DIY: Jewellery charms on DaWanda

If you're not familiar with DaWanda, it's a European online marketplace, similar to the concepts of Etsy and Folksy. It's a really nicely designed site, and I found myself having a good browse of the section for jewellery supplies. If you fancy making your own jewellery, you might like some of these pieces:

The wishing well silver charms above are from a seller called TheSecretGarden, priced at 0.99 € each.

Martini Glass charms from Nicoledebruin, priced at 1.60 € per pair.

Antique Silver Rose Flower Pendant from FindingSupplies, priced at 2.00 €

There's a huge amount of choice, so it's worth a browse for any budding designers.


Are you on DaWanda? Share your shop link in the comments if you are!

Make your own: 5 resources for DIY jewellery

Writing about all the jewellery designers out there in the webworld can inspire you to get a bit crafty and create your own pieces. I've tried a couple of times, but I have an uncanny ability to glue/staple/clip my fingers together, rather than the actual beads and findings.

If you've got a craftier side and fancy giving jewellery making a bash, you might want to try the following places for some inspiration.
 

Folksy seller Forget-me-not-gifts has some delicious looking sweetie charms, including the polo, love heart and marshmallow fimo charms above. Each of the charms has a hole for attaching to a charm bracelet or neckace. This collection is £7.99 for 25 charms.

The Bead Shop is based in Manchester (and online), and stocks everything you'll need like beads, tools, jewellery making kits, chains and findings. The jewellery making starter kit above is only £19.99, and should be enough to get you started.

If you fancy adding a unique personalised touch to your pieces, you might want to consider getting your own tags created to pop on the clasp of your pieces. Folksy designer She Draws can design and create your very own tag, so your friends can easily tell others who created their admired piece of bling. The service costs £15 for 50 tags/buttons.

For free tutorials on how to make jewellery, head to Folksy's Make page for step by step guides on how to make pieces like the butterfly ring above, or VideoJug for a huge number of videos on how to make various types.

If you'd prefer to go to a class to learn first-hand how to create your own bling, then you have a wealth of classes to choose from. The Make Lounge has a wire wrapped jewellery class for £45, which lasts 3 hours. Having done a cupcake decorating course at the centre, I can highly recommend the friendly and helpful teachers (plus the free wine and biscuits is always a plus!)

So, tempted to pick up some beads and get creating? Or have you got any other useful resources? Let us know in the comments!

Pssst! Don't forget Bling and Buy favourites Sophie and Toffee, who have an overwhelming collection of Cabochons, pearls and beads for crafting.