Today we have a guest post from Nina Blaicher of Tronex Tools! She’ll be telling us all about how to make jewelry when your budget is tight. You’ll never have to let your wallet get in the way of your passion for jewelry-making again! Be sure to check out Tronex for all of your jewelry-making tools, too.
Jewelry making is hot right now! Pinterest has been inspiring crafters with the possibilities, and Etsy has provided a way for them to sell their wares. Whether you want to sell jewelry or just like to make it for yourself and friends, jewelry making is a great hobby that gives you a wonderful creative outlet.
Real talk though: Making jewelry can be expensive. You have to buy a lot of tools and materials, and since the hobby is so popular right now, you’ll pay a pretty penny for it all. Fortunately, there are plenty of strategies for making jewelry on a budget. You can either get in more jewelry making time as a result, or you can maximize profits on what you sell.
Here are a few ideas for how to limit your expenses:
Buy Quality Tools
You will need a variety of tools, depending on what type of jewelry you make, such as jewelry cutters, pliers and punches. You can buy the cheapest tools available, but you’ll probably be replacing them in a few months because they’ve broken or become dull. Spend a little more, and you’ll have those tools for years, thereby lowering your costs over time.
Catch Sales
Jewelry supplies go on sale at craft shops and online retailers all the time. There really is no reason to ever buy your tools or supplies at full price.
If you can’t wait for a sale, you can use a coupon. Many craft stores have a weekly coupon that’s good for 40 percent to 50 percent off a single item. If you are looking at a vendor that doesn’t offer the coupon, ask if they will honor their competitor’s pricing. Most would rather match the price than lose the sale. Just make sure you are looking at the same item if you are trying to get the match.
Recycle Materials
Most beads and jewelry findings can last for lifetimes before they start to decay. There’s no reason you can’t recycle materials for your jewelry.
Shop yard sales and thrift shops for old jewelry or household goods to strip for beads and parts. You’ll also find beads and other components that will make your jewelry more unique.
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box! Crafters have made beautiful jewelry that features Barbie doll parts, game pieces, puzzle pieces, and more. You can find a lot of these items for pennies at sales.
DIY
Of course, you’re already doing it yourself by making the jewelry. However, there are even more things you can make yourself, such as the settings for your gems and even the beads themselves. You can make beautiful beads with a pack of Sculpey clay, or you can get more advanced and learn how to make glass beads.
The more items you can make, the more you will save. You may spend more time and money up front, but you’ll spend far less over time on those materials. If you’re really good, you can even sell your own jewelry making supplies, thereby supplementing your hobby.
Making jewelry on a budget doesn’t have to be hard. You just need to make good buying decisions and think a little outside the box. Don’t just go to your nearest craft store for your jewelry making tools and buy what you see. Find the best quality tools and materials and then get them at a great price or on sale. Then recycle everything you can to save even more.
Have you ever tried making jewelry?
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Our library has had some jewelry making classes, which I attended. I’ve dabbled in making jewelry for a long time, but not with much professionalism, until recently when I learned more about it. It’s fun. On the list of expense-cutting materials, don’t forget paper. We made some lovely beads from junk mail and discarded magazines. The stuff we coated them with was not expensive, but we could have used cheap nail polish. And we had lots of fun! Even if you don’t think you’re good enough at it, keep on trying and asking questions and you will get better.
I did my first craft show today. I sold 24 items and cleared almost $200. I buy mid priced tools and use every sale price and coupon possible. I frequently look for re-purposable jewelry at thrift stores. My price to cost ratio is about 15 to 1. One or two items pays for a shopping trip from which I continue the cycle.
One trick is to use old wire snips whenever possible, saving the better one for detail work.