Gemstone donuts come in a variety of stones and sizes! I love gemstones in all shapes, sizes and colors! But recently, I have been having fun with one shape in particular, gemstone donuts. They are round, washer-shaped gemstones, with a hole in the center. They come in a variety of sizes, from dime sized, to palm sized! They also come in a variety of stones. Continue Reading…
If you’re looking for a tranquil jewelry-making project, the stretchy yoga bracelet is perfect. It’s easy to make and takes very few tools (this also makes it perfect for beginning jewelry makers!). Our design incorporates Mala prayer beads and 8mm round gemstone beads. Plus, we’ve personalized the bracelet with a Nina Designs charm. Whether you make one or a whole armful, you will love this project!
“Lotus Flower” Yoga Bracelet by Rings & Things designer Mollie Valente.
The “Lotus Flower” yoga bracelet combines rosewood Mala beads, gemstone beads, gold-plated beads, and a bronze Nina Designs lotus charm — all strung on Stretch Magic® cord.
Step 1: Measure and cut the Stretch Magic cord. Make the cord length wrist size plus 4 inches). String on the charm and position it in the middle of the cord. On each side of the charm, string one rondelle bead and one 5mm nugget heishi bead. Add the Bead Stopper to one side of the cord.
Tool Spotlight: Bead Stoppers are a helpful tool for any stringing project! Simply attach the spring to your beading cord to prevent accidental bead spills. You can purchase the Bead Stoppers in both regular and mini size. This tool is a “Rings & Things Staff Choice”.
Step 2: The color of rainbow new jade beads varies from bead to bead on each strand. Take a moment and plan your bead design before stringing. String on one 8mm gemstone bead followed by one 5mm nugget bead; string this pattern three times, then end with an additional 8mm gemstone bead.
Step 3: Secure the cord with a Bead Stopper on the beaded side of the bracelet. String beads on the opposite side of the bracelet, matching the pattern in Step 2.
Step 4: Continue beading. String on two 7mm nugget heishi beads. Then string on an alternating pattern of one 8mm Mala bead, followed by one 7mm nugget bead; repeat this pattern five times. Secure the beads with a Bead Stopper.
Step 5: Secure the cord with a Bead Stopper on the beaded side of the bracelet. String beads on the opposite side of the bracelet, matching the pattern in Step 4. Vary the number of wooden Mala beads and 7mm nugget heishi beads to achieve your desired bracelet length.
Step 6: With the Bead Stopper removed, hold the ends of the Stretch Magic cord securely and form a circular bracelet. Secure the cord with a knot (square knot, surgeon’s knot, or a few over-hand knots). To tighten the knot, pull the cord tails and stretch the bracelet. Clip the cording about 1/8″ from the knot.
The overhand knot, square knot, and surgeon’s knot are commonly used in jewelry making.
Step 7: Secure the connection by applying GS Hypo Cement to the knot. Use the super-fine applicator to generously coat the knot, and then slide the knot into the center of a wooden Mala bead and allow it to dry. Now the knot is secure, protected, and hidden.
The Lotus Flower Yoga Bracelet is ready to wear!
Get Inspired! Enjoy 100’s more free jewelry projects at Rings & Things too!
♥ Make Things!
Mollie
You don’t have to be Frank Sinatra to do things your own way! That’s the beauty of metal stamping as a jewelry technique. Not only do you get to assemble components, you get to make your own components – and they can say whatever you want them to say!
This Young Love bracelet is a perfect example of how you can easily customize jewelry with metal stamps!
Letter stamps are the perfect way to create monogram jewelry, plus jewelry with names or inspirational sayings. Design metal stamps are the perfect way to add cuteness and panache.
Learn to make these simple metal stamped earrings – just click the image above for the complete parts, ready to buy.
Designer Amy Mickelson’s “Hootie and the Sodalite Earrings” feature custom owl charms she made using an ImpressArt Metal Stamp and a JBB Antiqued Copper Plated Square Tag Charm. These JBB tags are plated especially for stampers – pretty amazing! For more on these components, see the full parts list and tutorial here.
First, gather your supplies.
The basics of jewelry stamping are easy and only require a few tools. The tools are a small investment, but will last for years and thousands of impressions!
Supplies you’ll want:
The basic steps to jewelry stamping:
Once you’ve planned your design, secure your metal tag or blank onto your steel block with tape. Stamp Straight Tape by ImpressArt is more expensive than masking tape, but it offers a sturdier edge and does not leave sticky residue.
