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Jewelry Making TipsLove this website? Give us a "like"
Do you love tips and shortcuts? I know I do! If I can learn something that makes my life easier, I'm all over it. Bead Related TipsVintage Beads - Do you ever wish you could find more of a special vintage bead? Try making a copy out of polymer clay! Click here to learn how to make a polymer clay mold of your bead and how to make polymer clay copies. Handmade Beads - Learn how to make your best handmade beads. Bracelet Making TipsI had so many bracelet making tips, I put them together on a new page! Click here to go to Bracelet Making Tips Design TipsHow to Make an Adjustable Necklace Clasp - John D. shares how he solved a potentially pricy problem with a simple solution. Designing with Focal Beads - Simplicity is always your best way to go to show off a gorgeous focal bead. You want to showcase a focal bead, not strangle it. Try stringing it alone on a cord or chain, or with couple of complementary beads. Hemp TipsFurry Hemp Twine - Beeswax is a great conditioner for taming fuzzy twine. You can get beeswax from jewelry supply, craft, and sewing stores. To condition your twine, hold the beeswax firmly in one hand while pulling the length of twine along it. Run the twine a few times to lay a thin film of wax. The furriness should be a lot less noticeable now. Colored Hemp - The dying process makes colored hemp less durable and more prone to breakage than natural hemp. For longer lasting jewelry, always use natural hemp in conjunction with the more fragile colored hemp. Hemp Jewelry Care - Wearing hemp in the shower or while swimming will greatly shorten the life of your hemp jewelry. I found this out the hard way! Your hemp jewelry will last a lot longer if you take care not to get it wet. Metalworking TipsOxidizing with an Egg? - You might be surprised to know that you can antique your sterling silver jewelry with an egg! Here's how you do it: Chop up a boiled egg and place it in a baggie with your silver for a few hours or until the silver has darkened to your liking. It will turn yellow yellow then pinkish purplish bluish, then greyish blackish. Wash off the silver with soapy water, rinse and you are ready to go. Why does this work? The sulphur in the egg yolk causes the reaction. Don't freak out because your jewellery or wire has turned black if you do this! This is a good thing. Just shine it up with some steel wool and/or a polishing cloth. This technique is not very cost-effective in quantity but is great in a pinch. Polymer Clay TipsMaking Bead Holes in Soft Clay - Try using a sharp wooden skewer. Push the skewer into the bead until it makes a tiny dimple on the other side, but don't push it all the way through. Remove your skewer, then gently push it into the dimple you made, until your skewer comes out the other side. Voila! Doing it this two-step way, rather than pushing all the way through once, makes a nicer hole, and your bead is less likely to get distorted. Torch TipsBalling Wire - Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Wire Working TipsPractice Wire - New to wire work? Sterling silver wire is lovely to work with, but unless you're made of money, don't use it to practice with. Use inexpensive craft wire or copper wire from the hardware store instead. Ugly, Misshapen Loops? - Practice makes perfect! The first time you try to make loops using round-nosed pliers your work will probably be an ugly and misshapen. Everyone makes ugly misshapen things at first. Don't get discouraged. Just keep practicing. Here are some more loop-making tips:
Tip for tucking down little end pieces of wire - If you have crimping pliers, they are perfect for squooshing down the little bend of wire when making a super basic wire headpin or pressing down the end of a wire after making a wrapped eyepin or beadlink. Wire Bending Super Tip - This is the best tip ever. If you follow this rule, your work will improve by leaps and bounds:
Opening and Closing Loops, Links, and Jumprings - Always use a twisting motion with your plier holding hand (like twisting a doorknob) to open links, loops, and jump rings. If you pull the loop "out", you'll never be able to twist it back into shape. Emergency Wire Cutters - submitted by Rory
More awesome-possum wire working tips can be found here. Having Trouble Crimping? How to Crimp
Shopping Tip for Hypoallergenic Wire If you go to a welding supply store you can buy .9 MM (20 gauge) alloy 4043 aluminum wire in a spool of 1 pound at $9 US and make hypoallergenic ear wires. They work just like sterling silver and look the same but are so light. Gift-Giving TipsJewelry Gift Card Idea: Fion of Making-Birthday-Cards submitted this great tip. Why not combine a card and gift in one? Want to make a jewelry gift birthday card like this one too? Click here to learn the know-how at Making-Birthday-Cards.com. The Pre-Gifting Jewelry Test: Thinking of giving jewelry as a gift? Wear the jewelry for a day. You'll see if it hangs properly and feels comfortable, if your workmanship seems durable, and if clasps stay closed. Submit Your Own TipDo you have a tip to share? Click here to send it to me! I'll put it up on this website and mention it on my blog too.
Of course, you don't have to submit a website link. Please don't feel you need to have a website to submit a tip!
Did you enjoy this article? Please give it a "like" to let us know ~Christine
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