Wooden Jewellery….Creativity and Innovation At Its Best
Making wooden jewellery is a highly creative and profitable craft to engage in. Wood is such a versatile material and so easy to work.
Quality Wellness Products at Affordable Prices
Also An Outstanding Business Opportunity
at
There are two broad categories of wood……soft and hard.
A softwood such as pine, Douglas fir, redwood, cedar and yew have a lower density than a hardwood.
Hardwoods used in wooden jewellery are sycamore, boxwood, cherry, oak, walnut, maple, apple, pear and plum.
Many of your customers will enquire whether your products come from a sustainable source, which is being replenished as quickly as it’s being used
Planting trees to help the climate
It makes your product more attractive to customers if you can reassure them that it has been made from timber, which is either being replaced by the planting of new trees, or uses recycled timber.
Take a trip to your local salvage yard and see what’s available. Auctions selling old furniture are another source of old, well seasoned timber.
Don’t forget that a softwood tree grows far more rapidly than a hardwood, so it’s preferable to use a softwood where ever possible.
If you are unable to buy reclaimed timber, look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood.
Contrasting grains
One of the great joys of working with wood is the huge range of colours and grains, you can choose from.
The grain of the wood is created by the variation in the rate of growth throughout the year.
Wood is stronger when you work with the grain rather than across it. Always sand with the grain as it will make the finish smoother.
If you want to buy a piece of jewellery which is a little different, look no further than Etsy.
Making a Start
If you are new to jewellery making, then you can create a necklace with softwood beads. These beads can be obtained from Hobbycraft.
Beautifully decorated beads
Use an acrylic paint to colour the beads, which should be sealed with microcrystalline wax.
Water based paints raise the grain of the wood, so you may need to sand the surface lightly before applying a second coat.
Leaving the surface unsealed may lead to the paint running when it comes into contact with perspiration or water.
You can also use wood stains to change the appearance of a softwood to make it look like a hardwood, such as mahogany or oak.
Various Techniques for Making Wooden Jewellery
Inlay
curracelticjewellery.ie
You can achieve striking effects by mixing wood with other media, such as precious metals. plastics and acrylics.
A good example is this Tree of Life (yggdrasil) in silver on Irish oak with a handmade spiral bail
Etsy At Grandma’s table
Another example is this hand carved California redwood heart necklace with an Abalone Paua shell.
Carved
gilesnewman.tumblr
Basswood is a soft wood, which is favoured by sculptors as it can be carved very easily and does not have a visible grain.
You can also use wood stains to change the appearance of basswood to make it look like a hardwood, such as mahogany or oak.
Woodturned
Mike Peace Woodturning
Both dry and green wood is suitable for turning. The woods opposite include spalted maple, tiger wood and persimmon.
These pendants are 13/4″ to 21/42 diameter and are turned from 3/82 thick blanks.
You can learn how to turn these pendants by looking atthis video.
Found Objects
Think laterally when you are sourcing materials for your wooden jewellery.
This necklace is made from old buttons backed by turned mini bowls.
Laser Cutting
Etsy Alexander Laser Designs
Not all woods are suitable for laser cutting, so you should approach a laser cutting company to discuss the most suitable wood available. These monogrammed earrings can be ordered with whatever initials you wish. Personalisation sells products.
Veneers
Etsy Gendall Jewellery
Veneers of rare woods can be stuck onto less expensive wood to give the appearance of an expensive piece of jewellery.
Veneers are sometimes available with an adhesive backing to facilitate their use.
You can also stick several veneers, from different sources, together and sand them down to give attractive designs.
I hope this article has whetted your appetite to learn more about the exciting craft of creating beautiful, wooden jewellery.
I have always loved wood crafts. In my teens it was model gliders, ships in bottles, puppets, wooden toys.... Then I had to earn a crust and became a civil engineer designing and building bridges, motorways, schools...until I became a video producer. On retiring I started making dolls houses but now I am a blogger concentrating on my love of wood.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.