How to Use Knitting to Make Jewelry-Wonder Knitter Tool Tutorial

Mar 092018
 

I have to admit when I first started seeing ribbons, sari silks and other fibers in jewelry I didn’t really care for the look. But, like with so many trends, these things tend to grow on you.

Now I’ve gone completely over the bend, using a tool intended for knitting yarn cords in my jewelry!

ff wonder knitter

One thing that’s interesting about this style is the contrast between the soft fibers and the hard metal findings. It’s also unusual and unexpected, and then there’s all that texture, which I love.

Of course, if you don’t care for the fibers you can still trying knitting with wire. 

That’s really fun, and the results are SO different.

By the way, in the video I mention that I had trouble with knitting strips of sari silk. While I was putting away the materials from this video I decided to give it one more try.

I turns out that the piece I was working with was more stiff and the fabric was thicker than most of the other strips, hence my problems. Knitting with soft, supple, lightweight sari strips isn’t hard at all! And the results are beautiful. Definitely worth a try.

Tools and Materials:

Enjoy the video and happy creating!

Watch the How to Use Knitting to Make Jewelry-Wonder Knitter Tool Tutorial video at YouTube.

What’s Inside the Facet Jewelry Boxes? Beads & Findings Kits Right To Your Door!

Mar 022018
 

Although it’s ultimately more satisfying to create your own designs, I’ve found that putting together a project from a kit can be fun and relaxing.

The folks at Facet Jewelry offered to send me the two boxes from their new jewelry box subscription service so I could show them to you and let you know my thoughts.

ff facet jewelry boxes

Each box contains two projects and you can choose boxes that have either stitching or stringing projects. They cost $24.95 per box, but go down to as low as $23 if you opt for a longer subscription.

I love that shipping to the United States is included in the price! If you are outside the U.S. shipping is $9 flat rate per box.

In the video I’ll show you the (mostly) completed projects, and give my thoughts on the designs,  materials and instructions.

Pros:

  • excellent instructions
  • a nice instruction booklet that you can use for future projects
  • a few extras of the bits that you might need more of, like head pins, crimps & crimp covers
  • good for beginners

Cons:

  • not very good quality materials
  • no stringing in the “stringing” box
  • no choice of colors
  • projects are quite basic

As I mention in the video, two of the things I put in the “cons” category could be good qualities. It might push us out of our comfort zones to not always get to work with our favorite colors. And sometimes doing a very simple, basic project can be a soothing break while still being busy crafting.

If you’d like to learn more check out Facet Jewelry Boxes. Don’t forget to use the code “FACET” for 10% off your first order.

I received these two boxes for free from Facet Jewelry in exchange for a review. All opinions shared are my honest feelings about their products.

Watch the What’s Inside the Facet Jewelry Boxes? Beads & Findings Kits Right To Your Door! video at YouTube.

Beaded Briolette Earrings-Seed Bead & Crystal Drops Jewelry Tutorial

Feb 202018
 

Wire wrapping briolettes is a classic technique for making them into dangles, and they look lovely, but sometimes it’s nice to find a different way of doing things.

In today’s video I show a simple technique for dangling and accenting briolettes and other top drilled bead & pendants with seed beads.

beaded briolettes cover

You can make these as long as you like, and accent them with any beads you want.

Although I turned mine into a pair of earrings, you could just as easily make a necklace pendant, dangles for a fringe or even for a bracelet.

Tools and Materials:

Watch the Beaded Briolette Earrings-Seed Bead & Crystal Drops Jewelry Tutorial video at YouTube.

Faux Ceramic Bead Bracelet Part 1-Polymer Clay Jewelry Tutorial

Jan 172017
 

I’ve always been a fan of these half and half style bracelets. Perhaps it’s because you can cram so much into one small piece of jewelry: multiple strands of beads, interesting and artistic focals, and even a fancy hand forged clasp.

faux ceramic bracelet cover pt 1

In today’s video I will show you how to make the faux ceramic bead and the textured round bead. If you are intrigued by the faux ceramic look it may be worth your while to do some experimenting with other liquid polymers and other coloring media such as oil paints.

In this video I don’t show you how to make the swirly lentil bead, because that’s truly a project in and of itself. But here are a few tutorials, some basic and some quite detailed, that show you how you can make your own. If you don’t want to bother just find a lovely purchased bead or one from your stash.

