Start
a Work at Home Jewelry Business
Jewelry
making is an ideal way to start earning a little extra money from
home. You don’t need to spend a lot to get going. Initially
your circle of friends will be your customers. Your friends will
tell their friends, who will tell their friends, and so on and
so on.
Though
you may start with a kit or two for the learning experience, you
can’t rely on kits if you want to make money selling your
work. People will pay more for one-of-a-kind pieces. Plus, the
mark-up on kits is quite high because another artist has done
the design work for you. In other words, you can both charge more
and keep your costs lower if you design your work yourself. This
is how to maximize your profit.
A
good place to start is by flipping through magazines and catalogues.
Clip jewelry photos that appeal to you, along with price information
if available. Get a notebook and fill it with the pictures.
You’re
not going to copy them. This is just to give you ideas and get
your creative juices flowing. The pictures will also come in handy
when you can’t quite figure out how to do something you
have in mind – kind of like your own illustrated how-to
book.
There
are two easy to learn jewelry making methods to consider: beading
and wire sculpting, also know as wire wrapping.
Beading
requires little skill other than a good sense of design and the
materials are inexpensive.
Wire
sculpting or wire wrapping is not that much harder to learn, but
since you are dealing with gold, silver and genuine gemstones,
the materials cost a bit more. But the markup is much higher.
Tools
and Materials
Here’s
a list of tools you will need to start:
1.
Jewelers’ wire cutters - If you can only afford one pair,
get memory wire shears. These are designed to make clean cuts
on tough memory wire, so can also be used for softer wires.
2.
Chain-nose pliers (sometimes called needle-nose pliers) –
Very versatile for picking up and grasping small items, bending
eye pins, closing jumps rings, even closing crimp beads.
3.
Round-nose pliers – Used for creating loops on beaded head
and eye pins. Can also be used for winding your own jump rings
and as the second pliers you’ll need for closing jump rings.
4.
Optional pliers – Wire-looping pliers which have several
graduated circumferences to allow you to form perfectly uniform
jump rings and loops (in place of the round-nose pliers mentioned
above). Crimping pliers which have little notches to allow you
to both flatten a crimp bead and then bend it to form a rounded
finished look (instead of the flat crimp you get using the chain-nose
pliers).
As
for materials, I recommend some assortment packs of beads in coordinating
colors, some decorative metal spacers, seed beads in both silver
and gold (These can serve as spacers and beautifully set off your
other beads.), tube-shaped crimp beads (Buy the best you can find
– these are what hold it all together!), head and eye pins.
Other
than that, let your choice of project be your guide. You might
want some silver or pewter charms. For earrings, you would need
ear posts or wires or clip-on bases. For bracelets, you need memory
wire or stretchy cord or beading wire and clasps. For necklaces,
memory wire or beading wire, clasps and perhaps pendants.
A
bead board is a good idea too. Its ruled tracks help you measure
and lay out designs for bracelets and necklaces; as well as to
corral the beads you are working with at a given time.
For
jewelry projects and articles on how to start and run a craft
business, visit http://www.theartfulcrafter.com.
About
The Author
Eileen Bergen was a teacher and later a vice president for a major
financial institution. After being downsized, she has been running
a successful craft business as well as The Artful Crafter website
- http://www.theartfulcrafter.com.
eileen@theartfulcrafter.com
