Getting started with something new this year

I’m not someone who sets themselves new years resolutions, it just starts with optimism and leads to disappointment! However I do like to make a list of creative projects I want to try (or finish) or new techniques to learn. This often includes workshops, so while we’re waiting to be able to run and attend in person workshops again, kits are the best way to start! I’ve collected together some of my top picks for getting started with something new this year.

Beading Kits

Our range of beading kits includes plenty suitable for complete beginners. If you’re new to beading I’d highly recommend starting with one of our Mandala pendants, or the Star Mandala pendant. They’re straight forward to make despite looking complex – they’re a prefect confidence builder too. If pendants aren’t your cup of tea we also have beginner bracelets like our Zebra peyote stitch bracelets or Deco bracelets. Our Vintage Style pearl necklace kits also provide a great starting point for Right Angle Weave.

Kits are great if you’re completely new to beading as they contain all the beads, needle and thread to get started. However if you already have the tools and materials and you’re looking for a new technique we also have a collection of free projects and patterns available to download for free here. Or to view on our YouTube channel here.

Start Jewellery Making

You may want to broaden your creative skills and start making a variety of different jewellery. There’s so many different skills, techniques and methods to jewellery making which is one of the many reasons it’s so wonderful. However it can also be a little overwhelming if you’re new to everything. I’d always recommend starting by making something you’d like to wear. Are you a fan of earrings, or bracelets? It’s be a shame to start making a necklace if you never wear them, this will definitely help narrow things down to begin with.

We have kits to cover all sorts of techniques starting from simple stacking bracelets to Shrink plastic jewellery, charm bracelets or Kumihimo braiding. Our beginners Jewellery making kit is a great place to start too and we also have an accompanying virtual workshop you can attend so you can learn along with others and have an expert on hand to ask questions. If you already have a little jewellery making experience why not try our Boho earrings they use a simple technique to create statement earrings. Books are also a great way of seeing what kind of items are achievable and give you a variety of options to try. I’ve included 2 good beginner books in my selection below.

Trying something new

There’s a lot of overlap in techniques with sewing and beading or jewellery making. We often find people start sewing then discover beading and vice versa. So it’s not surprising we’ve seen a real increase of interest in felting, needle punching and sewing during 2020. Our Rainbow Needle Felt kit has proven a great place to start needle felting, creating colourful beads. We also have needle felt animals to continue your felting journey. Our collection of little sewing kits were perfect stocking fillers but also make the perfect project for a few hours relaxation and a great way to get into sewing. Our range of punch needle kits are also very therapeutic and create a lovely texture. We have some fantastic books that cover a wide range of textile techniques which provide a great starting point. Keep your eyes peeled for new embroidery kits very soon too!

Learn a new skill

Without being able to teach certain workshops kits are definitely the next best thing. Our Art Clay kits have been going down a storm thanks to a feature on Country File a month or so ago (15th Nov about half way through, in case you’re interested here’s a link), demonstrating how straight forward it can be to make something really unique. Resin has always maintained a steady popularity, there’s so much you can create with it and it’s very easy to get started, it’s perfect if you like to experiment and the kit has handy companion videos too. If you’re looking for something a bit more involved to get stuck into our Silversmithing kit is great. The instructions also have accompanying videos showing you each technique needed to start making your own silver jewellery. Videos provide a great way to demonstrate a technique, particularly for items hard to get down on paper in 2D form. Which is why for kits like our semi-precious one that uses a lot of wire work techniques we’ve included simple projects and more involved ones with a video.

Here’s a taster of some of the videos that accompany our kits.

There’s plenty of new paths you can take with in jewellery making I get a great amount of satisfaction from learning new techniques so I hope this has helps you to find inspiration.

Thanks for reading
Steph