Styled by Tori Spelling Jewelry: Easy as 1-2-3!

 Who loves jewelry?  You all know I sure do!  And even more fun than buying it is making it yourself!  I'm constantly getting comments from readers who are interested in making their own bling, but don't know where to start or are intimidated by the tools and techniques.  Honestly, it's not nearly as difficult as it seems. And today, I've got an extra-special treat for you, especially all the novices out there who have been afraid to try your hand at it...I'm going to show you a great way to start that requires NO tools and NO special skills.  It's literally as easy as 1-2-3.

Ready?

It's called the Styled by Tori Spelling jewelry line, and you can get it at exclusively at JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores.  I recently got to sample a bunch of the pieces from Tori's new line {yes, I have the best job in the world!} and I couldn't believe how simple it was to create amazing statement pieces in thirty seconds or less.

Here's how it works.  We're going to start by making a necklace.
You need three pieces:
1. A chain
2. A necklace bottom
3. Connectors

Treasures of the Ocean Jewelry Set

Hey, friends!  You know how much I love the beach, and as much as I thoroughly enjoyed our recent vacation, I'm kind of bummed that it's already over for this year.  So, when I saw these gorgeous green shell beads that remind me of the ocean, I thought I'd make myself a jewelry set that will make me think of my favorite place all summer long, even when I'm not there.

Scrabble Tile Necklaces and More!

Each month, I look forward to getting together with some of my in-person crafty friends and making a project together!  I started organizing our "Crafty Ladies" group at the beginning of this year, and we've made some really fun things, like our Decorative Wooden Blocks, Fabric Covered Flowerpots, and Wooden Eggs.  This month, due to Mother's Day and Memorial Day and vacations, only four of us were able to get together, but we had a great time making Scrabble Tile Necklaces plus some beaded jewelry.

Scrabble Tile Necklaces are one of the easiest jewelry projects to create!  Here's what you need:

Dangle Shell Earrings

You all know that one of my favorite colors this season is coral!  But, a close second is royal blue.  It's so deep and gorgeous, and will transition really well into summer too with its nautical feel.  I have a few favorite blue pieces in my spring and summer wardrobe, but I didn't have a pair of earrings that I loved to go with them.  So, what's an artsy mama to do?  Make some, of course!

Here's how I did it, and you can too!  Wholeport.com provided me with the beads; here's everything I used:

Colorblocked Earrings

Hey, friends!  As I was doing some clean-up work on the blog recently, I came across an old guest post I did for someone else's blog back when One Artsy Mama was very new, and it occurred to me that many of you probably never saw this project.  I absolutely love these earrings, and color blocking is still a huge fashion trend for this Spring {I was ahead of my time!}, so I thought I'd re-share them with you today!  My apologies in advance for the crummy photos...it was before I had my new camera equipment and before I knew much about editing too...

They're really simple, so even if you've never ever made jewelry before, you can do it!  Ready?  Here they are!

I decided to make them a combination of magenta, orange, and yellow so that they'll really stand out with a black/neutral outfit or match anything that has one of those colors in it.  You can make them with any color beads you like.  Here's how to do it:

Dangle Earrings and Wire Wrapping Vlog

Hi there, friends!  If you've been following me on Instagram, you know that yesterday I got to take a trip to one of my favorite places, the Potomac Bead Company!  Ahhhh!  So many beads, so little time!  Here's a new pair of earrings I made using some of my newest acquisitions:

 



 

I just love these pretty little briolettes!  Such a pretty color, aren't they?!  

 

 

I wanted to give you a quick tutorial for how you can make your own version, but I decided to try it in a new and different way!  I got a lot of great feedback for my very first vlog, so since you all seemed to enjoy it, I thought I'd give you a little video tutorial for these.  I think sometimes with these jewelry concepts it helps to actually see someone physically doing the steps, so I'm hoping it helps you see how simple it can be!

 

Here's what you need before you start:

- six top drilled beads

- four jump rings

- two ear wires

- 26 gauge wire

- needlenose pliers, wire cutters, and flat pliers

 

Please forgive the less than perfect focus and technical issues of the video...I'm doing it with my phone and there's a learning curve...that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Here goes...

That's all there is to it!



 

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial; if you make your own, I'd love to see pictures!

 

Happy crafting!

 

Little Star Earrings: Wire Wrapping Tutorial

I've been making a lot of jewelry lately, but I realized that it's been a while since I posted a jewelry-related tutorial for you all!  So, here's one of my most recent projects, "Little Star" earrings.  You can make your own just like these, or you can substitute whatever beads you want and use it as a basic tutorial for any wire wrapping jewelry project you have in mind.

 

 

To make your own, here's what to do!

 

STEP 1: Gather your supplies 

If you want to replicate these exactly, my tiny star beads are from Consumer Crafts, and my little turquoise czech glass beads are from ArteBella Surplus on Etsy.

STEP 2: Thread wire through holes at the top of your bead and bend the end upward.

STEP 3: Thread your small bead on, covering both pieces of wire.

STEP 4: Use needlenose pliers to bend wire at a 90 degree angle above your top bead.

STEP 5: Grab wire with needlenose pliers and use your hand to wrap the wire around one side to form a loop.

 

STEP 6: Leave the loop on your pliers and grip it firmly with them while using your other hand to wrap the excess wire around until it touches the top of the bead. 

 

STEP 7: Trim excess wire.  Open ear wire, attach to earring, and close.

If you're not familiar with making jewelry, here's a quick tip.  Whenever you open the loop of an ear wire or a jump ring, instead of pulling it apart, twist it to the side, as shown here.  Then, twist it back into place.  It's much easier to get back together correctly that way and doesn't cause the loop to be misshapen or have a gap.

 

STEP 8: Enjoy!  Now they're ready to wear, or to give away!

 

I also made these in purple first.  These tiny purple beads came from Consumer Crafts like the stars did, and they go perfectly with my jersey on game day!  {Go Ravens!}



I initially made them because I had ordered the beads to make a replica of a gorgeous, fabulous, beautiful bracelet created by the talented Adrianne at Happy Hour Projects.  I bought myself most of the same supplies she had and made this...which, of course, demanded some earrings to match it!

If you want to see how to make this bracelet {you know you do!} and to see Adrianne's original, hop on over and check out her clear step-by-step tutorial...I followed it and I'm so pleased with how mine turned out.



Anyway, hope you like the earrings and that the wire wrapping tutorial is helpful to you if you've never tried it before! 

Happy Crafting!