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How to make your own beaded jewellery

If you’re like me, YouTube is your virtual classroom filled with a worldwide selection of specialist teachers. And inside, you can learn how to do pretty much anything. Including: make your own beaded jewellery,

I originally taught myself to make beaded jewellery by watching YouTube clips, so here are a few of my choice picks. I hope they help other aspiring jewellery artists.

Happy beading!

 

To market, to market

I’ve steadily been preparing to sell my handmade jewellery at a Sydney market. This is something I’ve wanted to do for at least 9 months, but life has been busy. So far this year… I’ve quit a job, started a job, started planning a wedding and have now just moved house. All of this whilst trying to pursue my love of jewellery making.

I’m now in the process of setting a market date. I’m thinking before school starts in 2010… but I’m limited to a Saturday (most common market day in Sydney). I think I have a wide range of earrings now- various colours, shapes and sizes. I estimate I have over 200 pairs, but still need to do a final count.

I’ve also created a market preparation checklist that others might find useful.

So, here is my checklist of things I hope to achieve before holding my very first market stall.

1. Book the venue

2. Organise display stands

3. Organise tables, chairs, mirrors

4. Create signs and price tags

5. Organise a safe and secure place to store money (e.g. a small container that can be locked)

6. Organise flyers, or business cards, that passers-by can pick up to find out more information

That’s about all I have for now. I really can’t wait to write a post about my first market stall experience. Hopefully it will be soon!

How to start selling on eBay

To date, eBay has been my most successful means of selling jewellery.

So, here is my short list of selling basics for new sellers:

1. You must create an eBay account. This is a fairly straight forward process and the site guides beginners well. Just click “register” at the top of the screen and you’re on your way.

2. Start the selling process by researching similar items you hope to sell, that are currently up for sale. Be the customer – use the search terms you would use to look for this item. Then, use those same terms ( if they return any search results) to name your own item.

3. You have to choose a means to sell your item. Buyers can choose to buy the item instantly “buy it now”, or they can bid at auction “auction format”. You need to set a price for both methods, either a set amount for Buy it Now, or a reserve price for auction.

4. Create a new listing. If you are creating a listing for the first time go through each step slowly and be patient. If you incorrectly describe your item or leave out important information, you won’t build up positive feedback from buyers. Think about the title and give a comprehensive description of the item for sale. Be sure to include a great photo of the item and then set a price. You will also need to research and think about postage and payment options, but the site does guide you well through this part.

5. You’re almost there – be sure to preview your listing before clicking submit. Check for spelling or grammatical errors. Ebay buyers look through many listings and fast. Your listing must be easy to read and include a big clear picture.

6. Click submit! You have just listed an item for sale. Over time you might want to introduce some html formatting into your listing and experiment with your photography. But all of this comes gradually with practice.

There are also some eBay listing programs – like, Auctiva, that allow you to create professional looking eBay listings offline. But, whilst these programs are useful, they are not essential.

So, be patient and practice and your eBay items will run out the door.

6 easy ways to beat ‘creators block’

Like writers, and other creative persons, beaders can also suffer beaders block. This is the point where you can’t think up anymore creative beading ideas. I like to call this “creators blocks”.

When experiencing creative block, of any kind, you might start doubting your own creative ability. For this reason it’s important to STOP, take a breath and start looking for some inspiration to spur on your next idea. Plodding along uninspired is highly unrecommended and more likely to be counter productive.

So here and some tried and tested methods, I use, to generate that next great idea…

1. Flip through a magazine, or perform a random online search – a phrase or image might catch your attention and the creativity may start to flow again.

2. Pick a colour – any colour. Look out the window and note the first colour you see. Example, I see…”Tuscan red roof tiles”, so use that, and that can be the theme for your new range of creations.

3. Talk to people around you – ask them what they would make. Even if they have never made anything creative in their life, sometimes their description can make you think of new and better ways to execute the same idea.

4. Ask – what am I missing? Or, not doing? I often look at my range of jewellery and ask myself “what colour is missing?” I tend not to make as many yellow, brown and black pieces – so I’ll use my lull in creativity as a time to explore these other colours.

5. Make something for a special occasion – even if you’re not going anywhere! I often make things I might, could, or would wear. I am half way through a bridal party range of crystal earrings. Will I ever wear them? Maybe. Maybe not. But, someone else might.

6. Use an established designers work for inspiration. Use this suggestion sparingly. Whilst it can be good for coming up with new ideas, take care you don’t become a copy-cat and lose your own individual style in the process.

These 6 suggestions should get the creative half of the brain working…if not, maybe it’s time to explore some other hobbies. Or, take a mini hiatus from your craft and return in a few weeks or months.