Learn To Bead and Make Jewelry

LEARN TO BEAD . NET
The Design Approach To Learning

Educational Learning Rubric
Your learning goals from Beginner to Advanced, including Integrative learning goals

     

Select Your Courses

Start With This Class:

ORIENTATION TO BEADS & JEWELRY FINDINGS

- Learn how to make choices about how to buy beads and other jewelry findings, what goes together with what and when, what happens to all these pieces over time, and what the the quality is of the pieces you are using, whether beads, metals, or stringing materials, and, finally, how to relate this to design goals, and if you are selling your stuff, your marketing goals as well.

18 Learning Modules, Over 5 1/2 hours of Introductory Material
for the novice beader and jewelry maker,
as well as for the more experienced designer as a great refresher.


Then, explore the various Interest Areas listed below
with classes, kits, tutorials and articles




BEAD STRINGING
Classes (OnLine)     Kits

BOOK: Basics of Bead Stringing and Attaching Clasps by Warren Feld

There is an art and skill to stringing beads on cord. First, of course, is the selection of beads for a design, and the selection of the appropriate stringing material. Then is the selection of a clasp or closure, appropriate to the design and use of the piece. This continues with choosing the strategy for stringing beads with cord, including choices about knotting, braiding, using multiple strands and a single tie-off, multiple strands with multiple tie-offs.

Learning Goals for
Bead Stringing

CRITICAL SKILLS TO LEARN:

- Knowing what all the parts (jewelry findings) are, how they are used, and their strengths and weaknesses

- Knowing about the quality of beads, and what happens to beads (and their finishes) over time

- Knowing about the quality of metals, and what happens to metals (and their finishes) over time

- Knowing about stringing materials, and when and when not to use specific ones

- Some understanding of how and when to use different types of glues

- Some understanding of tools and needles

- Understanding how to choose clasps, and what a "clasp assembly" and what a "support system" are

- Learning how to use cable wires, crimp beads, crimp covers and horseshoes in crimping

- Learning how to use needle, thread and beeswax in bead stringing

- Learning how to put knots between beads

- Learning about wires, metals, tools to make shapes and structural components, including loops and coiled loops

- Learning basics of jewelry design principles

--- Learning how the bead asserts its need for color

--- Principles of Composition

--- Principles of Form and Function

 

 



BEAD WEAVING
Kits

Bead weaving is a collection of hundreds of different stitching techniques and strategies for creating pieces that approximate a piece of cloth.

Stitches and beads. Create simple or elaborate forms using different techniques for connecting, interlocking and embellishing beads and beadwork.

That's beadweaving, and you see the results in amulet bags, beaded sculptures, beaded vessels, necklaces, bracelets, loomwork, appliqués and more. Many projects attempt to emulate a piece of cloth or textile.

Other projects are more figural or sculptural.

There are many different techniques of bead weaving. The most popular are peyote stitch, right angle weave, loom work, brick stitch, ndebele, square stitch, and netting.
Bead weaving is a collection of hundreds of different stitching techniques and strategies for creating pieces that approximate a piece of cloth.

Stitches and beads. Create simple or elaborate forms using different techniques for connecting, interlocking and embellishing beads and beadwork.

That's beadweaving, and you see the results in amulet bags, beaded sculptures, beaded vessels, necklaces, bracelets, loomwork, appliqués and more. Many projects attempt to emulate a piece of cloth or textile.

Other projects are more figural or sculptural.

There are many different techniques of bead weaving. The most popular are peyote stitch, right angle weave, loom work, brick stitch, ndebele, square stitch, and netting.

Learning Goals for
Bead Weaving

CRITICAL SKILLS TO LEARN:

For bead weaving, the hierarchical order of skills to learn follows this general form and pattern:

1. Positioning your hands and fingers, so you work with them, as if they were an artist’s easel

2. Holding the needle and thread and an introduction to thread tension

3. Learning a basic stitch, and working it flat

4. Learning to increase and decrease with the stitch

5. Learning tubular and circular variations

6. Learning to split the form or create negative spaces

7. Learning 3-dimensionality with the stitch, and issues of structural integrity

8. Embellishing the piece with fringes, edge treatments and straps or connectors

9. Understanding the stitch in the context of jewelry design principles

10. Understanding the stitch in comparison to other stitches

11. Experimenting with the stitch, including variations in thread tension, choice of beads, colors, textures, patterns, stringing materials, and integration with other stitches within the same piece.




WIRE WORKING and WIRE WEAVING
Kits

Working with wires of different thickness, hardness, shape, color, materials, strength in fashioning jewelry and other objects is a very desirable skill. It takes experience with the feel of wire, how it is shaped, how it's strength can be structurally enhanced, and how it can be interlinked, interlocked and interconnected with other wire, with beads, with other materials. This "feel" will vary a bit with the type of metal. For example, brass is harder than sterling silver.

