Diy jewelry with already made jewelry is a great way for craftspersons to get creative and produce their own unique pieces of fashion. Whether it’s a beaded necklace or an embellished headband, DIY projects allow people to have the opportunity to create something that truly reflects their individuality.
Additionally, diy jewelry can be tailored to fit specific occasions or events while featuring colors and materials that suit the individual’s preference. This post aims to provide tips and tricks for making creative pieces from already made jewelry items such as earrings, necklaces, and other accessories.
Starting From Scratch – Details on how to start your project When starting out with diy jewelry projects that feature already made items, it’s important to determine a plan or project. First, figure out the goal of the project: Is it for a special event? Or does one simply want more variety in their accessory wardrobe?
After establishing these parameters, one has to decide what type of materials will best achieve the desired look. Then begin shopping for supplies-considering both quality and price when selecting each item. Beads and chains this season are staples for creating original jewelry designs.
Making The Design – Detailed instructions on how to make the work of art Next comes assembling the elements together; at this point the individual should consider design principles such as repetition, contrast, unity, depth/space (also known as ‘visual weight’), scale/proportion etc. Utilizing these concepts as guidelines can help an individual bring their creativity into fruition by combining multiple pieces into a single piece of artwork.
For example one might take multiple rings in different sizes and stack them onto one another along with some chain linking all three together-resulting in an interesting bracelet design.
An alternative is repurposing old earrings with glass or plastic beads using wire wrapping techniques;faux pearls also transform pigtail holders into makeshift bracelets which were once thought of solely as hair accessories. Finally attaching jump rings or lobster clasp finishes up the piece. It’s important not to overlook any of these steps along the process when creating a DIY jeweled accessory out of a few pre-existing pieces.
Types of Already Made Jewelry
- Gemstone Jewelry: Pre-made gemstone jewelry can range in value, from more affordable costume jewelry to finely crafted pieces with precious stones. Examples include necklaces and earrings with cubic zirconia and turquoise stones, bracelets adorned with sapphires and diamonds, or colorful rings with rubies and pearls. As the gemstones are set already in a mount, adding these pieces can provide a stunning visual impact to any DIY jewelry project.
- Pearl Jewelry: Adding pearls to your projects will instantly add a touch of regal sophistication. With pearls being set into various types of jewelry such as earrings and bangles, pre-made pieces offer convenience and versatility; these pieces can be used as is or further customized by having them re-strung onto different strings for decorative effects.
- Beaded Jewelry: Beaded jewelry is one of the easiest ways to incorporate already made elements into your DIY wearable art. With beads available in almost every type of material including glass, wood, shell and crystal – you can select items that suit your project perfectly.
Pieces like necklaces strung together on wire have been pre-crafted so all you need is some cord or stringing thread before beginning, and voila. You’ll have a unique piece of artwork.
- Vintage/Antique Jewelry: Vintage or antique pre-made pieces add charm to any project; brassy charm bracelets made in the style of earlier times make for great additions, as well as brooches or long animal shaped earrings – the possibilities are bountiful when it comes to vintage accessories for your necklace or bracelet designs.
- Finished Chain Necklaces/Bracelets: If you’re looking for simplicity and versatility with handcrafted components that don’t require much tweaking on your part then simple finished chain necklaces/bracelets may be right up your alley. A humble yet timeless element which links vintage style together with contemporary trends – these pieces are perfect for seasonal fashion ensembles.
Where to Find Already Made Jewelry
Finding ready-made jewelry is an important starting point when wanting to create a piece of DIY jewelry. There are many different sources of ready-made jewelry available in both online and offline stores. It is also possible for some people to make their own jewelry from scratch using basic supplies such as steel wires, yarn, beads, buttons and pieces of fabric.
Online Sources of Ready-Made Jewelry
When it comes to sourcing prepared jewelry, the internet provides a wealth of options. Many online stores offer an abundance of affordable fashion jewelry in a variety of materials and colors. Examples include Amazon, Etsy, Overstock and Wish retailers. These sites have beautiful pre-made necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings available in simple or more intricate designs.
Offline Sources of Ready-Made Jewelry
Individuals looking for ready-made pieces can also find them in offline shops like vintage stores, flea markets or antique dealerships. Shopping at these locations is especially useful if seeking out specific pieces with a unique story behind them. Buying from physical stores also eliminates some shipping costs found at some online retailers.
