I started making jewelry when I was a young girl. I had no instructions, no books, and I didn't read any articles on the subject. I learned as I went and made a ton of mistakes that I didn't have to make. However, with the free resources that are available in today's world, you can have a wealth of knowledge, often derived from others mistakes right at your finger tips. There is so much to know and so much that you can do with your imagination as the only thing that can hold you back. Here is a great place to start.

Articles.If you have any questions or concerns you can Google them for a wealth of resources. You can also use sites like Xomba, Hubpages, ehow, and other article locations to find a lot of information from those who have started like you and have learned from mistakes that you may make.

Books.There are a ton of books out there that can give you some instruction. Most are fairly costly and not all of them are worth it. I have found that the book that was worth it, really worth it was, The Big Book of Beautiful Beads. This book has a lot of beginner knowledge as well as a ton of project (over 100 projects) and can be purchased for $25. Even after having this book for a number of years, I still pull it out and use it.

Fear Not.Don't be afraid to make mistakes and to try new things. If they don't work out then you can take them apart and rescue most of your supplies. Trying new things will give you a unique style and let you figure out what is easiest for you.

Recommended Supplies.Depending on where you are getting your supplies you may see a lot of things you have never heard of before, or you may not find what you are looking for. Whichever it is, I recommend that you find some "Bead Fix". This is a super glue that dries quick and is extremely strong, but doesn't discolor your beads or leave a white film. If you are planning on working with threads I suggest thread conditioner or beeswax, it really does help. Also get some bead tips, they make finishing much easier. Nylon coated bead wire is also a great place to begin, it is simple and fast to use with crimp beads.

If this is a topic that interests you, let me know if you have specific questions I might be able to answer. There will be a lot more on this topic in the days to come! I also have a blog that is fairly new, but will be growing into something very large to share my passion. You can find it at Beautiful Beads and Jewelry.