How-Tos

Discover the different links available and how to use these components in jewelry making to save time and create beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces.

Discover the reasons and techniques for cleaning enamel prior to application, through these simple illustrated instructions.

Explore some great ways to use cabochons in your jewelry projects.

Don't let your bolo or lariat necklace be incomplete. Design your piece from tip to focal with these creative cord finishing methods.

Every design has a story. Learn how to share who you are and why you make jewelry so people can build a relationship with you and your work.

Upcycling jewelry is an eco-minded trend that everyone can get behind. Just take existing materials and repurpose them into jewelry!

Get excited about druzy jewelry! Adorned with tiny, glistening crystals, these gemstones have the potential to become the focal point of your latest jewelry masterpiece.

This article will teach you the best practices for preserving the beauty and quality of your gold- and silver-plated jewelry pieces over time.

Capitalize on the growing popularity of succulents' eye-catching aesthetic by using sculpted polymer clay to form plants sans soil.

Find everything you need know about jeweler's saws in this video and informative article. Learn the tips and tricks to using a jeweler's saw to get the design you want.

Learn how to create beautiful jewelry to flatter any face shape.

Inlay jewelry is a beautiful way to display stones without the use of traditional setting techniques. Learn more about this exciting trend.

The tree of life is an ancient symbol that appears in numerous cultures the world over. Learn how to incorporate them into your designs for stylish results.

Etching copper with saltwater might sound like a magic trick, but it's actually simple science! Learn how to etch jewelry pieces with this video.

Why make wind chimes with jewelry-making materials? Well, why not? Wind chimes provide a melodious tune and can be aesthetically pleasing--plus they make great gifts!

The first openly available resource for the beader and jewelry maker, the Beadmakers' Handbook includes bead-stringing designs and techniques. Download the free PDF and discover where it all began!

Explore the benefits and properties of this sturdy and stylish metal.

Our buyers are experts in the field with years of accumulated training and maintain ongoing training of industry standards and availability of gemstone materials. This article is offered to create an understanding of the intricacies of gemstone...

Learn how to save time and money by taking the guesswork out of wireworking and metalsmithing by learning how to accurately measure. In this article jewelry-making expert Sandra Lupo teaches us how to accurately measure for jewelry-making success.

Sometimes it's not easy to know how to end a necklace, especially when there are so many ways that you can start it. Well take a breath of relief, here are a dozen ways to help you.

Learn more about the holy rosary and how it's been a treasured devotion in the Catholic Church for centuries.

Oh how we love the flamboyant bright neon colors of soft and pliable rubber Oh! Rings™. Twisty little circles are so versatile and you can even add to jump rings for chainmaille.

Author and jewelry-making expert Tammy Honaman provides you with plenty of tips and tricks for using enameling in your own jewelry-making processes.

Tammy Honaman shows you the tools and techniques needed for soft and hard soldering.

Bead stringing is the backbone of many designs; the rest can be done with a few jewelry-making fundamentals. Learn the fundamentals you need to create your own jewelry lines.

Every jewelry artist knows the rewarding feeling of taking jewelry designs from imagination to creation. Learn about the different product lines that allow you to create pieces of art for you to add to your jewelry.

Learn all about knapping, an ancient technique for creating gemstone tools or personal adornment. You'll be amazed how much effort goes into these creations!

Downloadable PDF guide makes sizing finger rings easier than ever. Prints actual size from PDF, offering two ways to accurately measure ring sizes.

When you learn how to dye bone beads and other components you open a new avenue for creating distinctive jewelry pieces. Learn how with this informative article.

TierraCast® BeadAligners™ prevent large-hole beads from moving and sliding on standard-sized stringing material, center large-hole beads on metal findings and prevent smaller beads from going inside large-hole beads. Here's how to use BeadAlignerswith Bead Huggers™ to create a "floating bead" design.

There are two styles of glass cutters: dry and oil-filled. This tutorial shows how to use both types, each with illustrated step-by-step instructions.

