Making Bracelets
for Fun and Profit

© by Janice Wee; all rights reserved

As a teenager and a young adult, I loved making jewelry and then selling it. It all started when my cousin showed me some gemstone earrings she made. She caged stones in wire to form very unique jewelry.

Inspired, I started experimenting to make my own jewelry.

My mom had lots of beads. She was very interested in making crafts out of beads and string. She used to sew clothes for my sister and myself when we were small too. Mom gave me lots of materials - in particular, colorful wooden beads. That was where my jewelry making started.

I started by making bracelets. No clasps. Just plain stretchable bead bracelets that were simply wooden beads strung together on elastic.

It was fun mixing the beads together. Alternating the large beads with the small ones and mixing and matching the colored beads to create something that looked nice.

Once I decided on the sequence, I would string the beads together on the elastic string Mom used for dress making. I'd measure the bracelet so it would fit nicely around my wrist, with some room to spare. I was really thin then and was making bracelets to sell to customers who were bigger than myself. Once the bracelet was just the right size, I would tie a dead knot and hide the loose ends of elastic under the beads.

Here are two sets of instructions on bracelet making:

Making a Bracelet

How to Make Bead Bracelets

Enjoy!

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