Tools of the Bead Jewelry Crafts
By: Gary Capps

Like any other art form, beading jewelry is a way in which you can express your creativity and originality. Your imagination, skill level and budget are the only limitations to what you can create. You can use patterns or design your own bead jewelry. As you become more experienced in working with the tools of the craft, you may even begin selling your beautiful earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces!

In addition to great beads, you need a few stringing and hand tools. At the minimum, you need a pair each of round nosed and flat nosed pliers, a crimping tool for fastening clasps to jewelry, wire cutters, jeweler’s tweezers for picking up and holding beads in place while you work with them, clasps, stringing materials and needles. Selecting beads for your project is the fun part! There are so many kinds! Glass beads, pearl beads, wooden beads, brightly colored plastic beads, beads made of semi-precious stones and metals, crystal beads, and the list goes on and on! In fact, just looking at beads can inspire the creation of original designs! But, getting your feet back on the ground, start simply and work your way up.

There are several different kinds of beading strings and wires. Some bead jeweler’s work almost exclusively with jeweler’s wire because it is easy to work with, durable and can be used with all but the smallest of beads. Another popular choice is silk thread. Silks come in vibrant gemstone colors and are used with small beads, such as pearls. Glass and other abrasive beads cut or fray silk, so avoid combining the two. Leather or rawhide string is often used in making necklaces and wrist and ankle bracelets with any type bead with a large enough hole. Like silk and nylon threads, leather stretches and works better with loosely fitting jewelry.

The best place to purchase bead jewelry supplies is through a wholesale supplier. On the Internet, you will find dozens of crafts supplies wholesalers from which to choose. By comparison shopping, you can find the best prices for the beads and supplies you need. Online wholesale catalogues provide color photos and brief descriptions of their products, and placing an order is simple. Crafts stores and discount stores are fun to shop, but their prices are marked up to retail prices and they just don’t have the room to display and carry a large selection of beads and jewelry supplies.

Your workspace should be comfortable, well-lighted and preferably isolated from the main parts of your home. Choose a comfortably high stool or chair and a spacious flat-topped work bench or table. You need sealable containers to keep your beads, small tools and supplies neatly organized and within easy reach. Other things you need storage space for are patterns, completed projects, and larger hand tools. One of the great things about having a separate workspace is that you can hang enlarged pictures of your favorite hand-made jewelry on the walls, make long strings of inexpensive beads, or allow your children to make them, to loop along a wall or from the ceiling or use any other decorations yow want! This makes your studio a comfortable, fun and inspiring place in which to make your bead jewelry!