Strike the perfectly vertical stamp with one firm blow. This is important for achieving a clear impression.
Now you’ve got a custom made charm that’s uniquely made by you!
That’s all there is to it! It really is that simple. Then, you can use your completed stamped charms to make earrings, necklaces, bracelets, gift tags, and more!
Click this picture for all the parts and instructions you need to make these pretty necklaces.
For a great monogram jewelry tutorial, see “Ava’s Ladies in Waiting” Necklace Tutorial in our Design Gallery.
Click this picture for all the parts and instructions you need to make adorable metal stamped owl earrings.
To make fun owl earrings, see the “Hootie and the Sodalite” Earrings Tutorial.
Click this picture for all the parts and instructions you need to make a simple metal stamped bracelet.
For the full how-to on making a metal stamped chain bracelet, see our “Young Love” Bracelet Tutorial.
Rings & Things offers a huge variety of metal stamping blanks, plus jewelry stamping tools and supplies with fast shipping and free returns.
So what are you waiting for? Isn’t it time to say things your way! ~ Melissa
There is no denying that little glass bottle necklaces are adorable, and as keepsake jewelry they are easily adaptable for a multitude of themes. Whether you want to make the featured “Beachcomber” Vial Necklace, or a variation–this style of jewelry is easy to make. You might also consider filling your little bottle with dried flower petals, dandelion wishes, a lock of baby hair, a printed parchment scroll, tiny photos, sea shells, moss, feathers, ashes, or the other seemingly endless possibilities.
Step 1: Gather your supplies needed to make the Beachcomber Vial Necklace.
You will need the following supplies:
1 each 8mm round jump ring (I used item #37-167-1: 8mm round, white-plated jump ring)
3 each 3.2mm rondelle spacer beads (I used item #26-155-32-1: 3.2mm white-plated rondelle spacer bead)
1 each 2″standard head pin (I used item #37-422-1: 2″ white-plated standard head pin)
1 each clear glass bottle (I used item #30-187-3515: 32x15mm clear glass bottle)
1 each 12mm faceted rondelle crystal bead
1 each ball chain clasp (I used item #40-801-1: 2.4mm white-plated ball chain clasp)
24 inches ball chain (I used item #40-889-1: 1.8mm white-plated ball chain)
And Treasures to fill your vial:
20 each 4mm Swarovski crystal bicone beads (I used #05-328-04-116, #05-328-04-124, #05-328-04-407, #05-328-04-90, and #05-328-06-138.)
1 each 17x7mm white-plated key charm
Glitter (I used Tim Holtz Distressed Glitter “Clear Rock Candy“)
You will need the following tools:
mini spoon / tiny glitter scoop
Step 2: Remove the cork stopper from the vial; use the awl to make a centered hole running from the top of the cork through to the bottom.
Step 3: To make the beaded cork stopper, string the following parts onto a 2″ head pin: a white-plated rondelle spacer bead, the cork, a faceted glass bead, and a bicone crystal bead.
Step 4: Finish the beaded cork stopper with a wire-wrapped loop. Follow the instructions for making wire-wrapped loops in Rings & Things “Jewelry Basics 101″.
Step 5: Add a jump ring to the top loop of the beaded cork stopper. Adorn the jump ring by adding two white-plated rondelle spacer beads prior to closing it. Follow the instructions for opening and closing jump rings in Rings & Things “Jewelry Basics 101″.
Step 6: Fill the vial with your combination of beads, crystals, and charms (or other tiny treasures). When selecting items to go in the vial, keep in mind the neck of the vial has a diameter of approximately 7mm.
Step 7: Add glitter to the vial. Rings & Things’ tiny spoon charm #44-639-0 makes a perfect scoop! Once your vial is filled, add the beaded cork stopper to the vial.
Step 8: Finish your necklace with chain. Measure and cut the ball chain to your desired length. Add the ball chain clasp to one end of the chain and string on the vial pendant. Connect the open end of the ball chain to the clasp. Enjoy!
♥Get Inspired! If you loved making the “Beachcomber” Vial Necklace, visit the Rings & Things Design Gallery and get inspired! You will find instructions for making the following necklaces (just click the image for details):
Fairy garden terrarium tutorial by Sondra Barrington & the Rings & Things Showroom crew
Tiny Living Terrarium Tutorial by Summer Melaas of Rings & Things Showroom
Healing Shrine Necklace Tutorial by Rings & Things Designer Sondra Barrington
Make things!
