Chapter 15

Hosting a Jewelry-Making Party

In This Chapter

Deciding how to cover the expense

Inviting guests and preparing to host

Choosing projects your guests will love

Getting the materials you need

Hosting a kid-centered party

After you start making and wearing your own creations, you’re sure to get compliments. Compliments are often followed by, “I wish I could do that” or “Can you show me how you do it?” Making jewelry with friends is a great way to turn an often-solitary activity into an event or celebration. All you need is a little creativity, a lot of organization, and the right projects.

In this chapter, I show you how to decide what sort of party you want to have and how to organize your party. I help you choose the right projects for your group and time frame. And I give you tips for setting up the party so that everyone creates a beautiful piece with the fewest organizational challenges.

Choosing the Right Party Scenario

How you run your party can be as unique as you are. But I break down the options into two broad choices depending on how much you’re willing to spend yourself and how much you want to share the cost with your guests. Some parties evolve into clubs or regular groups that meet monthly to share their latest creations, ideas, and inspiration.

Hosting jewelry parties can also be a great business opportunity. Check out Chapter 16 for more tips on using parties to capitalize on your jewelry-making talents.

Opening your bead bar

In this scenario, you foot the bill for the tools and supplies. You are the party host(ess) and founder of the jewelry feast, so to speak. Run your open bead bar the same way you run an open bar at a party or reception. Guests pick and choose what they want to use for their creations and pay nothing.

This scenario gets expensive quickly depending on how many guests you have, what kinds of projects you’re making, and how many projects each guest is making. It may be a good choice to get your friends started making jewelry, but unless you’re made of money, you won’t be able to host this kind of party often.

One variation of this party is to have each guest bring a strand (or a bag, box, or other container) of beads she’d like to share with the group. Then everyone can choose what she wants from the bead buffet. This version keeps the cost down and makes for some eclectic projects.

Paying as your guests go

Here, you provide the tools and supplies, but guests pay for what supplies they use. Guests can track their supplies as they go or count up what they owe after they’ve finished their projects. Two big challenges present themselves in this scenario:

Pricing the beads so guests know what they’re spending

Keeping track of what they spend

Pricing the beads appropriately

Because beads, findings, and other jewelry components vary widely in cost, it’s tough to keep track of what you paid for them. So you’ve got a couple of choices:

Keep every receipt and log it with a full description of the bead

Roughly estimate what you paid for the items

For your convenience, and your guests’, I recommend that you label the containers of components. If possible, keep like-priced items together. (So keep the 20 cent beads altogether, the $3 items together, and so on.)

You could also limit the variety of prices of beads available. Maybe you supply only one kind of crimp bead that costs 2 cents each. Then you have 20-cent beads, 50-cent crystals, and one kind of clasp. Aim to find the balance that works for you and your parties.

I keep my party beads in organizers (like the ones I describe in Chapter 4) with each compartment labeled with the bead’s price. I keep the retail price listed because I do parties for clients as well. Then, I discount that price for my friends.

Definitely check out the following section for tips on creating your own tally sheet for each guest.

Keeping track of what guests spend

I use two different systems to keep track of bead prices at a party. One lets you tally as you go, while the other has the jewelry maker count up what she spent at the end of the project. Use whichever system works for you.

In Table 15-1, I show you what the blank tally sheet looks like. As beaders go down the bead buffet, they keep track of how many beads they take in each price range. At the end of the party, we total them all up.

Table 15-1 Keeping Track of What Guests Spend

Bead Price	Quantity	Total
2¢
5¢
10¢
20¢
30¢
40¢
50¢
60¢
70¢
75¢
Other
Other
Other
Other

In Table 15-2, beaders complete their projects and then fill out their paperwork. They provide a description of what they used and how many. Multiply the number by the cost to get the final total.

I don’t charge my friends for beading cord, glue, and minor supplies. It’s not too expensive, and it seems chintzy to measure it and charge people for the 3 cents worth that they’ll actually use. I just share the cost of the big stuff. Big stuff can include precious metal wire. The cost of wire at $2 to $10 or more per foot can really add up, so get your pricing down ahead of time. Maybe cut 8- to 10-inch strips at a time and have your friends keep track of how many they use. Let your budget and experience guide you.

Unless you’re hosting a party to generate income, you typically charge your friends for your actual cost for the supplies, rather than marking them up. You don’t charge them to use your pliers and cutters. If you do want info on hosting a money-making party, check out Chapter 16.

