Organic Style Copper Jewelry Bezels - Step By Step Video Tutorial

I'm so happy to be able to share a brand new step by step jewelry tutorial with you! 

I am just crazy about these beautiful organic style copper jewelry bezels and I was so excited to create a DIY tutorial for you so that you can make them too! 

There's something about the warm tones of copper and the imperfect, "organic" style of jewelry that is crafted completely by hand that I just love. 

These bezels can be filled with all types of goodies - think resin with embedded beads, bits of vintage fabric or glass, stones or gems or even paper. What would you fill them with? Well maybe I am getting ahead of myself because we have to create them first! But the great news is that even though they may look difficult to make, they really are quite easy.

All you will need are a few simple, basic tools and materials, and a small butane torch. If you have only ever made soldered jewelry with a soldering iron, this is the perfect project for you to learn how to solder with a small torch. If you've never used a torch before, never fear! It's easy and not scary at all, I promise! 

Below are a few photos from the tutorial, but you can watch the entire video for free on my YouTube channel!

Enjoy the tutorial and I'd love to know how your bezels turn out, so be sure to leave me a comment on the video on YouTube - or any questions you may have as well - and don't forget to subscribe!

Oh, and be sure to check back for my next video, where we will transform these bezels into completely unique, one of a kind pieces of jewelry!

Join me on YouTube and be sure to Subscribe! 

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What do you think? 

Have a great week!

Laura

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Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2020 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link corrections please leave correct info in comment area.

How To Make A Pair Of Ear Wires For Earrings

If  you are not already making your own ear wires for earrings then you need to watch this ear wire tutorial now! Making your own earwires is easier than you might think, and with a little bit of instruction and practice, you will be turning out your own handcrafted earrings in no time at all. 

This beginner technique is essential to jewelry making. If you're a complete beginner it may seem a bit daunting at first, but I promise, it's not at all as hard as it might seem. The tools and materials you need are minimal and are basic jewelry making tools that are essential to jewelry making, so once you invest in them you will use them for all sorts of jewelry making techniques and projects. 

For this tutorial you will need:

Round nose pliers (sometimes called rosary pliers)

Chain nose pliers

Wire cutters (aka wire cutting pliers)

*Wire straightening pliers

*A ball peen hammer (you can improvise with a different hammer you have at home if you do not yet own a ball peen hammer)

*A steel bench block (another thing you can improvise on if you do not yet own one)

A ruler

24 gauge wire 

*A note on the tools:

The round nose pliers and wire cutters are essential tools but you can easily improvise with a different hammer if you do not yet own a ball peen hammer. 

Same goes for the steel bench block; you can hammer on another hard surface until you acquire a bench block. 

The wire straightening pliers are a great tool to have and really are useful, so if you do not have a pair, put them on your list to get in the future, as they will make working with wire SO much easier and will make your work look much more professional, but you do not need them to learn how to make earwires. 

For this video tutorial, I used 24 gauge sterling silver wire but when you are just starting out and learning you should use inexpensive craft wire or copper wire (you can buy both at most craft stores and watch for those coupons!) Save the expensive precious metal wire for when you perfect your techniques and practice on the inexpensive stuff!

Did you know that you can also buy copper wire in many different gauges at your local hardware store? Check it out the next time you visit, and take note of the prices. When I first started out with jewelry making and wire work, I bought myself a wire stripper and a few spools of different gauge wire at my local Home Depot and paid only a fraction of the cost that jewelry catalogs charged for wire. 

The wire that I bought was plastic coated, so the wire strippers were essential to easily removing the plastic coating from the wire. Be careful though, those buggers are sharp! 

Check out the tutorial video below, or watch it directly from my YouTube channel.

Enjoy the tutorial and I'd love to know how your ear wires turn out, so be sure to leave me a comment below and on the video on YouTube and don't forget to subscribe!

Join me on YouTube and be sure to Subscribe! 

Pin this post

What do you think? 
Do you make your own earwires? 

Have a great week!

Laura

Join me on: 

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Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs!

Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2020 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link corrections please leave correct info in comment area.

Blue Blossom Soldered Beaded Earrings Workshop Promo

Here's a sneak peek at my newest jewelry making workshop. Register at the link at the end of the video, or visit my website at laurabethlove.com for more information! 

Have a great weekend!

Laura

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Article & images copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2019 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author

New Jewelry Tutorial! Blue Blossom Soldered Beaded Earrings

Exciting announcement! I have a brand new jewelry tutorial available on course craft! Now you can learn to make these Blue Blossom Soldered Beaded Earrings by following along with my easy to follow step by step tutorial that includes complete tools and materials list and step by step instructions including full color photos and some video clips too! Learn the secrets to making the most chic Bohemian style jewelry with me in the comfort of your own home and on your own time at your convenience. 