Learning Goals for
Wire Work / Wire Weaving

CRITICAL SKILLS TO LEARN:

- Understanding wires, metals, hardness, and measuring wire

- Understanding tools and mandrels

- Using tools and wire to make shapes; developing Control over how to make shapes

- Using wire to build structural components
--- Learning about support systems and structural elements/components
--- Hammering and twisting wire
--- Making coils and springs
--- Learning how to lock wires together
--- Learning how to create cradles and encaging

- Combining beads with wire

- Combining cabochons and other differently shaped objects with wire

- Chain Making

- Designing Earrings

- Designing Clasps

- Finishing Touches

 



 


JEWELRY DESIGN
Video Tutorials (OnLine)     Kits

BOOK: So You Want To Be A Jewelry Designer by Warren Feld

Jewelry Design is the application of basic principles of artistic expression and construction. The jewelry artist applies these principles or rules when making choices about how best to manipulate the elements of the piece.

These design elements might include:
- the Positioning and/or Ordering of things
- the Volume or Area the piece takes up
- the Scale and Size of the pieces
- the Colors, Textures and Patterns of individual pieces, and/or sets or groupings of pieces
- the Forms and Structures (identifiable sets of pieces, highly integrated)
- the Materials – beads, stringing material, jewelry findings
- the interplay of Light, Dark, Shadow, Reflection and Refraction
- the clasp assembly and other supporting systems

Good Jewelry Design answers the question:
Why do some pieces of jewelry draw your attention,
and others do not?


Learning Goals for
Jewelry Design

CRITICAL SKILLS TO LEARN:

1. How "Quality" is defined, relative to beads and other materials

2. What the pros and cons are, of different kinds of beads, stringing materials, clasps, finishes, metals and the like

3. How "Craft" differs from "Art" differs from "Design"

4. How to build "support systems" within your piece

5. How the bead asserts its need for color

6. Principles of Composition

7. Principles of Form and Function

8. Principles of Techniques and Materials

9. Forms and Components

10. Contemporizing Traditional Jewelry

11. Reviving Vintage Styles

12. Mixed Media Compositions

13. Adding dimensionality and movement

14. Developing Your Personal Style

 

 






BUSINESS OF CRAFT
Video Tutorials (OnLine)

BOOK: Conquering The Creative Marketplace by Warren Feld

Many people learn beadwork and jewelry-making in order to sell the pieces they make. The elective courses here provide skills and knowledges which will assist the student toward this end, whether selling in bricks and mortar settings, selling at craft shows, or selling on-line.



Learning Goals for
Business of Craft

CRITICAL SKILLS TO LEARN:

- Record Keeping

- Basic Bookkeeping/Accounting

- Getting Federal, State and Local registrations and accounts

- Developing Your Business Model

- Using a Formula To Compute Prices

- Understanding the differences among Retail, Wholesale and Consignment

- Marketing, Promotion, Branding

- Web-presence - business and marketing considerations, when going online

- How to do craft shows

- How to buy beads and jewelry findings

- How to merchandise, display and package

- Photographing Your Work

- Writing Artist Statement, Resume, Portfolio










Visit
Land of Odds - Jewelry Design Center for all your beading and jewelry making supplies.

Visit our LearnToBead Blog

 
Teaches you how to make choices
about function and appeal,
movement and context,
when you construct a piece of jewelry.

 

 


Our LEARN TO BEAD program
is based on
The Design Approach:

- Focused on teaching how to make smart choices
- Developmentally-based, where you learn skills in an orderly way, and understand how skills build upon each other
- Easy to follow


You may purchase:
o Written instructions for each lesson
o Kits of Supplies
o Recommended Books
o Beading Supplies
o Tools


Visit our LearnToBead Blog
See all available Instructions and Kits

 

 

 

THE JEWELRY DESIGN DISCUSSION GROUP
Please join our group on facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/jewelrydesign/

 

 

 

THE UGLY NECKLACE CONTEST
- A Jewelry Design Competition With A Twist

Grand Prize: $992.93 shopping spree on Land of Odds web-site (www.landofodds.com )
Runner Up Prize: $399.07 shopping spree on Land of Odds web-site.

Consider entering our
2014 10th International The Ugly Necklace Contest
Deadline: 8/31/2014
Official Rules
http://www.warrenfeldjewelry.com/wfjuglynecklace.htm


 

 

 

ALL DOLLED UP: Beaded Art Doll Competition

THEME: Transformations
Deadline: August 31st, 2013
Rules: www.warrenfeldjewelry.com/wfjalldolledup.htm
Winnder: $1,000 shopping spree at www.landofodds.com
Runner-Up: $400 shopping spree at www.landofodds.com


 

 

 

JEWELRY DESIGN CAMP 
October 2013 (Enrollment Closed)
2015 (TBA)

 

Immerse yourself into a week-long study of jewelry design theories, and their applications and manipulations with various materials, techniques and strategies.