Effortlessly achieve a professional finish for your jewelry designs using fold-over bezel link settings. Learn how with these straightforward instructions!

Firing enamel in a kiln might appear challenging, but fear not—these step-by-step instructions empower you to confidently and safely craft brilliant, gleaming jewelry projects.

Create a custom cabochon setting using these step-by-step instructions. This project tutorial explores bench jeweler metal fabrication techniques such as sawing, soldering, filing and polishing.

Vitrium® clay—an air-dry resin clay—comes in transparent white or opaque white. Add color to either type using these two simple steps.

Sculpt clay with precision and ease. These step-by-step instructions will show you how to effortlessly utilize Makin's Professional® Clay Core and Ultimate Clay Extruder®.

Craft delicate, intricate and exhilarating chain designs. These user-friendly instructions will guide you in creating your own custom links.

Incorporating large-hole beads onto delicate jewelry wire is a breeze. These instructions will demonstrate how, with the help of TierraCast™ BeadAligners™, you can enhance both the stability and the beauty of your designs.

Glass frit can be fused into glasswork shapes for jewelry, décor, gift items and more. This tutorial offers glass fusing tips and techniques—plus four suggested firing schedules for a kiln.

Keep your tools in pristine condition, ensuring they serve you well for years to come. Discover the proper technique for maintaining your soldering iron with a sal ammoniac block.

Seeking a way to unite your cords without forcing them to tie the knot? Join them in peaceful harmony with slide tube clasps and these easy instructions.

With these instructions, you will master the art of annealing, a process that softens metal, allowing you to shape it according to your creative vision.

Loop Lock™ findings are ideal for connecting links, loops and lengths of chain with a secure "locking" closure. See how to use these findings in this illustrated tutorial.

Add color to copper beads or components with this torch-based enameling technique. This illustrated tutorial includes step-by-step instructions, safety tips and color suggestions.

ReMold putty can be used to make molds of sculptures, prototypes, candles, picture frames, coins, etc.

Q: How do I attach beads or crystals to leather ~ as in a leather cross or even a halter for a horse?

Q: What findings are used for attaching clasps to sterling silver or gold-filled chain sold by the yard? What is the best technique for it?

Bead weaving on a loom is more convenient with a shedding device. Here's how to warp a Mirrix loom for bead weaving while accommodating the shedding device.

Patina gel by Cool Tools is a sulfur-based antiquing solution in a stable form for use on bare clean copper, bronze or silver. This illustrated tutorial guides you through each step.

Learn how to elegantly terminate leather strands with cones in this simple tutorial.

Add a top-drilled component to a fishhook ear wire with an extra-long peg to create easy earrings with this 3-step tutorial.

Create intricate beaded mandalas with ease by following these straightforward instructions. Your beadwork has never been more extraordinary!

Fusing glass frit can be a beautiful and creative expression of glasswork. Here are tips and techniques for fusing glass, including four firing schedules for a glass kiln.

Metal grommets safeguard the edges of stringing holes in large-hole beads. This four-step guide walks designers through the process of securely gluing a grommet into the bead.

Follow the three-step instructions and transform a horizontal or vertical brooch into a stylish pendant using a brooch converter.

Pop clasps are perfect for breakaway styles like lanyards and badge holders. They “pop” open when pulled and snap shut when pressed. See how to use them in these instructions.

French knitting can add a hint of flair to any jewelry design. Learn how easy it is to use the French knitter tool with this instruction guide.

Create a framed resin pendant—like a window into another place or time—using photo-illustrated instructions by jewelry-making expert Tammy Honaman.

The gemstones in these delicate earrings infuse this design with the essence of early morning rain. Follow our free tutorial to make your own pair.

The possibilities are endless ... and claspless! Here's how to build a long necklace that slips over the head and has no visible beginning or end.

These illustrated instructions show how to make Viking knit wire jewelry with a Lazee Daizee™ tool. Incorporating this technique into your creations is a snap!

Getting frustrated with hand-wrapping wire bands? This handy instruction guide shows how to use banding pliers to make perfectly started wraps every time.

