DIY jewelry making is a bit more challenging than it may appear. After all, you’re responsible for creating and threading minuscule beads or pendants onto different wire gauges and binding them to ensure they stay in place. You need the right tools to do this successfully. Explore some of the fundamental devices you need in your jewelry-making kit so that you can get the most out of your projects.
A Plethora of Pliers
When making your list of the top tools you need for DIY jewelry making, be sure to include hog ring tools such as pliers. And because you’ll work with so many different types of wires and materials, you’ll need to have various pliers at your disposal, including:
- Round Nose Pliers: These are sturdy and gripped, so they’re excellent for creating or closing wire hoops, bends, clasps, and jump rings.
- Nylon Tip Pliers: These pliers are excellent for correcting dents and kinks in a wire that you bent a bit too hard.
- Flat Nose Pliers: These are often the DIY jewelers’ go-to tool since they easily open jump rings and finish off wire-wrapped ends.
Make sure that the pliers you select have a smooth surface between their jaws so that you can use them to smooth imperfections out of wire and other materials as necessary.
Wire and Flush Cutters
If you hope to get the most out of your jewelry-making projects, you’ll also need to add a pair of wire and flush cutters to your supply list. A solid pair of wire cutters will help you cut through even the thickest gauges cleanly. And clean cuts in jewelry making are crucial to achieving the best results.
You should add a pair of flush cutters to your toolkit for the same reason. These are similar to wire cutters; however, what makes them distinct is their inability to leave loose ends. But be mindful; flush cutters can cut through only thinner gauges of wire. So make sure you understand the tool’s limits before using them on your projects.
A Supply of Wire
There is no discussion of the top tools you need for DIY jewelry making without mentioning the most central supplies on the list: a healthy supply of wire and a ruler. Think of wire as the foundation for every piece of jewelry you’ll make.
Wires come in various gauges and different types of materials, such as:
- Gold-filled
- Sterling Silver
- Copper
- Aluminum
Which materials you choose to work with is up to you and the kind of jewelry you want to make.
Pro-Tip
Have a ruler handy, too. It’ll help you make exact measurements and cuts so that your jewelry is gorgeous and well-fitting every time.
A Disk Punch and Practice Materials
If you’re planning on incorporating metal cutting into your work, you’ll need a disk punch and some practice materials to help you start. Disk punches are a tool that essentially enables you to hammer identical shapes into the metal you’re working with.
Then, you’d work with the cutouts to create various types of pendants and so forth. And metal cutting is a rewarding jewelry-making method that yields exciting results. But it isn’t easy to get right the first time. That’s why we suggest getting a bit of material to practice with before you start using your best materials to make jewelry.
As a side note, if you ever want to expand your jewelry making hobby and craft more significant pieces—like purses or even shoes—you’ll need to invest in materials like leather, lace, and other fabrics. Plus, you’re going to need more industrious hog ring tools to handle the work. And if that’s the case, know that we have a wide selection of pliers and other devices that can help you get the most out of your crafting projects.