Five Jewelry Making Tools You Need in order to Start Making Jewelry
Have you ever wanted to make a piece of jewelry you would actually wear? I am sure you have thought it may be too difficult and there is just too many tools or thingy bobbers that you need to begin.
Today I am sharing with you the Five tools you need and will probably will ever need in making jewelry. I am sharing my exact tools and go items when it comes to making jewelry.
Making Jewelry should not be intimidating.
I know several people have told me that it just seem too difficult and is very time consuming to make jewelry. Yet, these people seem more interested in the craft than they let on. And it is probably because they don’t realize just how easy it is to start making jewelry.
Some jewelry pieces don’t even require any finishes or clasps. Just some simple beads and wire your fingers and make a wire cutter plier and you are good to go.
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It shouldn’t be a surprise that you only need a few basic items to begin. When shopping for these items make sure you do your homework. If you happen to already have one of the tools noted below, make sure its the right tool for the right job.
Half the time I’ve seen makers using a cutter to bend a wire or do something with the plier or tool and it is not quite the designed use of that tool. That mistake in itself is one thing that will make your jewelry making art possibly turn out wrong or wonky.
Nobody wants to wear a piece of jewelry that wears wonky.
Make sure you have the right tools for right job.
Tools that bend and hold
1). Round Nose. My number one favorite pair of pliers to use and is my go to for multiple jewelry making uses is a pair of round pliers. You can see what they look like here. These bad boys are kind of like your hand. They are a round nose straight gripping plier that basically acts as the base for all making.
I use these pliers to wrap wires, hold beading string or pull beading wire into place. I make wire loops around the plier round nose (hence the name of them) and while I mainly hold them in my left hand, they are base and go to plier.
2). Needle Nose. Next up is a pair of smooth jaw or needle nose pliers. These pliers are often confused with flat nose pliers. Flat nose pliers are not used a lot in my jewelry making, but they are a good tool to have when necessary. Needle nose pliers though are my right hand man so to speak when it comes to jewelry making, in fact I always hold them in my right hand. These babies do the work. They grab little itty bitty parts and wrap, twist, turn, pull and push flat lots of jewelry making bits and ends. You definitely need these in your jewelry making tool box.
Cutting jewelry wire and string
3). Flush Cutter. Every jewelry maker needs a flush cutter plier. My absolute favorite is the Windstorm flush cutter that is slightly angled. I linked the exact one I use. I know some will say a cutter is a cutter, but not in my book. It matter how well that cut truly is made and how close you can get that plier into the space it needs to go into make a very close cut in a tight area. In jewelry making this happens, and in my opinion the better the cutter, the better and more clean of a cut. I also believe that a good cutter some how folds or smashes the wire end just enough to avoid a non raw edge that doesn’t scratch of pick at the clothing of its wearer.
4).Crimping Tool. Every stringing jewelry maker needs a crimping tool Don’t make the mistake I did and skimp on this tool thinking you don’t need it. You can find one for $10 or less. If you are getting starting and buying these pliers in a kit, the kit most likely will be $10-$14 for the three pliers above, but it will not include a crimping tool. It is usually one you must buy separate.
And don’t be fooled either. There are some crimping 4-1 tools or pliers out there that act as all of the above pliers plus this tool in one. But here’s the deal, you can purchase that but then you can only use that tool in one hand, one function at a time. And well, most jewelry making techniques or pieces require a tool in each hand to properly fixate or attach jewelry findings together.
5. A designated space. That’s right. You need a designated space to make your jewelry. This can be your dining table or a desk preferable. They couch may not be as ideal as you can drop your beads or little pieces into your cushions and well that just ends up bad. But a table is really all you need where you can side and concentrate on what your hands and pliers are doing.
A good work space typically is a flat service. I like to lay a piece of felt fabric under my hands as my work spot to create a mat that prevents my beads from rolling around off the table. Theres bead mats and bead trays with numbers and grooves on them to help with designing your jewelry. But ideally you don’t need that a $0.50 cent piece of felt works great. I prefer using the color gray because its mostly different from your dining table or desk, and is not too dark to where you can see all your beads or findings.
That is pretty much it. The 4 basic jewelry making tools you need to get started making jewelry. Do you make jewelry? What’s your favorite go to tool to use?
Comments & Reviews
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