Supplies for Beginners

Since I have started selling tutorials I have received many e-mails asking me where to get supplies for suitable for making the items in my tutorials. It's great that so many people are wanting to learn to make wire jewelry now! However, for those just starting out, it can be difficult finding the right suppliers. These are a few of my favorite suppliers that I found when I first started making wire jewelry. Most of these places have very reasonable prices. Perfect for those of you who are just starting out, or who are doing this as a hobby.


Wire Suppliers


For craft wire, the best place I have found is http://www.widgetsupply.com. They carry 16, 20 and 26 guage wire in many colors. This wire is gret for learning on. It's inexpensive and easy to work with. JUst make sure you are getting the enameled copper wire (they also carry coated aluminum floral wire which does not work for jewelry).


For Silver Filled wire I used to go to http://www.thebeadfactory.com. Silver Filled wire is a tube of silver that has been filled with copper, then heat and pressure treated to create a stronger bond than that used for silver plated wire. It's a great way to get the look of sterling silver for a lot less and it lasts a lot longer than silver plate. This is what I used for all of my jewelry until I was making enough sales to be able to afford Sterling Silver wire on a permanent basis.


For Sterling Silver wire, I cannot say enough good things about http://www.monsterslayer.com. They carry great quality products at wonderful prices. Another good thing about them, is you can buy as much or as little wire as you need. They also carry Gold Filled wire.


For Brass and Copper http://www.monsterslayer.com has a great selection.


For Niobium (excellent for people with metal sensitivities), Titanium, Stainless Steel, and many other types of wire, I go to http://www.theringlord.com. They mostly cater to chainmaillers, so most of the wire is half hard or full hard. They do also carry dead soft craft wire in 19, 20, and 22 guage.


Tools


http://www.lottadisplays.com has pliers at very good prices. They aren't the best quality, but if you are not sure if this is something you want to keep doing, or if this is just a hobby, their economy priced pliers are a great way to go. I am actually still using some of the pliers I bought from here, and they've lasted quite a while.


http://www.monsterslayer.com has all kinds of tools in many different price ranges.


Beads


http://www.firemountaingems.com has a wide range of beads in all sorts and sizes. Their less expensive gemstone beads are not always uniform in size, but if you like the more organic looking pieces, like I do, they are perfect. They also have flat rate $5.00 shipping (for USA only) with a handling fee of $2.85.


There are also some great shops on Etsy that have lots of beads. I've often found excellent deals for really great stones there. One of my favorite Etsy sellers for beads is http://doubleddesign.etsy.com.

Another great Etsy shop for beads is http://thebeadyeye.etsy.com
Or you can click on the links below to go to a site wide search for each type of bead.

Gemstone Beads

Glass Beads

Metal Beads

Handmade Lampwork Beads