Do you sometimes look at handmade jewelry in boutiques and see something that makes you think “isn’t that clever” or “wow, that’s a nice touch”? It’s those extra little finishing touches that are not hard to do but that elevate designs and make them something really special. In this blog, I want to highlight some easy ways you can add professional finishing touches to your designs without a lot of extra work or cost. Here we go!
Thread and Wire Protectors
We have been spotlighting these handy little findings in the last couple Beadaholique Live Classes and it’s been so much fun to see everyone’s reaction to them! They are a hidden little component that tends to go under a lot of people’s radar. As their name suggests, thread and wire protectors protect your thread or wire from rubbing against the component that it is connected to – whether that is a jump ring, clasp, or other finding. They also make a nice, neat, uniform loop at the end of your design.
Featured Video: Quick Tip: Use Wire Protectors for Strung Jewelry to Prevent Breakage
French Wire
French wire serves much the same purpose as thread and wire protectors and it creates a really beautiful finishing touch to your designs. Sometimes referred to as bullion, you can cut this wire to whatever size you want.
Featured Video: How To Use French Wire
Crimp Bead Covers
Crimp bead covers go over crimped crimp beads on a strung piece of jewelry to mask the crimp bead with what looks like a nice round bead. They start as basically open beads that fold over the finished crimp bead for a very neat and tidy look.
Jewelry Tags
If you make and sell or make and gift your jewelry, you can consider adding a personalized jewelry tag to the design somewhere, usually in the back. You can easily stamp your initials using a stamping set.
Featured Video: How to Make Personalized Jewelry Tags
Anti-Tarnish Pads
Here’s something that you might not think of but is always a nice touch. If you are giving or selling your jewelry, consider slipping a little anti-tarnish pad into the bag. It will keep the jewelry looking nice and is definitely a thoughtful touch!
A lot of these products and ideas are showcased in our live classes. Make sure to join in the fun every Thursday at 9am PT/12pm ET here at Beadaholique. Sign up for a text notification for when we go live!
