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Beading on a Budget Tips — Metal Beads and Findings

• Getting Started
  • Choosing Your First Project
  • Choosing A Beading Book
  • Keeping Instructions Organized
  • Keeping Patterns Organized
  • Buying Wholesale Beads
  • Stringing Beads
  • Beadworking Center on a Budget
  • Plan Ahead
  • Tutorials and Galleries
  • So Many Choices, Where to Start?
  • Startup Inventory
  • Save Money on Holiday Projects
• Using Gemstone and Glass Beads
  • Bead Types
  • Getting the Look of Gemstones without the Price
  • Bead Mixes
  • Wholesale Beads: Discount
  • Indian Beads
  • Wearing Collectible Beads
  • Buying by the Bead or Partial Strands
  • Buying Closeout Beads
• Metal Beads and Findings
  • Gold Bead Caps
  • Memory Wire and Liquid Silver Beads
  • Using Silver Beads in Beading
  • Vermeil Beads
  • Purchasing Closeout Findings
• Storage and Supplies
  • Baby Spoon Bead Scoop
  • Bead Board
  • Beading Pliers
  • Making Your Own Big-Eye Needle
  • Bead Storage Container Options
  • Bead Storage Tip
  • Flip Top Boxes
  • Toe Nail Scissors
  • What's In the Beading Supply Tool Box?
  • Colored Copper Wire
  • Starter Kits and Package Deals

Gold Bead Caps

Gold beads and gold jewelry are beautiful, but on the pricey side. If you want to achieve a similar look without spending all the extra money, there are several alternatives you can try. You can use gold accent beads, such as bead caps, spacer beads or rondelles. You can also use gold plated beads, but be aware that they need to be handled with care or the finish may rub off. You can purchase seed beads with metallic finishes at inexpensive prices and the finish is permanent. Colors include gold, silver, copper and brass.

Memory Wire and Liquid Silver Beads

Memory wire has a wide variety of uses because it is inexpensive and versatile. If you have a few accent beads you would like to show off in a necklace, consider stringing the memory wire with those beads in the center, and finish the rest off with liquid silver or liquid gold beads. These beads are smooth and slender, and give a beautiful, elegant, finished look to your memory wire jewelry pieces.

Using Silver Beads in Beading

Silver jewelry is beautiful and elegant, but can be pricey to make. You can use silver beads as spacer beads to accent your other bead work and still maintain the elegant look and feel of silver. You can place the silver beads between similar finishes, or ones that accent the silver, such as colorful gemstones. To complete the silver theme, you can use Sterling Silver findings and clasps.

Vermeil Beads

Vermeil is the technical term for gold plated sterling silver. According to FTC standards, the minimum thickness of the gold plating must be 2.5 microns. The resulting process is something that looks and feels like real gold, and is long lasting. It is less expensive then pure gold however, making vermeil sterling silver beads a budget friendly item.

Purchasing Closeout Findings

Beads are not the only jewelry making supplies that can be purchased at a discount. You can purchase closeout jewelry findings and other discount jewelry making supplies through most retailers. These items can be samples, wrong orders that the company doesn't want to send back and so forth. These discount jewelry making supplies are fully functional and will help you stay within your budget.