Sourcing Precious Metals for Jewlery Making Projects
When constructing any item of jewlery with precious metals it can be difficult to find quality materials at an accessible price point without having specialized experience with buyers that have access to bulk discounts or special alloys that may not be available to the general public through local retailers.
An individual may want to turn specialty alloys into jewlery such as palladium gold which has the durable qualities associated with white gold but lacking the high cost due to its reduced amount of gold content compared to solid 24K gold.
In this case, sourcing online vendors such as WireJewelry who specialize in selling trustedmetals like sterling silver or 14K gold filled wire ring blanks could be a successful avenue for finding the metals needed to create a fine everyday wearing piece of custom made jewlery.
Benefits of Using Already Made Jewelry to DIY
It’s not always easy to find the perfect jewelry piece for a particular project. Sometimes, it can be hard to find that exact bead or charm, and more often than not, it can be prohibitively expensive to source something from scratch. This is why many crafters turn to using existing jewelry pieces for their projects – it’s faster and cheaper.
Cost Savings
When it comes to finding something special for a DIY project, buying existing jewelry pieces is usually much cheaper than sourcing beads and embellishments from scratch. This is especially true if you need a specific type of bead or gemstone that isn’t commonly available in craft stores. Buying an already-made piece of jewelry gives you instant access to those hard-to-find items without having to pay the associated prices that come with custom ordering them.
Using existing jewelry pieces removes another layer of cost, too: time. For one thing, fewer trips are involved when going with an existing design; you don’t have to search various stores looking for the right color or texture. Even if a certain piece requires some work (removing stones or reshaping the metal), there’s still less time investment than going from start-to-finish on your own design from scratch.
Hands On Experience
Another benefit of working with preexisting jewelry helps build your familiarity with various techniques and materials. It gives you hands-on experience as you are able to examine close up the construction of an already made object (the materials being used, any marking or stamping used on the metal).
Sizing and reworks can often be done more easily on an already made item so having these experiences under your belt will help in the long run when constructing something new from raw components.
Finally, its exciting to take a piece of pre-existing jewelry and transform into something all your own. It’s like working with a palate instead of starting completely from nothing. Investing time into redoing another person’s product can bring great satisfaction as you craft your original masterpiece.
Gluing Earrings and Pendants to Chains
Armed with the right materials and a basic understanding of gluing jewelry pieces together, one can easily make unique jewelry pieces for themselves or as special gifts. To create a necklace or bracelet, start with an already existing chain and add your personalized touches with glue and various elements such as earrings, brooches, beads, etc.
Gather Your Materials
Before you begin to make your new piece of jewelry, gather all of the necessary materials needed. Depending on what type of decoration you want to incorporate on the chain, gather any charms, pendants/brooches, colored beads (if any), head pins and earring findings. Make sure to also get some strong glue that is recommended for use on metal surfaces and purchase some round nose pliers if you do not already have them.
Decide What Elements You Want To Glue On
The possibilities are endless when it comes to what type of elements you can add onto your chain – whether its a few large pendants/brooches or several small beads for an elegant look. Decide how many different types of accents and earrings you would like to add and separate each in piles so they don’t get mixed up while gluing them onto the chain.
When selecting charms or pendants be mindful that they need extra support when added onto a longer chain if heavy in weight with thicker parts – besides just using glue. It may be helpful to use jump rings which also come in silver/gold/copper tones.
Use Two Part Epoxy Adhesive
Two part epoxy adhesives are considered more reliable than regular craft glues since they require two components instead of one component to open up hard set jewelry pieces – making them harder to break apart later on down the road. Be sure to read all directions before using this type of glue since it tends too quickly set up within minutes – possibly ruining your piece if not careful due diligence is taken.
When combining elements that need extra support (besides just adhesion) consider using heavier metal objects like clips over regular pin backs when available.
Upcycling Old Jewelry
Repairing and Restoring
Broken jewelry, vintage pieces or family heirlooms can be taken apart and given a face-lift. Repair broken parts of a necklace, bracelet, earring backings or rings by replacing them with sterling silver findings like clasps, jump rings, hooks.
When dealing with old jewelry components clean them using a soft toothbrush and warm soapy water for a thorough clean. Once cleaned, inspect the settings of gemstones for signs of wear and tear before using glue to reattach missing stones or painting an antique piece for modern appeal.
