Hot Tips for Jewellery making

Use beads that blend and match well with each other to make the best use of your budget and maximise profit if you are selling later.

When using clasps always start with the same end, e.g. the toggle of the toggle and loop. It is very easy to end up with a a necklace with two toggles or two loops.  Another way to solve this one is take ou one toggle and one loop.  Put the others away somewhere else until that necklace is finished.

Keep your jump rings, earwire loops and other loops in shape and get them to close correctly by opening sidways.

Have you knocked all the beads and components onto the floor.  Not yet, then you are licky.  Stick a tray, box or sided container to the table with blu tack or double sided tape.  Put the beads and findings in the tray / box.  Also stops the beads from trying to escape by rolling away.

When you are buying beads remember artificial light can make quite a difference. Internet pictures can be even worse – taken in artificial light or flash and colour adjusted.  We take our pictures in natural daylight, however sometimes we have to brighten them – you do not want to see a dark blob!

You do not want your jewellery creating allergic reactions or worse.  Be sure that your metal components (findings) are EU nickel compliant? All of ours are. This is now an EU directive and you must not sell any items of jewellery that are not nickel compliant. Cheap findings on the internet that originate outside the EU may not be compliant.  Beware.

Hand made Jewellery makes great presents for family and friends. They get something that you have made with your care and thought.  However it can be highly embarrasing when they get the same thing twice. . Mobile phone camera and internet photo libraries makes it easy to record who got what designs and when.

Save time and frustration by making necklaces once not twice. Leave more Tiger Tail than you think you need to finish off a necklace when you cut it to length.

You have spent time designing and making your jewellery.  Good display enhances the quality further. Boxes make a vast difference.  Take a photograph to remind you exactly how you made it.

You do not want your necklaces to come apart so you crimp them well. The crimp may look untidy since crimps take some skill to make them secure and look good. Using crimp covers hides untidy but secure crimps.  Neat finishing underlines the quality of your designs and work.