Jewelry & Beading Designs for Dummies (For Dummies)

Do you love jewelry and beading? Are you looking for some clever, creative projects to make chic jewelry and accessories? This easy-to-follow guide is packed with step-by-step instructions and inspiring color photos to get you stringing, knotting, and looping in no time. From earrings and necklaces to pins, purses, charms, and more, you'll discover new techniques for making just the right pieces to suit you — or to give as fantastic, fashionable gifts!

• The basics of jewelry making and beading — assemble your gear, work with pliers, and brush up on stringing, bead weaving, and wire wrapping

• Start with simple projects — use elastic cord, ribbon, leather, a wire jig, and more to make bracelets, bookmarks, pendants, and napkin rings

• Incorporate multiple techniques and materials — take your skills to the next level with unconventional designs

• Complete more advanced projects — craft custom jewelry components, learn advanced bead weaving, and make jewelry with polymer clay

• Create unique, one-of-a-kind accessories — see jewelry in a fresh way by utilizing nontraditional materials

• Avoid common jewelry-making mistakes — discover how to read directions properly, buy the proper tools from the right places, remember findings, use the right tool for the job, and more

Open the book and find:

• More than 300 pages of projects and an 8-page color section

• A picture of the finished piece at the beginning of each project

• Technique-based chapters — ramp up your skills in stringing, crimping, knotting, weaving, and wire wrapping

• Clear illustrations of complicated steps so you don't get lost — see exactly what your piece should look like at key points

• Coordinating pieces grouped together to help you accessorize with style

This easy-to-follow visual guide speeds you right into the basics of jewelry making: assembling your gear; working with pliers; and fine-tuning your stringing, bead weaving, and wire wrapping skills. You’ll use elastic cord, ribbon, leather, a wire jig, and more to make bracelets, bookmarks, pendants, and napkin rings. Before you know it, you’ll take your skills to the next level and beyond, using multiple techniques and materials on thrilling and unconventional designs. Discover how to:

• Make more than 75 fresh, fun, and practical projects
• Hone your basic jewelry making skills
• Work with silver, leather, glass beads, and crystals
• Create rings, bracelets, phone covers, wine charms, and more
• Use bead crimping, knotting, and weaving to make beautiful designs
• Make stunning earrings and necklaces using a wire jig
• Fabricate beads and wire components
• Find nontraditional materials such as hardware, beach glass, and more

Add beauty, skill, and satisfaction to your life with a little help from Jewelry and Beading Designs For Dummies!

Tammy Powley designs and manages content for About.com's jewelry-making Web site and is the author of numerous jewelry-making books and articles.

Part I: Reinforcing Your Jewelry Foundation.

Chapter 1: Gearing Up.

Chapter 2: Brushing Up on Bead Stitches and Other Basics.

Part II: Super Simple Jewelry Projects.

Chapter 3: Simple Stringing Techniques.

Chapter 4: Bead Crimping.

Chapter 5: Bead Knotting.

Chapter 6: Bead-Weaving Stitches.

Chapter 7: A New Twist: Wire Jig Wrapping.

Chapter 8: It’s a Wrap: Wire Wrapping.

Part III: Putting Your Jewelry Skills to the Test.

Chapter 9: Stepping It Up: Advancing Your Bead-Stringing Skills.

Chapter 10: Fabricating Bead and Wire Components.

Chapter 11: Bodacious Woven Bead Jewelry.

Chapter 12: Piecing It Together with Polymer Clay.

Part IV: Mixing It Up: Incorporating Multiple Techniques and Materials.

Chapter 13: Creating Non-Jewelry Beading Projects.

Chapter 14: Using Nontraditional Materials.

Part V: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 15: Ten Tips for Storing and Caring for Your Jewelry Creations.

Chapter 16: Ten Places to Peruse for Offbeat Jewelry-Making Materials.

Chapter 17: Ten Mistakes to Avoid When Expanding Your Jewelry Hobby.

Appendix: Jewelry and Beading Techniques.

Index.