 

 

 

THE ILLUSTRATIVE BEADER:
Beaded Tapestry Competition

THEME: TBA
Deadline:TBA
Rules:
www.warrenfeldjewelry.com/wfjtapestry.htm
Winnder: $1,000 shopping spree at www.landofodds.com
Runner-Up: $400 shopping spree at www.landofodds.com

 

 

~ - ~ -




BEAD STRINGING SUPPLIES AND TOOLS
To KEEP ON HAND

Flex Wire Cable wires in .010, .014, .019 and .024 thicknesses

Nymo or C-Lon thread, in black, white and assorted other colors in size D

FireLine in smoke grey and crystal in size D

Size #10 and Size #12 English beading needles

Chain nose pliers
Round Nose Pliers
Side Cutters or Flush Cutters
Scissors
Crimping Pliers

Ruler (marked in both inches and millimeters)
Bracelet and Necklace Sizing Cones
Bead Stoppers
Bead Board

Assortment of:
Clasps
Jump Rings
Split Rings
Soldered Rings
End bars
Crimp beads, crimp covers and horseshoe wire protectors
Bails
Crimp ends
Clamps
Connectors and Linkables

Bic lighter or thread zapper

Work surface
Trays

Pen and Paper





BEAD WEAVING SUPPLIES AND TOOLS
To KEEP ON HAND

Nymo, C-Lon, and/or ONE-G thread, in black, white and assorted other colors in sizes D and B or AA

FireLine in smoke grey and crystal in size D and size B

Size #10. Size #12, and size #13 English beading needles

Chain nose pliers
Round Nose Pliers
Side Cutters or Flush Cutters
Scissors

Ruler (marked in both inches and millimeters)
Bracelet and Necklace Sizing Cones
Bead Stoppers
Bead Board

Assortment of:
Clasps
Buttons and Large Beads to use as "clasps"
Jump Rings
Split Rings
Soldered Rings
End bars
Crimp beads, crimp covers and horseshoe wire protectors
Bails
Connectors and Linkables

Bic lighter or thread zapper

Bees wax or microcrystalline was
Work surface
Trays

Pen and Paper





WIRE WORKING SUPPLIES AND TOOLS
To KEEP ON HAND

An assortment of wires, in different gauges, materials and finishes, and in round, square and half-round. We suggest using half-hard wire for most sizes. As the sizes get 14 gauge and above, the dead soft is easier to use.

An assortment of glass, metal, gemstone, pearl beads and cabochons in various sizes and shapes.

As assortment of clasps that you like to work with, in several finishes.

Chain nose pliers (smooth inside jaws)
Round nose pliers
Side Cutters and Flush Cutters
Jump ring pliers
Assorted mandrels (jump ring, ring, bracelet, necklace)
Steel Block
Wood Block
Anvil and dome blocks
steel wool
Chasing Hammer
Leather head hammer/mallet
Plastic head hammer/mallet
4 or 5 pin vises
Cup burr
Caliper
Nail File Set


Work surface
sharpie markers
Scissors
Ruler (marked in inches and millimeters)
Thread zapper or bic lighter

Pen and Paper

OPTIONAL
Small hand-held butane or propane torch
Jeweler's saw and blades
bees wax



JEWELRY DESIGN SUPPLIES AND TOOLS
To KEEP ON HAND

Sketch book
Folder of images of jewelry you like

Bead board (with 3 or more channels)
Work surface
bracelet and necklace sizing cones

Enough bead and jewelry making supplies to approximate and artist's palette, including beads, findings and stringing materials.

Assorted tools, especially chain nose pliers, round nose pliers, flush cutters, needles

Colored pencil set
Color Wheel

Calculator




BUSINESS OF CRAFT SUPPLIES AND TOOLS
To KEEP ON HAND

General Ledger, either in hard copy accounting ledger form, or a spreadsheet on your computer, or a canned accounting software program

File folders, accordian files, storage boxes

Computer and printer access.

Business cards
Business envelopes
2-part sales forms or printed invoice/statement form
Business checks
Credit sheet

Pricing formulas

Packaging requirements list

Merchandising and display requirements list

Customer contact, mailing, emailing lists

List of suppliers/vendors, their terms and conditions.





All jewelry, artworks, images, designs, copy,
Copyright 2024  Warren Feld.
All rights reserved. LearnToBead.Net

Phone: (615) 479-3776
Website: www.learntobead.net

Email: warren@warrenfeldjewelry.com