Great Gift Ideas for Jewellery Makers or Beaders

Buying gufts can be stressfull sometimes. No matter who your buying for, a friend, family, neighbour, anyone! You want to get them something they will like, and generic gifts like flowers, chocolate or beauty items just don't always cut it, there's no personal thought gone into them. So I have compiled a number of gift lists based on different peoples hobbies to try to give some new fresh, fun ideas for great gifts for any occasion. This gift list is for people who love to make jewellery or beads, whether as a hobby or a job! You can see my other gift lists below.

Jewellery making can be a very expensivee hobby. The cost of tools, wires, strings, beads, charms and findings can add up fast. So if there is a jewellery making or beader in your life buying them so beautiful jewellery making supplies as a gift could be a great choice. It will allow them to create their own piece of jewellery, rather than you buying them a piece. That way it will be something they really love and something totally unique to them.

If your not a jewellery maker yourself you wont know the shere amount of items that can be bought for this hobby. So below I have broken down all possibilites of fun gift items into 3 handy sections. Now the last section is very specific to bead makers or silversmiths. This is a different type of jewellery making compared to people who simply use beads or charms, so if you are going to buy an item from this section make sure the person your buying the gift for actually does, or wants to start using this method of jewellery making, as it is quite a skilled thing to do. Other than that, any jewellery crafter would be happy to receive most of the items listed.

Pliers, cutters and pinchers - Obviously these are the most basic tools every jewellery making will need. To do pretty much anything in jewellery making you will need one of these three items. They can range in price drastically from a few £/$ for a whole set to £30-£40's each depending on the quality of the tools and the brand. Most jewellery makers will use simple sets as they work just the same.

Bead Boards - These are great for people that specifically use beads to make jewellery, rater than charms or wires. You are able to lay patterns and multiply threads out, whilst keeping measurements. Its so much simpler and tidier than trying to work it out on paper or stop tiny beads rolling off table tops. It is essential as far as I am concerened. Again these range price but are usually pretty inexpensive

Files and Hammers - These are particularly useful for people who like to sculp wire in their designs or use clays to make pendants. They are more of a specialised tool, so I wouldn't advise them for children, teens or beginners really.

Leather/Metal Stamps - Stamps, just like in paper craft, are a great way to add more intricate detail easily to a piece of jewellery. These are only really used by crafters who work with leathers or metals, so not suitable for beaders. You are able to add all sorts of personal touches to projects with the help of stamps.

Needles - Needles can be so so helpful!! Some beads have got such tiny holes that treading thin strings, elastics or wires through them can be difficult and such a strain on the eyes. Having a range of small needles can help greatly! Cutting threading time drastically. Especially good for people of do weaving with their beads or who use lace in their projects too.

Jewellery Glues - Sometimes its just safer to add a little tiny touch of glue to a project rather than risk it all holding together with a knot or crimp bead. So powerful clear drying jewellery glues can be very helpful.

Beads - Obviously a beader can't bead without beads! Now this is one of the fun things you can buy. There are literally millions upon millions of different types or beads, the possibilities really are endless. So you can buy some really beautiful or unusal beads, and they will be greatly received I promise. Actually the more pretty, unusually or unique the better. If they love a specific colour or maybe even a style then look for these, vintage beads are also great as they tend to be rare.

Cabochons - These are usually made of glass, resin, enamel or plastic (although occasionally metal) and are used by sticking them onto metal backings of some sort. Often used to make pretty rings or pendants. Again they come in such a huge array of shapes, styles, sizes and colours you can really go to town and find something totally different.

Charms - Pendants and charms are a great simple way to make a necklace, but can be used in all other sorts of jewellery making to. There are again millions of styles to chose from, so maybe look for a charm which will suit their personality. If they love the beach a gilded shell could be great, or maybe they love horses in which case a horse or carousel could be perfect. Vintage is again a great option here are they are so unique.

Findings - These are the little metal pieces that are essential in making any form of jewellery. Clasps, jump rings, crimps, crimp covers, earring hooks or posts, ring mounts and keyrings - any and all those little pieces of metal are so important and its impossible to craft without them. If you can find more interesting and unusual clasps and mounts they would be great as they are often a little more pricy, but add an extra special detail to pieces.

Wires, threads, chains and ribbons - Again these are pretty darn important in any jewellery making. What they use usually depends on the person and the specific project they are doing. So for instance I use chain in a lot of my bracelets but ribbons and threads for my beaded necklaces. you can find some great beautiful different chains which can add a really different element to a piece.

As I said above in my intro these tools are far more specialised than normal beading and jewellery making tools as they require a specific technique and skill to use them. It is advised that uses take a class or read up on the techniques before attempting to use them. Although polymer clay is fairly simple if you are used to working with other clays.

Polymer Clay and Tools - Like plasticine but for grownups. Polymer clay is used for sculpting beads or pendants, and is great if you like working with your hands. All sorts of fun little things can be made with polymer, then you can leave them to set (glaze them if you wish) and they are as hard as nails so super durable. Polymer comes in all colours so is lots of fun. There are special tools available to make sculpting or cutting a little easier too.

Silversmithing and Tools - This is the more specialised stuff. Silver smithing whether with liquid metals, hard metals or metal clays is a difficult craft and requires a little learning in advance. But if you are able to read up or take a class, silversmith projects can have stunning end results. The most popular items at the moment are metal clays, which are great for beginners and working from home without to much specialised equipment. They are literally a clay (plasticine) with metal particles in it that you sculpt then heat to allow it o set to a pure metal.

Resin and Tools - Resin is great for making your own pendants and Cabochons out of all sorts of items. It is not suitable for children as it has to be heated and set, but it can make really beautiful real flower items etc. Moulds can be bought in all different shapes so many different pretty things can b made using resin.

So there you have it every possible gift you can buy an avid jewelry maker, and I promise they will love any one of them. I hope I have helped taking a little stress out of gift shopping and made it easier for you to find the perfect gift.