. Then cut a design (half an oval, half a teardrop, etc.) out of paper, and use the template to trace and cut out matching shapes on the folded edge of each piece of metal.

Created by: Amy Mickelson 1. Cut the metal sheet to the desired size. File the edges smooth and punch holes in corners and on the bottom. Sand the surfaces and clean. 2. Place inked rubber stamp on flat surface, ink side up. Press the metal piece onto stamped image and remove.

Wear safety glasses when cutting, drilling or punching. Lay out pattern; carefully set aside, away from your hammering surface. Decide the size rivets you'll need for each hole. This depends on two factors. The watch parts: Some have a large hole and will only work with larger gauge wire and/or in combination with other gears or beads used as spacers or fillers. Others have a small hole or are too hard to punch with the plier punch. The plier punch can...

Created by: Polly Nobbs-LaRue 1. This simply strung repeating pattern necklace has a finished length of 18"". The wavy disk beads give the design extra dimension and texture.

Created by: Mollie Valente 1. Select and clean two matching glass pieces. 2. Select an image and cut it to match the glass shape and size. 3. Carefully wrap the glass with copper-foil tape. To create a tight seal, burnish the foil to the glass (a Sharpie pen handle makes a great burnishing tool).

Created by: Summer Melaas. 1. Cut about a foot of wire and place the wire almost 3/4 of the way in the hole of the feather. 2. Cross wires over each other above the top of the feather. Bend the shorter one straight up...

This simple project features Swarovski crystal rivoli stones and 1-time adjustable ring blanks with a bezel setting. Created by: Amy Mickelson 1. Place the correct size of rivoli stone in the corresponding size of ring bezel setting.