So, you want to make your own jewellery.

Here are our 5 Tips for designing your own jewellery

1. Decide what you want to make?

  • Pendant – is it solid or kinetic
  • Cuff – hollow or solid
  • Bracelet – whole or hinged
  • Bangle – whole or hinged
  • Earrings – post, hook or clip-on
inspiration from nature

2. Do research and gather ideas

  • Pinterest is a great place to gather ideas and organise them into groups or themes. What is motivating the making? Are there any inspirational ideas that can come from that?
  • Look at nature, shapes of flowers or seeds, tree bark, sweeps in river bends, patterns on stones
  • Use your phone to record ideas
  • Save them to your PC or gallery and study them for inspiration
Paw Ring Sketches

3. Sketch it out

  • These can be as rough as you like but they aim to give your brain a bit to think about, to get the creative juices flowing.
  • Cuttings from magazines can be useful

4. Refine it

  • Work out your sizes
  • What thickness will it be
  • Check your materials

5. Mock it up

  • Make a paper version: this can be handing for checking sizes and the overall impression
  • Use Fimo or Blu Tack to get shapes right and even a feel for sizes
  • Use cheaper materials of a similar thickness to work out the steps and processes.

Have fun!