Reinventing
A great idea to transform outdated jewelry items into something extraordinary is to reinvent them as something else. Unused earrings can become new brooches or pendants while long necklaces can be restrung as shorter strands and combined with fabric ribbons, velvet cords etc.
There are many ways that you can give your old overlooked jewelry new life; All it takes is a little imagination. For example, try making statement earrings out of an old necklace or use beads from two different necklaces to make one new one instead of leaving them sitting in your jewelry box unused.
Recycling and Reducing Waste
Rather than throwing away your older pieces when they go out of style or become too tarnished for further wearing consider using the remaining beads for future projects such as hair accessories like Alice bands and headbands made from colorful plastics or repurposing costume jewellery by turning it into decorative elements on handbags & shoes such as closures and straps. Consider recycling glass beads from older pieces into colorful housewares like storage jars, vases & candle holders.
By creating new items from broken pieces you are prolonging their existence in the world as well as contributing to sustainable fashion practices.
Reusing Everyday Objects for Jewelry
For those looking to express themselves through unique and personal pieces of jewelry, DIY jewelry projects are an affordable and stylish way to go. There are many ways to create creative pieces of jewelry from items found around the house – or even purchased second-hand. Here are some tips on how to use everyday objects in your jewelry making projects.
Repurposing
- Look at the items you already have lying around the house – do any of them hold potential for becoming a DIY pendant, necklace, pair of earrings, etc? For instance, a broken bracelet might be strung onto a new chain for an interesting look. A ring too big for anyone’s finger deserves another chance as a show-stopping necklace
- Think about repurposing clothes, bags or other accessories. Shirt buttons can become unusual charms; fabric flowers can make beautiful necklaces; leather strips can become earrings
- Toys and trinkets can make interesting statement pieces – Stuffed animal parts, old action figures or plastic children’s jewelry can add an eye-catching element that sets apart your piece from generic department store necklaces.
Second Hand Purchases
- Flea markets or vintage shops are a great resource for finding raw materials – broken necklaces or chains that still have some life in them; mismatched earrings that could become one striking design when combined into one item.
- Your local thrift shop might also carry interesting vintage baubles – like obsolete brooches with ornate stones – which may inspire your next project.
- You could even scour eBay and Etsy for unusual gems that could be reused in something new and more wearable. Items from yesteryear – like rhinestone buttons from tweed jackets, cameo pendants from camisoles etc., acquire fresh relevance when reworked into chunky glamour statements best suited to today’s style mavens.
Conclusion
The idea of DIY jewelry is becoming more popular every day, and this means that creating pieces with already made jewelry can be an enjoyable and cost-effective way to stay on trend. With pre-made components, it’s easy to customize any piece for a truly one-of-a-kind look.
Supplies like charms, beads, cabochons, and chains provide flexibility in the design process and make it easy for crafters to create unique pieces. It also eliminates the time and cost associated with buying or producing individual components like clasps and earwires.
Using already-made jewelry is a great way to introduce new materials to a design without breaking the bank. For example, incorporating a set of brass charms into an older necklace of silver beads gives the piece an entirely new look without investing too much money into additional materials. This also provides creative freedom when mixing metals as most pre-assembled parts are often available in both precious and non-precious metals.
In order to continue exploring DIY jewelry further, there are several resources available online as well as books written on the subject. People looking to find out more about crafting with pre-made materials should start by checking out craft stores like Michaels or Bead Gallery/Online or websites such as Etsy that offers tutorials, supplies kits and inspirations ideas from other crafters around the world.
Those who prefer books may want to look into “Creating Handcrafted Jewelry From Already Made Jewelry” by Kate Furman which covers everything from basic techniques for using wire wrapping, beads, cabochons and clasps for customizing existing jewelry all the way up to advanced assembly processes for multi strand necklaces. No matter what interests them in this field there certainly seems to be something out there for everyone who wishes explore their creative side when it comes crafting with existing jewelry.
Welcome to my jewelry blog! My name is Sarah and I am the owner of this blog.
I love making jewelry and sharing my creations with others.
So whether you’re someone who loves wearing jewelry yourself or simply enjoys learning about it, be sure to check out my blog for insightful posts on everything related to this exciting topic!
