How To Make Acrylic Jewelry
Many people enjoy making acrylic jewelry because it’s a relaxing hobby. You can wear acrylic jewelry for years, and it’s handmade. Several people sell their handmade acrylic jewelry at boutiques and fashion shows. So it’s just a matter of having the right supplies and directions in order to make acrylic jewelry.
Things you will need to make acrylic jewelry include:
- Soft flex wire
- Acrylic beads
- Crimp beads
- Jewelry clasps
- Small jewelry pliers
- Introductory acrylic beading book
- Purchase an acrylic jewelry making book for starters. The book will show you the basic steps you have to follow while you are learning. Be sure to read the instructions carefully so you know exactly what you are doing.
- Learn the terms and steps used when beading. There are hundreds of different acrylic beads and they differ in shape, style, size, color, and texture. Be sure to buy beads that are easy to work with. You can be as creative as you want with the color of the beads. Make sure your hands are clean and wash them free of dirt and oil. Get all of the supplies together to start stringing together the acrylic beads.
- Take the soft flex wire and cut the length for a necklace or bracelet. If you want a long necklace, cut a piece that ranges from 14 to 16 inches long. If you prefer a short necklace, cut a piece that ranges from 10 to 12 inches long. An average size bracelet is 6 to 9 inches. Keep in mind the pattern that you will want to use. There are several kinds of clasps to choose from. The clasp is hooked to the wire before you begin stringing beads, it lets you wear the jewelry without being too loose. The standard clasp used is the tiger tail. A crimp bead will let the tiger tail clasp stay hooked to the jewelry.
- Slide the tiger tail through the crimp bead and pull it tightly to make sure the knot won’t come loose. Take some pliers and be sure the crimp is flat and secure. Cut any additional soft flex wire that might be hanging from the crimp bead. Use some pliers to place the clasp on one end of the cut wire. You can follow the instructions in the beading book to show you how to put the clasp on the wire. Then you can start to put the beads on the string.
- Start to string the bracelet or necklace to the end. Be sure there is enough slack in the necklace so it isn’t too tight.