In next week’s video I will show you how to make the decorative copper hook clasp and how to string it all together.

Tools and Materials:

Enjoy the video and happy creating!

Watch the Faux Ceramic Bead Bracelet Part 1-Polymer Clay Jewelry Tutorial video at YouTube.

Choosing & Using Hook Clasps-Friday Findings

Nov 182016
 

ff hook clasps

You can be certain that one of the first purchases a new jewelry creator will make is for some kind of clasp, unless all they ever plan to make are earrings.

Hook clasps are one of the most basic closures for bracelets and necklaces, but there are many variations on the theme. In today’s video I’ll show you several examples of types of hook clasps, give you some tips for purchasing them, and also show examples of different ways you can use these findings, sometimes not as clasps at all!

clasp

This clasp by Karisma by Kara’s Etsy shop is nice enough to use as a focal point.

Here are a few of the clasps I showed in the video as well as a few others I think would be fun to use.

Enjoy the video and happy creating!

Watch the Choosing & Using Hook Clasps-Friday Findings video at YouTube.

Silver & Gold Crystal Pendant-Video Jewelry Tutorial

Nov 152016
 

silver & gold crystal pendant cover

Today’s necklace began when I realized that my rhinestone spacers were silver plated while the cup chain that I wanted to use was gold in color. Most of the time I always feel like I have to use all gold or all silver and not mix them, but then I realized that the holidays are coming, It was then that I started hearing Burl Ives singing “Silver and Gold” from Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, and knew what I had to do. 🙂

So here’s a classy, sparkly and really quick to put together necklace for you today.

In the video I show how you can use the same design to make earrings or even turn it into a bracelet.

Tools and Materials:

  • Rhinestone cup chain, 6 to 10 inches
  • 3 eye pins
  • 2 3 hole 20mm spacer bars
  • 3 cup chain connectors
  • 9 5 to 6 mm brass or gold beads
  • Necklace chain and clasp
  • Round nose pliers
  • Chain nose pliers
  • Wire cutters

Enjoy the video and happy creating!

Watch the Silver & Gold Crystal Pendant-Video Jewelry Tutorial at YouTube.

Sedona Bracelet Part 2- Jewelry Video Tutorial

Nov 082016
 

sedona bracelet cover pt 2

This week brings the second part in how to make this bracelet. I really had a lot of fun using my scrapbooking dies and embossing folders to shape and decorate these copper pieces.

In today’s video I show you how to make a “tornado toggle” to finish up your bracelet closure. It’s really simple to do, a lot of fun and has great impact.

tornado toggle

This closure with its embossed copper flower and tornado toggle would look fantastic as the focal point of a necklace. Simply have the chain go around the neck, and then perhaps punch another hole in the flower to add a dangle to keep it everything weighted and hanging nicely.

Yes, the list of supplies is long, but if you’ve been crafting for a while you may already have many of them. And if you plan to continue making jewelry you will find uses for them for a long time to come.

Tools and Materials:

If you need more detail on some of the techniques mentioned, these videos will be helpful:

Enjoy the video and happy creating!

Watch the Sedona Bracelet Part 2- Jewelry Tutorial at YouTube.

Sedona Bracelet Jewelry Video Tutorial – Part 1

Nov 012016
 

sedona bracelet cover pt 1

This week’s jewelry project is one that I have had in mind for quite a long time, but I wasn’t sure if it would work the way I thought it would.

I have cut the occasional piece of metal with my die cutting machine, but just wasn’t sure if the Big Kick would be up to the pressure (pun intended!) or if it plain wouldn’t work.

The embossing folders worked out far better than expected. I had pictured the plastic pieces losing to the metal and me ending up with ruined embossing folders, but the embossed metal actually came out quite nice.

The class that I mention in the video is Micro Torch Basics by Kate Richbourg. It’s free and definitely worth watching!

The materials list is rather long this week, but they are all basic jewelry making supplies and you will be able to use them on many other things for years to come.

Tools and Materials:

If you need more detail on some of the techniques mentioned, these videos will be helpful:

Enjoy the video and happy creating!

Watch the Sedona Bracelet Jewelry Video Tutorial – Part 1 at YouTube.