Getting Started:
How to Make Jewelry for Beginners
Wondering how to start making your own jewelry?
Our ‘Build Your Foundation’ series is perfect for you!
This beginner level jewelry making journey in the Jewelry Classes with Jen Learning Center will prepare you with the fundamental skills you need to make jewelry you are proud to wear.
It’s our way of welcoming new makers into the fold & setting you up for success so you can enjoy the experience of making your own jewelry.
You may find this series beneficial even if you already know how to make jewelry. Our lessons are more comprehensive than most and the fundamental skills are explained in detail throughout the progression.
‘Build Your Foundation’ serves as a practical guide on how to make jewelry for beginners.
The art of making jewelry encompasses a lot of various skills. It can be intimidating and overwhelming, but the learning curve is simplified with this framework of fundamental lessons and projects.
Like all our jewelry making journeys within the Jewelry Classes with Jen Learning Center, we’ve organized a progression of stylish jewelry making projects to guide you on a creative journey building your skillset in tandem with your supplies, reference, and tool collection.
For this series, the curriculum is organized in an array of categories, and within each category there’s a progression of lessons designed to expand your exposure to skills within that category. With each category there’s a description of the tools and supplies needed along with a series of fundamental lessons and stylish projects you can get started making. Each of the projects builds on your foundation of skills slowly increasing in difficulty.
After each lesson, you can choose to move ahead in that category or skillset, OR you can jump to the next category if you are ready to add to your tools and supplies.
Here’s a sample of the outline for our Beginner Jewelry Making Journey – ‘Build Your Foundation’:
Category 1) Assembly (Opening and Closing Jump Rings) / Chain Maille
Jewelry is typically assembled with round links or “jump rings”. You commonly find them near the clasps of necklaces or linking various components together. When they are assembled in a linear length, we think of it as a chain. And there is also a myriad of ancient recipes that assemble them in decorative patterns referred to as chain-maille. The most recognizable form is called wide chain maille which was used to form the mesh for the old suits of armor.
You only need 2 pairs of pliers and a bead mat …
This is a fabulous place to begin your journey of learning to make jewelry because it only requires two pairs of pliers, yet you can make a large array of wonderful projects as you improve. Plus, it’s used throughout the art form of crafting jewelry from beading to gold-smithing. This is a skill you will want to master!
Check out how descriptive our videos are now!
You can watch the first 4 lessons for free:
If you become a member of the Jewelry Classes with Jen Learning Center, then you’ll have access to this high level of instruction for the following projects:
Build Your Foundation - Assembly: Jump Ring Earrings
Make these stylish silver dangle earrings using large scale and heavy weight jump rings.
Build Your Foundation - Assembly: Simple Silver Chains
Learn how to measure and cut just the right size commercial chain and assemble with jump rings for easy stackable necklaces.
Build Your Foundation - Assembly: Byzantine Earrings
Make these impressive dangle earrings using a beginner chain maille technique to assemble jump rings.
Build Your Foundation - Assembly: Byzantine "Y" Chains
Explore different ways to connect Byzantine style chain maille in a Y pattern for necklaces.
Build Your Foundation - Assembly: Cleopatra Chain Bracelet
Learn the basics of assembling Cleopatra style chain maille as you make this fabulous bracelet.
Build Your Foundation - Assembly: Cleopatra-style Alternating Chain Bracelet
Add interest to the Cleopatra style chain maille by alternating rings.
Build Your Foundation - Assembly: Cleopatra-style Alternating Chain Bracelet with Beads
Go for the WOW factor by adding beads! This pattern is a play on Calypso chain.
Build Your Foundation - Assembly: Cleopatra-style Alternating Chain Earrings with Beads
Utilize the assembly skills you learned making matching bracelets to make these fabulous matching earrings.
Category 2) Working with Sheet – Creating Customized Jewelry Components
Are you ready to start creating your own customized jewelry components?
Working with the metal and adding your own unique twist is very fulfilling. And, when paired with your assembly skills, the jewelry you make will surely impress your family and friends! For many this is where it really starts to feel like you are actively ‘making’ jewelry as opposed to just assembling.
There’s just a small collection of jewelry making essentials you’ll need for this series. You’ll find that much of this list is common to have on-hand for anyone who makes jewelry though, so it’s the next sensible addition to your arsenal. Each lesson in this progression is organized to help you accrue additional supplies in an incremental fashion.
There are multiple ways to enhance a simple piece of sheet…
- You can add color or showcase depth using patinas
- You can add texture with a hammer
- You can cut custom shapes using a jeweler’s saw
Get started and learn how to add a patina on copper jewelry for free:
Members of the Jewelry Classes with Jen Learning Center, also have access to further discover how to design jewelry using this patina technique:
