Jewelry and Beading Designs For Dummies - Softcover

Do you love jewelry and beading? Are you looking for some clever, creative projects to make chic jewelry and accessories? This easy-to-follow guide is packed with step-by-step instructions and inspiring color photos to get you stringing, knotting, and looping in no time. From earrings and necklaces to pins, purses, charms, and more, you'll discover new techniques for making just the right pieces to suit you — or to give as fantastic, fashionable gifts!

• The basics of jewelry making and beading — assemble your gear, work with pliers, and brush up on stringing, bead weaving, and wire wrapping

• Start with simple projects — use elastic cord, ribbon, leather, a wire jig, and more to make bracelets, bookmarks, pendants, and napkin rings

• Incorporate multiple techniques and materials — take your skills to the next level with unconventional designs

• Complete more advanced projects — craft custom jewelry components, learn advanced bead weaving, and make jewelry with polymer clay

• Create unique, one-of-a-kind accessories — see jewelry in a fresh way by utilizing nontraditional materials

• Avoid common jewelry-making mistakes — discover how to read directions properly, buy the proper tools from the right places, remember findings, use the right tool for the job, and more

Open the book and find:

• More than 300 pages of projects and an 8-page color section

• A picture of the finished piece at the beginning of each project

• Technique-based chapters — ramp up your skills in stringing, crimping, knotting, weaving, and wire wrapping

• Clear illustrations of complicated steps so you don't get lost — see exactly what your piece should look like at key points

• Coordinating pieces grouped together to help you accessorize with style

Tammy Powley designs and manages content for About.com's jewelry-making Web site and is the author of numerous jewelry-making books and articles.