Supplies for Wire Jewelry Making

Maybe you have seen some wire jewelry that you like and you would like to try and make some. You might have already bought some tools or beads but there are still some supplies you will need. This article should help you determine where to start, what you will need, and how to find what you will need.

First, it is called "wire jewelry," so it is a given that wire will be needed. Now this is not wire from your local hardware store. Wire that is made for jewelry comes in many forms, colors, and types. There is square wire, round wire, and twisted wire. Wire comes in colors that range from normal metals to the colors of the rainbow.

When looking for wire, take note of what the guage is. The guage is the thickness of the wire. The lower the guage number, the thicker the wire is. The higher the guage number, the thinner the wire is. The first time you try to work with wire I would strongly suggest you use round wire and probably 24 guage. It does not matter if you use gold or silver wire but I would suggest holding off on buying real silver and gold wire until you are comfortable with making jewelry. When you start I would suggest using colored wire that you can get inexpensively from Michaels.com. This way you can still use silver and gold colors but you are not wasting money on expensive precious metals. You can even do a quick search on YellowPages.com or search your phone book for local bead shops and these should have different types of wire (although they most likely will not be the most inexpensive option).

Second, once you have started to get acquanted with the wire and your tools, it is important to have jump rings. Jump rings are little round piecesof wire (rings) that connect the links that you make with your wire and tools. Jump rings are an important part of the process when making wire jewelry. It needs to be noted here that you do not have to buy jump rings, you can make them. To make jumps rings you take some of your wire, take round nose pliers, now wrap the wire around one of the pliers (make sure it is not too big, especially if you are using a thin wire because it will bend). Making your own jump rings can save you money, but from experience, it is easier and more efficient just to buy my jump rings. Jump rings are fairly inexpensive if you are not using a precious medal. You can find jump rings at most carft stores. Michaels.com has always had jump rings in stock when I needed them.

Third, if you are making necklacs, bracelets, or anklets. You will most likely need some sort of clasp. I personally prefer lobster clasps, because people find these the easiest to open and close. But there are more elegant options if you are going for a nicer look. When searching for clasps for a project, it can be helpful to take your wire along with you to make sure that the clasp matches the metal color perfectly (it is a pain to end up with two different colors and a deadline running up on you). You can find clasps at an assortment of shops, again Michaels.com usually has a wonderful assortment but do not count out local stores, Ebay, or flea markets.

These are the main supplies you will need for making wire jewelry. If you are looking for tools or do not know what to look for, please check out my other article "Tools for Wire Jewelry Making". I also have another article that helps you choose what kind of beads you need "Beads for Wire Jewelry Making." I hope these articles help you to make the jewelry you want. Good luck!