This is the first in my series of new jewelry tutorial courses so be sure to check it out - don't miss out on this one! 

Have a great week!
Laura

My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at
www.laurabethlove.com
and
www.dishfunctionldesigns.etsy.com

Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs!

Learn how to solder and make unique jewelry!

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Article & images copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2019 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author

How To Cut Flatware For Crafts And Jewelry

Hi friends! I just uploaded a new video to my YouTube channel. It's a short one, but while I was working I thought I'd use the opportunity to record for you and share what I was doing.

I have a few jewelry projects in my first book, Boho Chic Jewelry, that use vintage cast off pieces of silverware—forks, spoons and butter knives—and turn them into unique pieces of jewelry. Each project in the book has detailed instructions with great photos to teach you how to do it all, but still, there's nothing like being there and seeing firsthand how something is done! 

Enter my messy workbench and a handful of vintage silver plated butter knives—a recent thrift store find at only 10 cents each!

To turn these vintage finds into usable components, all you need are a few simple tools, the know-how, and a little elbow grease. Really, anyone can do it! Watch the video below and then be sure to subscribe!

Here's the prize that you end up with in the end - a beautiful, vintage component that you can use for jewelry or in your craft creations. How sweet is that? 

And of course at the end of the video, I always offer suggestions for how you can reuse every last bit. 

I use these components to create my necklaces (shown above), and like I said, you can find the complete step by step instructions for this particular project in my book, but check out the video for a behind the scenes sneak peek! 

You can watch the new video here, and while you're there, don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel to be the first to get updates when I post new videos! 

Here's an entire bowl full of these beauties. I love just sifting through them and admiring their beautiful patterns. 

Want one but don't want to make your own? I have just a few available here in my Etsy Shop, so be sure to check them out! 

Check out the video here!

Have a great week!

Laura

Join me on: 

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Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs!

Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2020 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link corrections please leave correct info in comment area.

Easy Beginner Tutorial: How To Make A Basic Elephant Necklace

I remember when I first got the idea to make jewelry. When it came to the technical aspect of tools and components, as a beginner, I had absolutely no idea where to start. 

I had been making stained glass and also making mosaics out of stained glass and vintage broken china, when I started setting aside certain china shards that I would come across that just seemed too special to be put into a mosaic. I knew they had to be the main feature in whatever way they were to be recreated, so I set them aside to hopefully one day turn them into jewelry. 

When the day came to turn my soldered china prototypes into actual wearable pieces of jewelry, I had to teach myself everything. Learning what the different components were and what they were used for, learning about different metals and chains and wire gauges was a bit confusing at first, but I just took my time and figured it out the best I could. Then came the tools. Some looked like they were from another planet! I quickly found out that there were a lot of tools that I really DIDN'T need, and that the most important thing I needed was my own creativity and lots of good lighting. 

But the whole point of this blog post is that we all have to start somewhere. When you first start out, even the most simple necklaces can seem confusing when you're not sure what goes where. 

In this beginner tutorial I will show you how to assemble a simple chain necklace with a chain, clasp, and charm. I chose an elephant charm for my project. You can use any type of charm you like. This basic assembly will become second nature to you quickly as you create more jewelry. 

Supplies needed:
Jewelry chain in desired length (I use 18")
Lobster-claw style clasp
(1) 4mm jump ring
(2) 5 to 5.5 mm jump rings
2 pair of basic jewelry pliers (sometimes called chain nose pliers)

First, assemble your supplies. It's always good to have extra jump rings in case you accidentally bend one out of shape. Work in a well-lit area. Reading glasses work great for helping to see small components! 

First we will add a jump ring to your charm (AKA your component, or your focal piece). Charms sometimes come with jump rings already attached. Yay!  Sometimes they don't. So we'll easily add our own. Important: Make sure your large jump ring that you are going to attach to your charm is big enough to fit onto your chain. If it isn't, get a larger jump ring, or get a smaller gauge chain. 

First we have to open the jump ring to thread our charm on it. We always use two pairs of pliers to open jump rings. Using two pairs of pliers is important because the jump ring needs to be twisted with both ends turning away from each other (see photo above). 

To open your jump ring, hold the jump ring with the seam side up, use one pair of pliers in each hand to grip the jump ring ends where they meet. Now use a small twisting motion to separate the ends of the jump ring so that one end goes up and one goes down (see above photo). The most important thing is that you do NOT pull the ends apart from each other left to right or you will land up with a misshapen jump ring that will never close properly. 

Once your jump ring is open, thread your charm onto your jump ring as shown in the photo above. 

