Introduction to Beading: How to Get Started Making Beaded Jewelry for Beginners

As you peruse the many beads available for jewelry making today, you can’t help but feel like a kid in a candy store. All of the colors, sizes, shapes, and textures make you want to dive right in and start stringing beads left and right. There’s only one problem: You have no idea how to go about getting started.

The great news? Getting started with making beaded jewelry is a lot easier than you may think. And the sooner you get started with making beaded jewelry for beginners, the sooner you can experience its many benefits. For instance, it’s fun, it allows for creative expression, and it’s a practical way to add beauty to your wardrobe.

Whether you’re interested in making simple beaded jewelry for pleasure or business, here’s a guide on making beaded jewelry for beginners, which will point you in the right direction from the start.

Obtain the Right Supplies

If you want to excel at making beaded jewelry for beginners, it’s critical that you have the right materials on hand from the start. For instance, you’ll need to have pliers, such as flat-nose and round-nose pliers. In addition, you should add a tape measure or ruler to your jewelry making arsenal.

Another important beaded jewelry making tool to invest in is a beading cord. For example, you can use Griffin silk cord as well as Griffin NylonPower bead cord to start stringing your beads. These cords come with their own flexible needles attached for your convenience, as well. NinjaCord is another great addition to your supply stash for making beaded jewelry for beginners, as it is a top-tier, durable elastic cord used to create bracelets.

Also, don’t forget to add the following items to your supply collection for making simple beaded jewelry:

• Toggle clasps
• Cabochons
• Earring hoops
• Earwire
• Ear nuts
• Bead caps
• Jump rings
• Gemstone rosary chains

You’ll also need to buy the beads themselves if you’re trying to get started with making beaded jewelry for beginners. For instance, look for gemstone beads, crystal beads, and glass beads. These types of beads feature higher-end and more stunning finishes for your jewelry pieces compared with their less expensive plastic and Lucite options.

Finally, be sure to purchase containers with compartments, as these will help you to easily store your many beads and retrieve them as needed. With the containers, you can sort your beads by bead type, color, and size to make them simple to find.

Birthstone Creations

If you’re specifically going to create birthstone jewelry for yourself or your customers, it’s paramount that you understand which precious stones match with each month. Here’s a rundown on the various types of beads and/or connectors, pendants, tassels, rosary chains, and charms you should use for different months as you embark on making beaded jewelry for beginners.

• Garnet for January
• Amethyst for February
• Aquamarine for March
• Diamond for April
• Emerald for May
• Moonstone for June
• Ruby for July
• Peridot for August
• Sapphire for September
• Tourmaline for October
• Citrine for November
• Zircon for December

Understand Lingo for Jewelry Making

Another important part of getting started with making beaded jewelry for beginners is to have a good grasp of the lingo and standards used in the industry.

For instance, note that if you want to make a woman’s collar necklace, your necklace creation should be between 12 inches and 13 inches long. Here’s a look at the standard lengths of the other types of women’s necklaces you may want to create:

• Rope necklace: 35 inches or longer
• Opera necklace: 25 inches to 34 inches long
• Matinee necklace: 20 inches to 24 inches
• Princess necklace: 17 inches to 19 inches
• Choker necklace: 14 inches to 16 inches

Note, though, that if you’re making a choker necklace for a man or a child, the length should be 18 inches and 8 to 10 inches, respectively. Likewise, any other necklace should ideally be 20 inches long for a man and 12 to 14 inches long for a child.

Also, if you’re interested in creating bracelets, note that a bracelet should be the following sizes for various wearers:

• Women: 7 to 7.5 inches
• Men: 8 to 11 inches
• Children: 5.5 inches to 6.5 inches

In the same manner, if you’re wanting to create your own anklet, here is how long it should be depending on who is wearing it:

• Women: 9 to 9.5 inches
• Men: 11 to 14 inches
• Children: 7 to 8 inches

When you’re making simple beaded jewelry, keep in mind that the above are all standard lengths. For a commissioned piece for a customer, it may behoove you to take custom measurements to ensure that your jewelry creation will fit perfectly for your customer.

Start Making Lovely Beaded Jewelry Today!

If you’re serious about getting started with making beaded jewelry for beginners, now is the perfect time to partner with us at BeadsVenture. We’ll gladly be your jewelry supply provider, as we offer a wide range of beads and jewelry components to make any avid jewelry maker job’s easier and more enjoyable.

For instance, you can explore all of our gemstone beads and crystal beads for making simple beaded jewelry. We also provide a wide variety of metal beads that you can easily pair with their gemstone counterparts. Or, you could add our many alluring wood beads and seed beads to your collection. Whatever vision you have for that next jewelry piece, chances are that we’ve got the components you need to make it happen.

Get in touch with us today to learn more about making beaded jewelry for beginners. We’ll help you to order top-quality supplies for turning your jewelry visions into reality.