Top Tips to Making Handmade Jewellery with Recycled Materials
Handmade jewellery is a timeless accessory that never goes out of style. Making handmade jewellery out of recycled materials further demonstrates the commitment to sustainability and a commitment to creating trinkets with beautiful history. To help you get started on this creative endeavour, we have compiled a list of top tips for making handmade jewellery with recycled materials.
Get your Supplies
The first step is to find some supplies to use in your designs. You can source anything from beads to hardware from thrift stores, garage sales, and rummage sales. With the cost of supplies for jewellery making skyrocketing, recycled pieces can be a great alternative. You can also use household items such as twist ties and paper clips.
Sort the Materials
Once you have sourced the materials for your jewellery, you need to make sure they are clean and ready to use. Depending on what type of recycled material you are using you want to check for any dirt, oil or grime. It’s also a good idea to sort your materials by size, colour and type so you can easily identify what materials you’re working with.
Design What You Want
After you have collected the pieces you want to use, it’s time to start designing. Jewellery making with recycled materials is an opportunity to be creative, so you want to think outside the box and make something unique. Don’t be afraid to mix different materials to achieve a unique look. If you are looking for inspiration you can check out different jewellery making tutorials online.
Put It All Together
The last step is to put your jewellery together. Depending on the supplies you are using, you may need to use tools such as wire cutters or pliers. You can also use hand tools such as bead reamers or riveters. If you are using a glue gun you should test it out on a scrap piece of material first, as some glues can react differently to different materials.
Finishing your Jewellery
Once you have completed your jewellery piece, you can take it a step further by adding a finishing touch. You can add a coat of varnish to help protect the piece or add a patina to ageing the piece to give it a vintage look. You can also add jewellery findings such as jump rings, clasps and earring posts to complete the look.
Making handmade jewellery with recycled materials can be a great way to turn trash into treasure. With a few tips and some creativity, you can design beautiful jewellery with a unique story to tell.
Jessica 