Organizing Your Party

As with any party, spend some time looking at your calendar and choosing a date. Make sure you have plenty of time to get your mindset, home, supplies, and tools in order without rushing around. In this section, I walk you through inviting guests and planning a snack menu that won’t ruin your jewelry projects.

Inviting guests

Coming up with your guest list may be the easiest part of the party. Usually you have a group of people in mind first and then choose the party as an occasion to get together.

If you’re having trouble generating a guest list, here are some groups of people who may have fun making jewelry in a party setting:

Long-time friends: Groups of close friends, such as good college friends or Girls Night Out groups, are great candidates for jewelry parties.

Comingling friends: A jewelry party is a great way to help you join together different social groups in your life. Maybe you want your church friends to meet your neighbors, or your work friends to meet your mommy friends.

Couples: Lots of couples play cards, Bunco, or board games together. Why not make jewelry?

Associates: Groups of people who have a connection but aren’t necessarily close (yet!), such as a mix of old and new neighbors, can benefit from making jewelry together.

Ships that pass in the night: Groups of people who know each other but not on an intimate personal level (like moms who have kids who take gymnastics at the same time or dorm mates who do laundry at the same time but live on different floors) could use a party as a way to get to know each other.

People coming together for a common theme or event: Perhaps a group of girls gets together to make their own unique, beautiful prom jewelry. Maybe a group of friends gets together for a bridal shower and makes gifts for the bride-to-be.

Whatever the group, jewelry making is a good way to provide an activity to occupy people while giving them a chance to chat and get to know each other. It’s like low-pressure small talk.

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Sending electronic invitations

You can use an online invitation service, such as Evite (www.evite.com), Punchbowl (www.punchbowl.com), or Sendomatic (www.sendomatic.com), to help you organize your jewelry party. These sites have tons of flashy, already created designs for every occasion. At a minimum, you type in the date, time, and location of your event, and then you add the e-mail address of each person you want to send it to. When people receive your invitation, they click a box to let you know whether or not they're coming.

If you want to get fancy, check out the following customization options available:

Add a feature to your invitations that gives guests a way to pitch in to the party. You can specify what you need and then let guests tell you which tools, supplies, or food items they can bring. The website tracks it all for you, and you can tell in a matter of seconds who’s responsible for bringing the crimping pliers or chili con queso.

Collect money from your guests ahead of time. If you’re providing expensive supplies and decide to ask guests to pitch in $10 each, for example, you can request that guests pay you with a credit card online when they RSVP.

Upload pictures of the jewelry projects you’ll be making at the party or pictures of yourself.

Set up a poll to let guests vote on which project they’d like to make.

Add sounds or a snippet from a song that will play when the invitation is open.

Provide a map to your party.

Evite is free but has ads on its website and in your invitations. Sendomatic is free for the first ten recipients but then jumps up to $7.95 for the eleventh recipient. However, Sendomatic has no advertising. For a hefty fee, Sendomatic gives you a private web page that allows you to post the invitation to Twitter or Facebook as well. Punchbowl has a cool feature that lets your guests help you choose a date. This site offers several feature sets with different membership plans (Plus, Premium, and Platinum) that can help manage your invitations and guest lists.

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I recommend keeping the guest list to six to eight people max for your first party. This number allows you to help people if needed, keeps the guests contained at one or two tables, and forces people to talk to each other and admire everyone else’s projects.

Coming up with creative snacking ideas

Snacking is almost always a must when I have a party. The trick is not to let the snacking get in the way of the jewelry supplies and tools. It’s rough when an errant crystal makes its way into the salsa or a crimp bead finds its way into the pretzels. Also, food on hands can get onto your supplies and tools.

The easiest way to avoid this unfortunate situation is to separate the eating and the jewelry. Set up a nibble buffet in the kitchen and keep the jewelry-making supplies and areas in the dining room, for example. Welcome everyone as they arrive and offer them beverages and snacks. After everyone has arrived and had some mingling time, move on to the jewelry making, leaving the snacks behind.

If your guests are grazers who like to eat throughout the party, you’re in a tougher situation. Here are some less messy snacks that I recommend:

Fresh veggies and dip: A good choice, as long as you keep the dip free and clear of the projects, tools, and supplies. The veggies keep your hands grease-free and ready to create.

M&Ms: These delicious candy-coated chocolates are a good choice because, as they say, they melt in your mouth, not in your hands.

Skittles, Hot Tamales, gummy-anything: These are good choices for the sweets lovers at your party. They aren’t too messy and are easy to pass around.

Pretzels: Where would sweet be without salty? These savory morsels are a better choice than potato or corn chips because they’re not greasy.

Fruit kebabs: These treats are super easy to make and healthy to boot.

Choosing the Projects

Think about themes for projects for the party, such as jewelry for your home, prom night, or wedding. Any event, season, or holiday can be a theme. One cool idea is to provide the components for an event, such as a wedding, and allow people to come up with their own designs from coordinating components. So maybe all your bridesmaids use glass pearls, clear crystals, and sterling silver findings, but one makes a lariat, another a choker, and a third makes an illusion necklace.

There’s no rule in jewelry-making partyland that says you have to have a very firm agenda and project list. If you’d rather put out your supplies and equipment and let your guests create their own designs, go for it! Do what works for you.

Considering your guest list when choosing projects

Your guests may already have an idea in mind. If your amazing illusion-style choker inspired the party to begin with, it’s an obvious choice for a project. If you and your guests have time, consider making a bracelet or earrings to match.

Because I’m a bit of a bead freak, I tend to keep lots of jewelry-making books, catalogs, and magazines around the house. I pull them out for parties to let friends leaf through them to get inspiration. If you don’t have any other books or catalogs of your own, let your guests flip through the pages of this book, or check some books out from your local library. (Just make sure to look for library books a few weeks before your party, in case you need to put something on hold or wait for someone to return that must-have item.) If you want a particular book or magazine that your library doesn’t carry, ask about an interlibrary loan. Your local library can often borrow from other libraries for you.

I also keep fashion magazines (and even a few celebrity gossip rags, I’m embarrassed to say) around just for the pictures of what the celebs are wearing jewelry-wise. Often you can create a version of their look for a whole lot less. Check out Chapter 10 for details on how to do it yourself.

Coming up with projects for beginners

If you’re hosting a party for first-time jewelry makers, keep your projects simple. In fact, consider putting together kits that contain everything they need to make a project to match a sample you create ahead of time. Include the length of stringing material, findings, beads, and any other supplies they’ll need, all in a resealable plastic bag.

Making kits is an awesome way to manage larger groups of new jewelry makers. You give them the supplies they need to make the project and are able to pass the supplies out quickly. They don’t need to agonize over their design. Because they can see your sample, they know what the final project will look like.

In this book, good projects for beginners include:

Bead Frame Bracelet: Project 2-1 in Chapter 2

Floating Stone Drop Necklace: Project 3-2 in Chapter 3

Bird’s Nest Pendant: Project 6-2 in Chapter 6

Instagram Bracelet: Project 8-3 in Chapter 8

Keeping advanced jewelry makers entertained

If your guests are more advanced jewelry makers, be more flexible in your approach. Allow them to explore the available tools and supplies. Keep some of your own creations around for inspiration. Check out the preceding section for other inspiring ideas.

Great party projects for experienced jewelry makers include:

Wrapped Beaded Earrings: Project 6-4 in Chapter 6

Semi-precious Stone and Suede Wrap Bracelet: Project 9-9 in Chapter 9

Button Loop Closure Braided Leather Wrap Bracelet: Project 11-3 in Chapter 11

Managing your time constraints

Decide ahead of time how long your party will be. Two hours is usually good for your first party. Then, decide how many projects you can realistically complete as a group in that time frame.

For a group of five or six inexperienced jewelry makers, expect that they can complete three beginner projects in a two-hour time frame. That goal allows for plenty of time for

You to give them the complete instructions.

Them to get familiar with the supplies and tools.

Them to investigate your sample projects.

Them to create their projects.

You to provide one-on-one help, as necessary.

Them to rework their piece (or part of the piece), if necessary.

In general, the more guests you have, the longer it will take for everyone to complete the projects. Your guests will share tools among more people and likely get pleasantly distracted by more chitchat. Remember, it’s a party, not a race.

Gathering Tools and Supplies: Begging, Borrowing, and Stealing

I don’t recommend that you go out and buy a set of pliers, wire cutters, and files for each and every party guest. Instead, spend a few minutes thinking about what your project requires and come up with a creative solution without spending tons of unnecessary money. In the next few sections, I give you some ideas to get started with some of the most common items.

