One of the trends in jewelry today is do-it-yourself jewelry making. Jewelry making can be done with a variety of craft materials, one of which is leather. A versatile material, leather can be used to make jewelry in a variety of ways. Some tactics use primarily leather alone while others use different embellishments that can be added to leather to fashion one-of-a-kind creations. Perhaps creating jewelry with leather appeals to you, but you’re not sure not to get started. Keep reading for some ideas.
Get Inspired
A good place to start is with an idea. Some crafty types will find this step as natural as getting out of bed in the morning. Others will need some outside help. Fortunately, we live in a time and place where ideas abound and are easily found. Some ideas for getting started can be found here and here. But to find the inspiration that truly suits your personality and style, you have a whole online world to browse and explore.
Get the Right Materials
Once you have an idea, it is time to start gathering materials. You’ll need to have some basic leatherworking tools, such as a rotary punch, a sharp knife or scissors for cutting, and a needle and waxed thread for sewing. Beyond the basics, you might also need a few specialized tools to accomplish the specific jewelry look you are going for. You will also need to gather any materials that are needed for your craft. As you purchase your materials, it is important to remember that you get what you pay for. While good quality materials and tools may be more expensive up-front, using them will generally result in a better, more long-lasting product in the end. In addition to the leather you choose to use, there are a variety of embellishments that can help you personalize your piece. Just a few types of embellishments include:
- Beads
- Braids
- Conchos
- Studs
- Flowers
- Feathers
- Paint
- Tassels
- Recycled jewelry or other items
Get the Required Skills
Now that you know what you want to do and have supplies to do it, you’re ready to get started, right? Well, yes and no. You need to know how to do what you want to do. This may be the trickiest part of the whole endeavor though it doesn’t necessarily have to be. The best approach is to start with an easy project that doesn’t require a lot of complicated skills. Investigate the skills that are needed to complete your first leather jewelry project and practice these skills first. Then as you master them, you can move on to more intricate projects that utilize more difficult skills.
Get Creative
With the addition of more leathercrafting and jewelry-making skills to your toolbox, you can really get creative with your jewelry designs. Try imitating the look of jewelry pieces you like or even come up with your own novel inventions. At this point, your imagination is the limit!
As you embark on your leather jewelry journey, the StecksStore website is a great resource. We sell quality leatherworking tools and supplies, and if you can’t locate a specific item, just contact us and we’ll help you find what you need.