Simple Beginnings Soldering Jewelry

Beginners will learn safe and easy techniques for soldering to create custom pendants, rings, bracelets, earrings and more.

Metalworking is generally regarded as a skill that takes years of dedication, requires a large studio space, and costs a lot of money. Fortunately, Simple Soldering proves that does not need to be the case. This handy how-to guide is complete in its exploration of the craft of creating soldered metal jewelry, including tools, techniques, and 20 beautiful projects that beginners and enthusiasts can make at home. Author and teacher Kate Richbourg demystifies basic soldering for any home crafter, showing how to create sophisticated, polished, and professional-looking jewelry pieces through simple soldering techniques. First, she instructs how to set up a jewelry workspace that fits the confines of your budget and living space. Detailed step-by-step instructions walk you through the basic tools and materials you need, plus how to use them. A sample chapter gives a host of introductory exercises that teach solid skills, allowing you to test these techniques on a small scale. Finally, you'll discover 20 finished projects that include earrings, pendants, rings, bracelets, and clasps that may also include bead or wire embellishment. Kate also demonstrates how to combine and layer techniques to gorgeous effect. She also examines common mistakes, shows how to correct or adapt them, and gives advice on when it's time to start over. Most of all, having taught thousands of classes on soldering, Kate has a "you can do it!" attitude that shines through to help even the most reluctant jewelry maker fire up the torch with ease. With Simple Soldering, the art of metal working one-of-a-kind jewelry is now at your fingertips.

Many crafters are interested in, but intimidated by soldering. Popular jewellery designer and instructor Scott David Plumlee shows readers how to use easy at-home soldering techniques to create more than 30 intricate-looking earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Scott David Plumlee, author of Handcrafting Chains and Bead Jewelry, teaches jewellery makers how to combine simplified soldering (using Argentium silver paste and a small hand-held butane torch) and wire-wrapping techniques to create a range of seemingly complex but doable chain and bead designs. The author's unique approach to combining beading, chain-making, wirework and soldering will appeal to a broad range of crafters.

This special issue of DO Magazine shows you how to make your own stunning jewelry in a variety of mediums—beads, findings, wire, hemp, and leather. DO Jewelry Made Easy features 28 stylish projects from some of today’s top jewelry designers.

Learning to make your own jewelry is easy with the step-by-step instructions in Simple Beginnings: Beading. Author Suzann Sladcik Wilson teaches you everything you need to know to bring out your inner jewelry designer. By learning about the different varieties of beads and becoming familiar with stringing materials, findings, and clasps, you'll soon discover there is no wrong way to design earrings, necklaces, and bracelets- only your way.

The art of soldering—permanently joining metal components with a torch and solder—can open up a new world of creative possibilities for jewelry makers. In Hot Connections Jewelry, award-winning jewelry designer Jennifer Chin guides you through every step, from choosing a torch to basic techniques like sawing, filing, and riveting, as well as more advanced techniques like creating surface textures, setting stones, and using inlay. With 23 in-depth lessons and 15 stunning projects, as well as inspiring examples from contributing artists, Hot Connections Jewelry is your essential guide to unleashing your creativity and confidence in jewelry making.

Leather jewelry doesn’t have to be traditional! Fabulous leather can be anything from casual and fun to stylish and sophisticated. With a smattering of beads and some clever construction ideas you can take leather jewelry beyond conventional and onto the fashion runway. Award-winning jewelry designer Myléne Hillam shows you how to use leather not just as a stringing component, but as the featured material in designer accessories. No conventional leather crafting skills are required. You’ll learn how to loop, twist, fold, and recolor leather in ways that will redefine your perception of jewelry. Whether you’re looking for something colorful and fun to team with your T-shirt and jeans or a statement necklace to dress up your work wear, you’re bound to find something here to suit your style and take your wardrobe from glum to glam.

Wire wrapping and soft soldering come together for jewelry-making magic! For too long, solder has been an afterthought in jewelry-making - used only for bezels and connections - but not anymore! In Soldered Alchemy, you'll learn new, creative ways to make solder the starring element of your jewelry. Twenty-four gorgeous projects with detailed photos walk you through the basics of decorative solder, bridging wire with solder, adding copper or vintage patinas and more.