In general, I borrow tools and equipment but buy supplies. Borrow things that people can get back in essentially the same condition they lent them out. You can’t borrow something that you won’t return, like a bead. It’s kind of like asking to borrow a tissue. The lender doesn’t want it back when you’re done, so just buy your own.

Tables

I recommend seating four to six guests at a table. That generally gives everyone enough space to work but keeps them close enough to share tools. If your table is a bit larger, you may be able to squeeze in eight, and if you’re sitting people at a standard-size card table, six would be pushing it.

Depending on the size of your party and your available tables, you may have to set up extra tables. Neighbors, friends, and family are a great source for extra tables. Also, think about any friends you have in the restaurant business. They often have access to extra tables that you can borrow on a short-term basis.

Tools and equipment

Because I’m a pack rat, I always have spare tools floating around. When I upgraded from my first set of cheap round-nose pliers to a fancier pair with a spring action, I kept the original pair around, just in case. A jewelry-making party is a great opportunity to scrounge up those not-so-often-used tools.

And you can always improvise. Maybe you have a pair of wire cutters that you use only for jewelry making, but you also have a pair around in your home workshop or crafts room for floral design. Bring those out just to have an extra set to keep the projects flowing and things moving along. And while you’re at it, look for the extra needle- nose pliers that are probably lurking in the toolbox as well. They can pull double duty to wrap wire or make twists.

If your projects call for springy coils, don’t run out and buy several wire coilers. Instead, use pens or pencils to wrap the coils around.

If you have friends who own some pliers and cutters, feel free to have them BYOT (Bring-Your-Own-Tools).

Here’s a list of not-so-easy-to-share equipment needed for parties:

Trays to organize each guest’s supplies: You can use bead boards if you have enough for everyone. Instead, I keep several plastic ice cube trays around that work well for this purpose. Each tray has a dozen or so little compartments to keep supplies separated. And the tray is nice and compact, so even if you have several on the table at a time, you all still have room to work. You can get them in packs of two for under $2.50 at any discount, home improvement, or kitchen store. Check out Chapter 4 for more traditional bead organizing ideas.

Work mats: I like everyone to have her own workspace so I use woven place mats or foam bead mats. Sometimes they match, and sometimes they don’t. You can also buy sheets of Flexifoam at your local hobby store for around 25 cents each. Using some kind of mat helps keep round beads from rolling around. Even a dishtowel can work.

Round-nose pliers: This tool can be shared, but I use mine constantly. If you’re tied to a budget, share them, but have your friends invest in their own set if you’re going to make jewelry together on a regular basis.

Here’s a list of great tools to share for parties:

Crimp pliers: I was at a party once where one set of crimp pliers was available for more than 20 people. Because there was only one crimp bead in the project (and several other projects), one pair was plenty. In a pinch, you can close a crimp with flat-nose pliers, but the result is definitely not as pretty.

Loop-closing pliers: If you’re lucky enough to have a set of these, you can probably use a single set for the whole group. To see what these look like and why you may need them, take a look at Chapter 2.

Split-ring pliers: Because this is such a specialized tool, one pair should work for the group. Check out Chapter 2 for a peek at this tool.

Wire coilers: You can share specialty wire coilers or use other items, like pens, bamboo skewers (for tiny coils), or even wooden craft sticks (for flat coils).

Wire jigs: You can probably share two people to one jig unless jigging is the focus of your party — for example, if you’re focusing on making chandelier earrings. Check out Chapter 6 for projects and information about working with a jig.

Wire cutters and nippers: Share these tools. One tool for every two people should keep the flow going.

Supplies

Buy some new supplies for your party. It’s especially fun to get some new flashy beads, pendants, or central components to try out for a party. You may have plenty of basic supplies on hand, such as spacers, crimp beads, and clasps, but getting a few new things to spruce up your jewelbox is a must-do on your party to-do list.

Depending on how (and if) you’re splitting the cost with your guests, keep your receipts or at least keep track of how much individual beads, findings, and components cost. That way, everyone will be able to accurately pay for what they use. For more tips on sharing the cost of the party, check out the Choosing the Right Party Scenario section, earlier in this chapter.