Now close the jump ring the same way you opened it - using two pair of pliers, one in each hand. Just grip the ends of the jump ring and carefully twist them back together until they meet. If you hear a clicking sound when the ends come together, that's good! 

Now thread your charm onto your chain by putting the chain through the jump ring. 

To finish your necklace all you need to do is attach your clasp and jump rings to your chain ends as shown in the above photo. To do this, open your smaller (4mm) jump ring using the same technique above, and thread the loop that's on the bottom of your clasp onto the jump ring. Then thread the end of your chain onto the same jump ring and then close the jump ring as we did above. 

Now attach your last, larger jump ring to the opposite chain end. This jump ring will serve as the catch for your clasp. That's it! You've put together your first simple chain necklace. 

What did you think? Easy? Maybe next time we will add some coordinated beads...

Let me know what you'd like to see!

Have a great week!
love,

 Laura

My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs!

Learn how to solder and make unique jewelry!

article copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2017 all rights reserved

How To Make A Boho Chic Soldered Crystal Point Ring

I just finished making this awesome ring for my daughter Erica, who had asked me to make her a Boho style amethyst crystal point ring. 

I snapped a few photos during the process, so I thought I'd share them here with you. This is not a complete, standard step-by-step tutorial, but just a simple glimpse into the process that will maybe offer you some creative inspiration!

Check out how I made this pretty, awesome soldered crystal ring!

Soldering level: Beginner to Intermediate

Materials & tools needed:

• 1 large crystal point or other similar rough-cut stone bead with a center-drilled hole
• Silver or copper wire (whatever gauge fits through the hole in your bead, 20 gauge or 18 gauge)
• Ring mandrel or circular object the size of your finger to form the ring around
• Nylon jaw pliers for straightening the wire
• Wire cutters
• Soldering tools (silver lead-free jewelry solder, flux, soldering iron, etc. - if you are unfamiliar with soldering or need to know what materials or exact tools to use, see my book Boho Chic Jewelry for my complete recommended soldering set up and tools list!)

It all started with a rough crystal point bead! Who doesn't love purple amethyst crystals? My daughter Erica picked this amethyst crystal bead out of one of my bead boxes and asked me to design it into a ring for her.

Choose a crystal or rough cut gemstone rock with a center-drilled hole. You can also use any type of  large stone bead for this project.

First you will need to form your wire in the shape of a circle to create the shank of the ring. Use your nylon jaw pliers to straighten a length of copper or silver wire - I used about 12 to 14 inches of copper wire for this ring. Straighten the wire while it is on the spool and then cut the wire with your wire cutters. 

Shape the shank of the ring (form the circle): Hold one end of the wire against your ring mandrel at the desired ring size marking on the mandrel and use your other hand to wrap the wire snugly around the mandrel two times. If you do not have a ring mandrel you can use any circular shaped object that is the size of your finger (maybe a lipstick tube or other similar sized object). Then carefully remove the wire from the mandrel. 

Hold the wire circles that you just formed in place with your soldering pliers and use your other hand to solder the wire rings together with a small amount of solder, coating the wires on all sides and binding them to each other with solder. 

Next, thread your bead onto the long tail end of your wire and push the bead down the wire until it is flush against your ring's shank.

Bring the tail end of wire that traveled through the bead down toward the ring's shank and hold it against the ring's shank. Use a drop of solder to attach the tail of wire to the ring's shank as shown in the photo above. 

Your ring should now look something like this. 

Now slide the ring back onto the mandrel and carefully wrap the long tail end of wire around the mandrel again until all of the wire is used up. If you have excess wire you can snip the remaining wire off with your wire cutters. Tuck the pointy end of wire into the other wire wraps (try to hide the end). 

Remove the ring from the mandrel and now solder the rest of the wires together, adding more solder as needed, until all of the wires are completely soldered together and your ring is formed (photo below).  

If desired, add a few small droplets of decorative solder to the ring as I did in the photo above. 

Once you are finished, make sure there are no pointy ends of wire anywhere on your ring. If there are, cover them up with a small drop of solder.

Wash, dry, polish, and enjoy your ring! 

I hope you enjoyed this mini-tutorial! Check out my books Boho Chic Jewelry and Soldered Alchemy for tons of fun jewelry soldering projects, all kinds of soldering information, beautiful jewelry and soldering inspiration! 

I hope you have a great week! 

Love, 

Laura

My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs!

Learn how to solder and make unique jewelry!

Jewelry design, article and images ©Laura Beth Love 2016 all rights reserved. 
Project for personal use only. Commercial use forbidden under law without the express written permission of the copyright holder.  

