Many of us remember the excitement and joy we got from making our own jewellery as kids. We got to choose our own colour schemes and styles, and spend the day happily creating our own personalised bracelets and necklaces. 

Yet as we grow older, we often don’t make the time for these kinds of activities anymore. 

But who says we can’t still do that?

Making your own beaded jewellery is an incredibly fun activity to do for your next girls night, by yourself, or as a craft to do with your kids on the weekend.

It’s a great way to help kids with their fine motor skills, and can help you practise mindfulness as an adult. The added bonus at the end is that you get a cute piece of jewellery to wear out and about. 

Next time someone stops and compliments you on your necklace you can proudly tell them you made it yourself! 

The Basic Equipment

In order to create beautifully beaded necklaces and bracelets you don’t actually need that many things. Here are just the essential things you will need to get started. 

Scissors - Scissors are always fundamental, and you will likely already have a pair lying around somewhere. However, if you want to keep your scissors in good shape it may be a good idea to get a pair that is used specifically for crafting so they stay nice and sharp.

Tweezers - Tweezers aren’t entirely necessary, but if you are working with fine beads and strings, it can be useful to have a pair on hand to help you with threading the beads. 

Beads of your choosing - The fun part is definitely the beads. There are so many beads to choose from, whether it’s wooden, metal or plastic. You can have a huge variety of colours and sizes, and also find alphabet beads to spell out your name or fun phrases. Wooden beads are a great choice if you are wanting to make this with younger kids, just make sure that you are not doing this with children who are too young as it could be a choking hazard. 

A strap - You will need something to thread your beads onto and to act as the chain for your jewellery. Elasticised or plain string is a great option for this, and gives you the versatility of choosing what size you want. You can cut it down to be a bracelet or necklace length. Beading thread is also a great option, however you will most likely want to get a wire cutter and pliers if you plan to use beading thread. 

Clasps - For more basic pieces of DIY jewellery, you can simply tie the string together to complete the piece. However, if you want to give it that extra oomph, you can use lobster clasps and jump rings to create a more official piece of jewellery. 

Some other supplies you may want to consider include a storage compartment so you don’t lose all of those little beads and create a mess in your house. If you don’t want to have to buy each jewellery supply individually we offer already made up jewellery kits. 

You can explore our entire craft store to see what we have on offer. 

Start Making Your Own Jewellery

Once you’ve got all the right supplies, it’s time to start making your own jewellery and beaded pieces. 

It’s a good idea to plan out your piece before you start threading your beads on. That way you can choose how long you want it to be and ensure it will fit to your desired length. To measure, you can use your own body as a reference to how long you want it to be. It’s usually better to have more length than you need, as you can always cut it shorter later. 

You may also want to plan the order of the beads if you plan to make a pattern, this way you don’t make a mistake and have to start all over again.

There are many step by step guides you can follow online if you are feeling lost, however for the most part it is a very simple process. 

Unleash Your Creativity 

There are so many different possibilities when it comes to beaded jewellery, so let your creativity run wild. 

You can create phone charms, earrings, anklets, bracelets, choker necklaces, pretty much anything that you can think of. Don’t limit yourself to just one thing. 

If you want any more recommendations or information about our range of craft supplies and other products, you can always contact us online, or visit our super friendly staff in store. 

We are always happy to see you and talk about your latest craft projects!