Mollie
Cabochon flowers are a super easy way to add a splash of color to your life! With flat backs for easy gluing, they’re a cinch to add to any number of craft projects. This tutorial shows you how to embellish the flowers then add them to bobby pins to make sparkling DIY hair accessories. It’s a great project for kids, seniors, girly get-togethers and parties.
Only a few supplies are required:
Flat Pad Bobby Pins
Flower Cabochons
Adhesive Dots
Paint Dabbers
Glitter!
White Glue Paint Brushes or Cotton Swabs for Glue
If desired, color the flower using paint dabbers. While the paint is still wet, dip the outer petals into glitter. If you’re not coloring your flower first, add a light layer of glue to the outer petals before dipping them in the glitter.
Apply the adhesive dot to the pad of the bobby pin.
Attached your embellished posie and you’re done!
Have fun & sparkle on!
Did you know? …
You can buy the supplies to make this project now:
Click to Shop Resin Cabochon Flowers
Click to Shop Bobby Pins with Glue Pads
Click to Shop Adhesive Dots
Charm Bracelet
Create a beautiful, heirloom-quality charm bracelet using freshwater keishi pearls, Swarovski faceted crystal beads, and unique sterling silver bead caps, charms, and findings.
A four-piece jewelry making tool set and basic assembly techniques are all you need to create this stunning bracelet. I recommend using the Chain Stā tool which suspends the bracelet horizontally making it easier to see where you are placing charms.
Create Eight Styles of Charms
For this design, charms were arranged in the following pattern:
Ethereal Pearl Charm
Create 7 Ethereal Pearl Charms using: Center-Drilled Freshwater Keishi Pearl 2″ Ball End Head Pins 4mm Round Jump Rings
Oopsy Daisy Charm
Falling Leaf Charm
Delicate Sprout Charm
Budding Flower Charm
Cherry Blossom Charm
Have fun making the bracelet!
It doesn’t matter if you’re a rhinestone cowgirl or an urban fashionista – dressing up belt buckles and other jewelry blanks with sparkling crystal chatons is just plain fun!
Use the steps below to either recreate the Zen Yin belt buckle by Jan or to embed you own designs in a wide range of jewelry components including bezel cups, buckle blanks, cuff links, and more.
1. Gather your supplies.
Supplies:
To make the exact belt buckle pictured in this blog, see the “Zen Yin” belt buckle full parts list in our Design Gallery.
A jewel setting tool makes it easy to set chatons in your jewelry clay.
Tip: A jewel setter makes it much easier to set small objects into the clay! While bare fingers can hinder your field of vision and upset other elements of the design, jewel setters provide a wax tip to lightly pick up and place small objects in just the right spot.
2. Plan your layout.
Plan your layout before you unwrap the clay. This allows you to tinker with design options without the clay drying prematurely. This is especially important on large objects like a belt buckle.
3. Measure equal amounts of clay.
Wear thin gloves to protect your hands. Measure equal amounts of “A” and “B” types of clay, and form each material into a separate ball. If the clay sticks, apply a thin coat of vegetable oil.
4. Combine.
Combine the two balls together until they are well blended and uniform in color.
5. Press clay into jewelry blank.
Press the clay into your jewelry blank. You can smooth it out by adding a little vegetable oil on top. If it gets too sticky, dust it lightly with baby powder.
6. Place large objects & focals first.
Place larger objects and focal points into your clay first. Tip: To save time, you can leave strung beads on the string, rather than placing them individually in the clay. Trim excess string once the beads are in place.
7. Fill in remaining clay with crystal chatons.
Next, fill in the remaining exposed clay with sparkling crystal chatons. As mentioned above, a jewel setter can make this task quicker and easier. When you are placing your chatons into the clay, be sure not to press or tap them in to deeply. The clay will rise up a little bit around them particularly when it is very wet.
8. Allow clay to dry and you’re done!
Set aside your design in a safe spot and allow the clay to thoroughly dry, based on the manufacturer’s instructions. EnviroTex Jewelry Clay fully cures in 24 hours to a hard, durable, and shock resistant substance with a smooth, porcelain like surface. It does not shrink as it cures!
Below, check out more fun designs Jan made with EnviroTex Clay and crystal chatons.
These chunky donut beads are held fast in the crystal clay,
demonstrating how strong EnviroTex clay is!