Embellish a beautiful scarf with these components and easy instructions.

Gilders Paste is a professional wax-based medium that can be mixed and layered for an endless color palette that won't fade. Learn how with this informative article.

Learn how to fuse glass at home with these helpful tips and a microwave kiln.

Learn how to create your own one-of-a-kind designs with liquid polymer clay sheets in this tutorial from author, jewelry-making expert and educator Tammy Honaman.

Using Bulldog Crimps™ is easy. Learn how here.

Learn to create a new twist on kumihimo braiding and friendship bracelets with this guide. Using a square plate, it’s easy to create flat designs.

Baking polymer clay is one of the most important steps. Learn proper temperatures and techniques with these instructions.

Add elegant detail to chainmaille jewelry using the queen's link chainmaille technique.

Learn how to make a custom bezel setting for any cabochon using bezel strips. Clear images demonstrate every step in this how-to.

Want to design your own bedazzled embellishments with hotfix transfer sheets? Here's how.

Adding charms to your bangle charm bracelet is a breeze with these easy-to-follow instructions.

To make a seed bead ring, choose your colors from Fire Mountain Gems' vast seed bead selection.

Sure-sets are precision cast mountings designed with seats capable of accommodating most stone girdle widths. Setting may be done with ordinary precision pliers; however, the job is greatly simplified by using our notched stone setting pliers.

Learn how to use a wireworking jig with this step-by-step tutorial. Includes tips and tricks from the makers of the WigJig.

Have you tried Memory Wire yet? This great design is just the beginning of what you can do with Memory Wire.

Not everyone has access to a kiln. In this tutorial, learn how to fire certain types of metal clay pieces on a gas stove rather than with traditional firing methods.

Cork clay is easily shaped and refined into a solid core for firing hollow metal clay beads and sculptural pieces. Learn the benefits and how to use it with this tutorial.

Bezelite settings take all the mystery and headache out of stone setting. Even a beginner can get great results in seconds! They are made for faceted stones and most cabochons.

Create a vintage-style patina on copper, bronze or silver components with Liver of Sulfur™. Learn the proper techniques and helpful tips in this article.

Easily create necklaces and bracelets with large-hole beads and bead keepers using caprice and Dione® Easy-On chains. These chains have two 8x5mm end caps. One has a clasp and the other unscrews for easy bead stringing. Clear images demonstrate every step in this how-to.

Create a charm from metal sheet and use stamping tools to personalize it with this step-by-step tutorial.

Learn an alternate way to thread a needle without holding it in the air. Clear images demonstrate every step in this how-to.

Learn how to change the width of flat peyote seed beading work with these tutorials. Easy step-by-step instructions show how to increase and decrease this popular off-loom stitch. The clear graphics illustrate stringing patterns and directions.

Create classic post earring designs with only a peg earstud and a half-drilled bead or pearl. Simple how-to walks designers through each step.

Learn how to easily dye pearls to match any outfit or occasion, a process which has been a closely guarded trade secret.

Learn how to create a professional finish to designs using multiple cords with this step-by-step tutorial for using cord caps.

Follow along with instructions for how to use a stop bead to keep beads on the thread when starting any off-loom stitch. The stop bead is temporary and easy to remove.

Learn how to glue a cabochon into a closed-back ring setting with this tutorial. Clear images demonstrate each step in this how-to.

Wire coils created with tools, gadgets and forming devices have limitless possibilities in jewelry making.

Conceal knots and complete strung jewelry designs with artistic flair using Hot Tips® designer bead tips. Hot Tips might look complicated, but they're super easy to use—this instructional guide shows how.

Braiding multiple strands of small beads gives body to the design and creates visually captivating textures. These easy-to-follow instructions for three-strand braids will get you started.

Learn how to use Omni-Gel™ to create custom photo transfers.

The compact, vacuum tool allows for precision placement. It works great for placing chatons, flat backs and small stones and when creating pavé-style jewelry.