March is usually known as a time of seasonal change as the weather warms up and beautiful new growth begins to emerge. However! What you might not have known is that March is National Craft month! It's a time to embrace your inner creative, and we have got the perfect series to help you do that. Our YouTube channel, JTV Jewel School, is a great DIY jewelry tutorial channel where you can learn all kinds of skills and find great ideas for new projects.

We also recommend exploring our Jewel School webpage with tools and materials for making your own jewelry, and we offer helpful video tutorials for learning the trade. Here are some videos to introduce you to the world of homemade jewelry and inspire you to get yourself started!

Types of Jewelry Wire

You can't make homemade jewelry without wire! Wire is one of those materials that you will need a whole lot of if you want to get anywhere making jewelry for yourself. It comes in many different gauges, which can be a bit confusing at first because, as Susan points out, the higher the gauge number, the thinner the wire! Wires of different gauges have different uses and applications for which they're best suited. For example, low gauge wire, like 16 gauge, really holds it's shape well, making it great for making things like clasps and chain extenders. On the other hand, 28 gauge wire (weighing in at .3 millimeters in diameter!), is great for wiring tiny beads onto a lower gauge, thicker wire. There are lots of advantages to having different gauges on hand, and Susan covers them all.

All About Different Wire for Jewelry Making | Jewelry 101

Jewelry Making Pliers

Like a lumberjack to his axe, and like a seamstress to her needles, a home jeweler is nothing without their pliers! It's a good idea to have a variety of them, as different styles of pliers perform very different tasks. Round-nose pliers have tapered round ends, and are perfect for making small loops of varying sizes in your wire. Flat-nose pliers are smooth, flat, and wide, making them ideal for precisely bending wire into angular shapes like triangles and diamonds. Chain-nose pliers have pointed ends for fitting into small gaps in your projects, and they're great for firmly gripping, and opening/ closing your connectors. They also come in a bent-nose variety to better fit "around corners" as Susan puts it.

How to Use Pliers for Jewelry Making | Jewlery 101

About Jewelry Making Bead Spinners

This project uses one last highly specialized tool: a bead spinner. While it isn't completely necessary for making this necklace, we'd recommend one unless you've got the time and dexterity to thread 30 feet of tiny seed beads by hand. Either way, the result is just fabulous! You get a fun necklace that is versatile enough to be worn several different ways, but we think the best part is that it's something you've made yourself. After all, that's the spirit of crafting! Find jewelry-making tools and more, here.

Making a Lariat Necklace With a Bead Spinner | I Made This