Homer Simpson wouldn’t be able to resist this whimsical bit of bling! It’s made with donut beads, aurora borealis crystals, and a square bezel-cup pendant blank.
EnviroTex Jewelry Clay is durable enough for heavily-used objects
like key rings. Add heart to designs with heart bezel cups.
Heart-shaped bezel cups add an extra bit of love to jewelry designs.
Go nautical with embedded scallop shell beads and freshwater pearls.
Rectangle bezel-cups provide a great shape for custom pendants with a touch of bling. The design pictured above is adorned with shell beads and freshwater pearls surrounded by blue zircon and aquamarine crystal chatons.
Adorn your hands with bezel cup ring blanks!
Bezel cup ring blanks come in several colors and shapes. Some styles are exclusive to Rings & Things, and all styles are adjustable to fit any ring size. They’re perfect for making blingy costume jewelry.
You don’t have to use crystals.
This polar bear ring has seed beads embedded in the jewelry clay.
Embed seed beads and other objects in the crystal clay to see what other effects you can achieve! This winter-themed ring has a polar bear bead and a “Snow Ball” seed bead mix embedded in the clay. Let your imagination be your guide as you have fun making mosaic jewelry and a whole lot more! 🙂
“Shining Stars Lashed Earrings” are created with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS; bicone beads and rivoli stones add sparkle.
Learn this simple wire-wrapping technique and how to use pinch-style rivoli settings with this free wire-lashing jewelry-making tutorial from Rings & Things. Continue Reading…
If you haven’t yet jumped on the ear cuff bandwagon, now’s your chance! Some ear cuff designs include an earring post to hold the design in place, but many of today’s styles work for both pierced and non-pierced ears, making them as versatile as they are trendy.
Customer service rep Tracy and Gallery guru Amy made the following Five Ear Cuffs to showcase some of the styles popping up.
Lightweight plastic spike bead assortments give this ear cuff pizzazz and drama!
Easy to Make Bracelets
With the holidays fast approaching, why not make some simple handmade gifts for friends and family?
Using rubber stamps and permanent ink pads, you can easily embellish ready-made leather bracelets to create fun and whimsical gifts in just a few minutes.
This DIY tutorial shows you how.
Gather your supplies
Gather your Supplies
You will need the following products and supplies:
Rubber Stamp Angel Policy
If you plan on selling your finished pieces, remember to check out the “angel policy” for the rubber stamps you choose. The manufacturer or stamp artist may have restrictions on using the stamped images on items created for sale.
Plan your Layout
Plan your Design Layout
If you want a certain stamped image to appear in a certain location, like the center of the bracelet, you should plan your design layout.
Depending on the length of leather bracelet you choose, you can plan the layout directly on the bracelet.
Or use the bracelet as a template to trace its shape on paper. Trace several, so you can practice. This is helpful when determining the spacing needed between individual letter stamps when stamping words or names.
Ink the Stamp
Stamp your Design
Place the rubber stamp on the ink pad and press down so the stamp picks up the ink. Repeat several times. Use plenty of ink for a dark image.
Center inked stamp over bracelet
Press the stamp firmly
Press the stamp firmly on the leather bracelet and hold for a few seconds. Then gently lift off the stamp.
Allow the ink to dry
To prevent smudging, allow the ink to dry before stamping the next image. It takes about 3-5 minutes for permanent ink to thoroughly dry, if you can wait that long.
Ink another rubber stamp and press it down on the leather
Different amounts of ink create a nice contrast
Use plenty of ink for a dark image. Less ink makes for a nice contrast. Or use several different colors of the StazOn ink for your design.
An easy to make spooky gift
Fixing Mistakes
StazOn ink is permanent. If you make a mistake, you can remove the image with StazOn All Purpose Cleaner. But be cautious, as this cleaner is a solvent and will also remove the dye on the leather bracelet.
When you are finished, use the cleaner to remove the dried ink on the rubber stamps.
Since the StazOn ink is permanent, there is no need to apply a sealer to the bracelet.
Draw freehand designs with Sharpie permanent markers
Another fast way to make a bracelet is to draw your own design on the leather using Sharpie permanent marking pens.
These bracelets are great for all occasions from Halloween and Christmas to Queen for a Day.
With ready-made leather bracelets, StazOn ink pads, and your favorite rubber stamps, you can start making your handmade holiday gifts now.
Amy