Making your own jewelry is a fun hobby that allows you to express your creative side. But you can turn your fun hobby into a great work-at-home business by setting up your own jewelry parties. A jewelry party business allows you to set your own work schedule, and have a lot of fun sharing your jewelry designs while making money. So how do you make sure you’re successful? Just follow these simple tips and you’re on your way to having your own successful jewelry party business.

To Host or Not to Host?
You can host two types of parties. The first jewelry party that you hold will be hosted in your own home, and you will invite your own circle of family and friends. The benefit to this type of party is that you get to keep all the profits because you are the host of the party. Also, because the guests are all personal friends, this is a good way to build confidence and learn the ropes, because no one will be overly critical.

The second type of party is where you get bookings by asking others to host the jewelry party for you. You agree to share a percentage of the sales profits (or free jewelry!) with the hostess. The hostess will invite their own list of friends to the party, and the party will be held at their home instead of yours. The benefit of this party is that you can get a lot more parties scheduled because the guest list will always include new customers, and you don’t have the expense of hosting the party in your own home. The only downside is that you share some of the profits, but if you carefully price your jewelry to maximize profit, this can easily be off-set. Plus, a hosted party means the hostess (and not you) will be covering the food and drink expenses of holding the party.

I suggest you start off hosting your own party, and before the party is complete, try to set up at least one booking for another party at someone else’s home. Jewelry parties are usually so successful you won’t have any problem scheduling new ones, but if you don’t get a booking right away, don’t be discouraged. Simply follow up with a friendly phone call or email to the party guests a month or so after your first party, and by then people will be wanting to buy new jewelry and book a party! You can always remind people of an upcoming holiday (Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc.) to suggest a good time for more jewelry sales.

There are two things you need to focus on to have successful parties. The first is profitability. Quite simply, don’t sell your jewelry for less than it is worth or you will lose money! Make a list of all the costs of jewelry supplies, and then factor in something for your time to come up with a fair price for your jewelry. Also, if you are hosting a party in your own home, don’t forget there will be costs for food and beverages, so you might want to factor those costs in as well. After you have a few parties you will have a better idea of what people will pay for your jewelry. Charge a little more for your best-selling pieces.

The second thing to focus on is being prepared to have a good party. Follow this checklist and your parties will run smoothly.

Invitations
Send invitations at least two weeks in advance so people can make plans. I like to use www.evite.com to create my own email invitations. They have lots of fun templates to choose from, or if you prefer paper invitations, make your own using stick on crystals or find some jewelry themed cards. To really grab people’s attention and interest, attach a pair of earrings to the invitation. It might cost you a few bucks, but people love getting something for free and it is a good teaser for your sale of more expensive items.

Customizations and “While you Wait” Jewelry
Always bring pliers and some basic findings so you can customize the length of bracelets and necklaces. If you come prepared, you can also make “while you wait” jewelry for guests, allowing people to select their beads from your stash and you can make up custom jewelry right then and there–people LOVE this! These parties are very successful, and the only downside is you are so busy making jewelry that you won’t have much time to enjoy the party.

Food & Drinks
Make sure you have both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and a nice selection of snacks available. After all, this is a party so you do want to provide a nice social atmosphere and make sure people are comfortable and happy.

Decor
Decorate with tablecloths and candles. Allow yourself an hour to set up before guests arrive, in addition to any food prep time. I use a black velvet scrap of fabric I picked up at the fabric store as jewelry looks great on it. Some jewelry looks better on a light background, however, so pick up a few tablecloths or fabric and give yourself some options. Decide ahead of time which table or tables will be used for displaying your work. Try to decorate in a way that will enhance the style of your own jewelry (fun, sophisticated, etc.). Use jewelry displays (which you can purchase inexpensively on eBay) such as necklace busts, earring holders, and jewelry displays, or use whatever you have–a wicker tray filled with glass marbles makes a good backdrop for bracelets. Always make sure you have good lighting so people can see the jewelry. Play some music softly in the background to complete the ambiance. Finally, candles are a really nice romantic touch.

Other Details
Have measuring tape, jewelry pliers and some basic findings, table or hand mirrors, gift wrap and cards, and business cards ready. Also, everyone will want to see the jewelry in a mirror, so make sure you have some around. Pass your business cards out to everyone so they can easily contact you when they want more jewelry.

