How to Customize Jewelry Tutorials to Make Unique Jewelry

I share a lot of jewelry tutorials.  I love to help women learn how to make jewelry.  The main reason behind it, though, is that I want people to find their creativity again.Just the sheer acting of making is creative, in my opinion, even if you follow how to make the jewelry piece precisely step-by-step and use the same materials as the person shows you.  You're using your hands and you get your brain to switch gears.However, where you truly get to express yourself is after you have learned the techniques and start applying in ways that only you can.Yes, you have to learn how to make jewelry before you can start being really creative with it, but once you have a few techniques under your belt, you can really start to express yourself.In my tutorials I try to give some simple suggestions on how to make each tutorial your own.  Jewelry is such a great way to get creative because you can just change a few small things and have a completely different piece of jewelry.For example you can:

• Simply change the beads;
• Use more beads or less beads;
• Use different metals (instead of silver use copper, etc.);
• Make your own headpins instead of using store purchased;
• Use a different clasp (or make your own);
• Use different earring wires (or make your own);
• Add unique bead dangles to pieces; or
• Really the options are limitless!

Here's an example from my newly revised Wire Wrapping for Beginners book.  This is one of the more simple tutorials that makes such an impact.Chandelier Earrings:This is the completed project how I teach it in the book.  They're beautiful as is.  You can simply change out the beads and have a completely different pair of earrings.ORAdd some chain instead.  You can also just hang the chain straight down from the loops.  Or add some beads to the chain or any other number of ideas!ORI love wearing these earrings!  I made my own headpins for this one and used African Christmas beads.  The middle of the earrings the dangle is longer and has more beads than the other dangles.And these are just a couple of ideas for customizing these earrings.  I'm sure you can think of many more!Once you have some techniques, it is easy to start combining them and using them in unique ways.  But you have to have the techniques first.If you're new to jewelry making or maybe you have done some stringing and are now ready to start using wire, I suggest you start with my Wire Wrapping for Beginners book.  It takes you through how to make earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings!  It's for beginners and the techniques are the basics you need to get started.I just revised it to include tutorials on how to make your own headpins, clasp and earring wires as well.  (At the time I'm writing this I haven't even had a chance to change the description on the page!  But you will get the newly revised version!)You can choose to receive the digital eBook version, which is in full color or the print version where you will receive a book already printed.  The print book is in black and white.I highly recommend checking out ECT Episode 17, Wire Workshop to get an overview about wire if you're new to it as well.