Pretty Jewelry Set
By: Mia Cronan
Difficulty: Medium
Age: 8 & up
Parental supervision is recommended
;)
This sweet bracelet, necklace and earrings set is sure to please your mother, favorite aunt, Grandma or preteen-to-teenage daughter. They sparkle, glisten, and work as a great gift for any occasion.
For more great wearable gifts visit our main handmade jewelry page. Need more info on how to make jewelry? Get First-time Jewelry making Tips.
What you'll need:
- One or two large heart pendants (one for the necklace, one for the bracelet). If you don’t want to use a heart, you can also substitute with any large pendant to suit any season.
- Miscellaneous glass beads, spacers and crimping beads in varying shades of your choice
- Two sets of closure clasps
- One earring-making kit
- Coordinating bead stringing wire
- Needle-nose pliers
- Scissors
- Two spring clips (to block the ends of the wire while stringing)
- A clean white towel (for laying beads on)
How to make it:
For the necklace and bracelet:
- Prepare: Cut a 20 inch piece of wire for the necklace and a 10 inch piece for the bracelet.
- Lay out the beads: Beginning with the large pendant heart in the middle, experiment with your layout on the towel before stringing them. We like to decrease the bead size as we move towards the ends.
- String the beads: Block one end of the 20 inch piece of wire with the spring clip. Begin stringing the beads onto the other end of the wire as they’re laid out, making sure that once you string the heart pendant, you use the opposite layout going back the other way. When all the beads are strung, block the other end with a spring clip. Repeat these steps with the 10 inch bracelet wire.
- Add the closures: After you’ve put a crimping bead on one end, string one half through the closure, bend the wire and string it back down the opposite way (through the crimping bead). Use your needle-nose pliers to crimp it tightly in place. Repeat this process on the other end of the wire.
For the earrings: Using four or five smaller beads for each earring, thread the beads on the straight pin. Place the pin through the hole of the earring hook, then bend it down with your pliers so it’s wrapped around the straight part of the pin as many times as it takes to close the wires.
Tips:
- It’s better to cut too much wire than not enough, as you can always reduce the length later, either before or after crimping the clasps onto the pieces.
- Keep your supplies well organized and use good room lighting will help in creating your jewelry.
- There aren’t any right or wrong selections for bead layouts. It is a matter personal preference!
- All of the supplies mentioned are available at most craft stores, as well as specialty beading stores.