Easy Scarab Bead & Wire Bangle Bracelet Tutorial

You don't have to be a jewelry expert or have tons of fancy jewelry tools to make your own wire and bead bangle bracelets! All you need are a few basic jewelry hand tools, wire, and a few focal beads. 

FAQ: "focal beads" are larger-sized beads that are the focus of the jewelry piece. They are called focal beads because of their large size, which makes them the focus of the design. Check out how easy it is to make your own wire and bead bangle bracelet with this photo tutorial!

Gathering my tools and supplies. 

Choosing my focal bead...hmm...well if you've followed my blog for a while, you probably already know how much I love scarabs! Scarab it is! 

Here is what you will need:

• Chain nose pliers
• Round nose pliers
• Heavy gauge wire: copper, silver or brass (I used 16 gauge)
• Thin gauge wire that fits your bead's hole: copper, silver, or brass (I used 22 gauge)
• Nylon jaw (wire straightening) pliers 
• Side cutters
• Metal file
• A focal bead of your choice (I used a stone scarab bead that was approx 20mm x 15 mm)
• Ball peen hammer and bench block 
• Bracelet mandrel or bottle or glass to shape wire around for bracelet

Our first step is to straighten the wire and then form the bracelet. Use your nylon jaw pliers to straighten a length of 16 gauge wire. I didn't measure, I just straightened about 8 inches of the end of my spool of wire.

Next wrap the straightened end of wire around your bracelet mandrel, glass or bottle. I used this vitamin bottle to form my bracelet. Note that the wire is still attached to the spool.

Now you will use your wire cutters to cut the wire, but first read this:

Important: The length of the wire you cut will determine the size of your bracelet. If you have another bangle bracelet at home that you wear a lot, you can measure it to use as a guide and then cut your wire in that same length. If not, you can measure your wrist with a tape measure or piece of string and go with that. (TIP: practice with inexpensive wire before using the good stuff!) 

Remember that this is a bangle bracelet, so it needs to be large enough to fit over your hand. You may want to make a practice one with inexpensive wire (try copper wire from hardware store) before using more expensive wire. Handcrafted jewelry making is in no way an exact science and takes a bit of trial and error, so don't feel bad about practicing and always leave a little room for error! Once you cut your wire, use your metal file to file down any sharp or pointy ends. 

Now we will form a small loop at each end of the wire, turning the loop in towards the inside of the circle. 

To do this, grip one of the ends of your wire with your round nose pliers and turn the pliers in toward the center of the wire circle to form the loop. 

Then repeat this step and make a second loop on the other end of your wire.

Now place the wire on your steel bench block and use your ball peen hammer to lightly hammer the wire, then flip it over and hammer the other side. This will harden your wire and help it to keep its shape. 

This image shows how the focal bead will be situated between the loops, closing the bangle.

Use your nylon jaw pliers to straighten a 10" length of 22 gauge wire. (TIP: Make sure the wire fits through the hole in your bead before straightening and cutting the wire. If it does not fit, use a smaller gauge wire or chose another bead.) Measure the straightened wire and then cut the wire from the spool with your wire cutters.

Thread your focal bead onto the 22 gauge wire and position the bead in the center of the wire. 

Now we will make a wrapped loop in the wire on each end of the bead. Starting on one side of the bead, use your chain nose pliers to grip the wire where it comes out of the bead. Bend the wire over the tips of your pliers making a 90 degree angle in the wire.

Now use your round nose pliers to grip the wire where you made the angle and bend the wire around the round jaw of the pliers, creating a loop. (TIP: If you have never made a loop before, practice on scrap wire first until you get it right.)

Next remove your round nose pliers from the wire and use them to grip the loop that you just made. Use your other hand to wrap the tail end of wire around itself just below the loop, wrapping it around the "neck" of the wire. Continue wrapping the wire snugly around the neck until all wire is used up. 

Use your fingers to feel the wrapped wire for any pointy ends. Use your pliers to tuck any pointy end of wire in between the previous wraps.

Repeat this process with the wire on the other side of the bead to create an identical wrapped loop on the other end of your bead. 

Next we are going to attach our bead to the loops on our bracelet, so use your pliers to gently open the bracelet loops just enough so that you can slip the wire loop from the bead onto the open bracelet loop. 

Then use your pliers to securely close the loop on the bangle, making sure the end of the bangle wire is snug against itself so that your bead does not slip off. Repeat this process on the other side to form your bangle!

Your bracelet is now finished! 

Make a few and wear them together, make them for gifts or to match your favorite outfits! Imagine all the different bead combinations you could make! 

I hope you enjoyed this free tutorial!

I hope you have a great week! 

Love, 

Laura

My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs!

Learn how to solder and make unique jewelry!

article and images ©Laura Beth Love 2016