Now you’re on your way to hosting your own successful jewelry party business. For more jewelry business inspiration, as well as free jewelry making “How To’s”, check the website www.Making-Jewelry.com.

Lorri Ely is a successful jewelry designer and owner of the website http://www.making-jewelry.com.

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Fossicking for fashion jewelry at estate sales and garage sales can be a fun and profitable way to spend a Saturday morning.

An estate sale takes place after a death. If the person was wealthy or a collector of antiques, then their estate will most likely be professionally valued and disposed of at auction, by a qualified valuer and auctioneer. But more often, the people holding the sale will be family members who may have little idea of the real value of what they are selling. These sales are often run just like a garage sale, with items marked at incredibly low prices. You can walk away with jewelry for just a few dollars.

It’s true that there is always a chance that a valuable piece will be hidden among the costume jewelry and well worn pieces. Of course the dealers know this too, and they know what they are looking for. They are always the first on the doorstep at estate sales and garage sales and if there is something valuable that they can sell for a good profit, they will recognise it and buy it first. Half the thrill of going to estate sales is the hope of finding a precious gem, but don’t be too disappointed if you don’t. There are bargains to be found among the more humble pieces too.

You may be able to find fashion jewelry from a different era. If you’re into the sixties, mini-skirts and The Beatles, you may find just the jewelry you need to complete your look and you can be sure that none of your friends will be wearing quite the same thing.

Even if the jewelry is neither valuable, nor to your taste, you can carefully take the pieces apart and save the stones, beads, chains, settings, fastenings and other findings. If you make jewelry for giving as gifts or to sell on a market stall, you can end up with unusual findings at far below wholesale price.

So, next time you pass an estate sale, look for the diamonds in the rough, the hidden value in the jewel box. And you never know, one day you might be the one who gets lucky and finds that huge sapphire that no-one else noticed.

The author is the mother of a teenage daughter who has a taste for unusual fashion jewelry that none of her friends will have. If your taste is more conventional, have a look at http://www.jewelleryportalonline.com

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The techniques of creating jewelry are pretty simple, but the artistry involved requires an understanding of design basics in order to be successful. Taking a course in jewelry design at a local art school or continuing ed program is great, but if that’s not possible, or if you want to expand your understanding of jewelry design beyond your instructor’s approach, then one or more of these books will give you a great start.

Author Elizabeth Olver takes both the subject of jewelry design and her readers seriously in her book The Art of Jewelry Design: From Idea to Reality (North Light Books, 2002). The book combines detailed hand-drawn illustrations and dramatic full-color photographs with solid content covering essential design tools, stages of the design process, the various elements of jewelry design and creative concepts involved in successful jewelry design. Creative concepts, as defined by Olver and enumerated in the book’s table of contents, include “organic, geometric, abstract, figurative, narrative, symbolic, icons, fashion, fine, series,” and “sculptural.” This book will help you find your own unique style of jewelry making based on a solid understanding of design.

If your taste in jewelry runs to beads, The Book of Beads: A Practical and Inspirational Guide to Beads and Jewelry Making, by authors Janet Coles and Robert Budwig (Simon & Schuster, 1990), covers the basics of designing jewelry with beads and then presents detailed instructions for a variety of projects. The book also contains many photos and descriptions of a multitude of beads and covers the process involved in creating earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and decorative brooches.

More basic but a lot of fun, The Art of Making Jewelry, by Deborah Krupenia, Tammy Powley, and Jessica Wrobel (Thunder Bay Press, 2005), covers the tools and materials used in jewelry making, including standard glass, metal, and ceramic supplies as well as more unusual materials such as paper and papier mache. The book offers specific instructions for a wide range of projects using a variety of techniques, and profiles twenty well-known jewelry artists and their work.

Each book illustrates basic techniques but then takes them into very different directions, resulting in a wide range of artistic styles that can act as inspiration to the fledgling jewelry designer. Each one individually offers a solid technical understanding of jewelry-making; together they provide an excellent introduction to the creative range available in this unique art form.

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics. She expresses her opinions periodically on her blog, http://beyondagendas.blogspot.com She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com

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