I recommend that you donate some of the harder-to-track supplies that your guests may want to use, such as cording, thread, and glue. It’s typically not worth your time to try to cost these. If you’re hosting a money-making party, build the cost of these supplies into your pricing. Check out Chapter 16 for more details on turning your hobby into a business.

Setting Up Your Tools and Supplies

I’ve had the best luck setting up my supplies, such as beads, pearls, crystals, and the like, in sort of a buffet line on a table, credenza, buffet, or even a bar. Whatever furniture component works is fine; just make it a separate piece where no one is actually working. Otherwise, you’ll get stuck in the I’m-just-reaching-over-you-to-grab-this-hope-you-don’t-mind trap, which slows down the process and can be a real creativity killer for everyone involved.

Place the containers or trays that each person should use to sort their beads at the beginning of the bead buffet. This signal shows people where and how to get started. Imagine an all-you-can-eat buffet with no plates in sight! Not fun. Also, put your stack of supply tracking forms next to the trays so people can track as they go.

I also put a work mat at each workspace on the table so people can quickly identify where they should move to after they choose their beads. I centrally locate the tools they’ll need to create their designs in a small basket, which they can pass easily from one end of the table to the other. If I have a larger group at the same table, I’ll put a basket of tools on each end. Doing so saves time and is more convenient for everyone.

I use a flat basket instead of a tall pencil holder or can of some sort because I think it’s easier for people to see and choose the various tools. If the tools are all head down in a can, they all look alike.

Planning a Kids’ Jewelry-Making Party

Birthday parties, sleepovers, or even random winter afternoons are great times to organize a jewelry-making party for kids. Both girls and boys of all ages enjoy making jewelry. In fact, I dedicate a whole chapter (Chapter 14) to the subject. Of course, the kinds of projects you choose will vary with their ages and gender.

The biggest challenge with kids is to keep it simple. Here are my suggestions:

Keep the group size manageable. The ideal size varies with age. A good general rule is to limit the number of kids to the age of the host child. So if you’re planning a jewelry-making party for 5-year-olds, keep the number of kids to five. This size gives you enough time to help the kids with their creations.

If you have a mixture of ages in your group, it gets a bit more complicated. Start with a small group and see how it goes. Enlist assistance from other parents or older siblings, if necessary.

Choose your project in advance. Choose a project that’s fairly simple, one for which you can give clear, short instructions. And make sure you make time to give the instructions several times to the group and possibly several times to each individual child.

Beaded bracelets can be created quickly, especially with memory wire. (See Chapter 2 for tips on working with memory wire.) You can loop one end and let the kids string away; they can bring it to you when they’re ready for the final loop. Necklaces with just a few beads are also good choices. Friendship bracelets made from tying knots can also be good choices if you have quite a bit of time; for an inexperienced knotter, a simple bracelet can take several hours. Consider doing this kind of project during a campout, sleepover, or over several troop meetings.

Generally speaking, earrings don’t make a good choice for kids’ parties. Many kids don’t have pierced ears, so some kids will feel left out of the fun. Of course, if you throw a party to celebrate a group of friends getting their ears pierced, that’s a different story. By all means, ladies, start your earwires!

Organize the tools and supplies you need in advance. In fact, if possible, bring only the supplies you’ll be using to the party. Kids tend to get excited about jewelry making (and crafting in general). If you start digging into bead organizers, toolboxes, and bags, they’ll start digging in as well. I keep a separate bead organizer for kids’ supplies. That doesn’t mean they get only plastic or really cheap stuff. I leave several open spots in the organizer so I can add semi-precious stones appropriate to the project. I swap out beads ahead of time, if necessary, so that anything they will use (and only things they can use) on the project will be available.

Make a few sample projects. Make at least one complete project (more for younger kids) so that the kids can see, hold, and feel it. It’s a lot easier for them to create their own by looking at yours instead of just listening to directions. Plus, if they can see the payoff (the really cool finished project), they’ll be even more excited to focus and finish their project.

Create a self-contained way for kids to take their finished projects home. Depending on the feel you’re trying to create, just about anything will work. You can use resealable plastic bags, velvet pouches, leather drawstring bags, small Chinese takeout containers, or small jewelry boxes.

If you’re making jewelry at a party with younger kids, make sure their containers seal completely. Kids tend not to be very gentle with their creations because they’re just so darn enthusiastic. You’d hate for them to lose their project before they even got it home.