![]() It took me a while to get into the groove of making charm bracelets and necklaces that reflected my true style. Most importantly, give yourself some time to find your unique style. Yet after sticking to it, I was able to have a successful Etsy jewelry shop and even sold at craft fairs and in local boutiques. When I look back at some of my first designs I literally cringe. It's okay to make mistakes and, yes, even bad jewelry. ![]() There will always be a learning curve in proportion to the difficulty of the skill you're trying to learn. Have patience with yourself and your ability. Even if you're not religious, when mixed in with other non-religious charms, those vintage medals and rosary beads can also be viewed as pieces of history.Ħ. I use vintage medals and rosaries in my designs. I've glued parts of different pieces together to create a whole new piece of jewelry. I've turned vintage earrings and necklaces into charms for my bracelets. Don't be afraid to take old jewelry apart. Start attending flea markets, auctions, estate sales, barn sales, church bazaars, thrift stores and anywhere else that sells "junk" because - trust me on this - you never know what you're going to find. I get my antique brass findings from Etsy and more contemporary needs from craft stores.ĥ. Find a reasonably priced, reliable source for your findings and other supplies. I believe the different colored metals, together, add great visual contrast to any piece - whether it be silver, brass, copper, antique brass, etc.Ĥ. Don't be afraid to mix metals! There was a time I would NEVER do this, but that time is gone. I tend to mix vintage with contemporary so I'm fine with checking out Michael's and JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby when they have sales or coupons for jewelry findings, beads and charms.ģ. Next, create a stash of jewelry findings (the things you actually use to put your creation together with) and vintage pieces, as well as other supplies. You do not need to spend a lot of money to get started.Ģ. The videos taught me not only the basic skills to start out with, but they also showed me what supplies I would need in order to get started. I looked up basic jewelry-making videos (charm bracelets and necklaces) and went from there. When I first started out, all I had was my curiosity and YouTube videos. The more the merrier.ħ Tips For Getting Started With Vintage Jewelry Designġ. vintage mini Illinois license plate charm taken from key chainĪs you can see, they run the gamut from old to new and religious to secular and shiny to dull. vintage girl with ponytail silhouette charmġ6. Anthony's Home (Detroit, MI) oversized charmġ4. vintage Our Lady of Mercy 1887-1962 anniversary medalġ3. vintage brass heart with tiny amethyst (my birthstone) and the name "Valaree" engraved on it (taken from necklace)ġ2. new gold sphere filled with bling charmħ. vintage pearls in metal cage charm taken from necklaceĦ. vintage silver heart charm taken from key chainĤ. ![]() vintage Pilot International (humanitarian group) charmģ. Whenever I wear one of these bracelets out in public it inevitably gets attention - which of course makes me feel pretty good!įor illustration purposes, I thought I'd provide you with a list of the actual charms I ended up using for this bracelet:ġ. This bracelet was made with 18 charms and 8 faceted crystal beads and rhinestone ball charms. Not that there's never a time for simplicity, but in most instances I go for a chock-full-of-charms design. And if you haven't figured it out yet, it's my opinion that when making charm bracelets more is more.
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