Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Self-crafted Costume Jewelry States Your Style!

By Ned Dagostino

It's a human trait, to dress oneself up. Dressing up includes decoration and adornment. The articles used for adornment, excluding vestments and suchlike, are collectively known as jewelry. Rings, necklaces, earrings, and brooches comprise jewelry. It is no surprise then that our ancestors from ages past used jewelry to adorn themselves. This jewelry was of a necessity very simple, and natural. The earliest form of jewelry was beadwork, made by hand, using vines or thin leather strips to string stone beads together.

Archaeological evidence points to the fact that beaded jewelry is as ancient as human civilization itself! Maybe the beads and materials were different, but the aesthetic and artistic elements were as potent then as they are now. Beaded jewelry is genuinely fit to be called traditional jewelry.

Costume jewelry is so-called because it really does not put much emphasis or importance on the intrinsic value of the materials used, focusing instead on the appearance, the look of the jewelry. It is a style or fashion accessory, not a symbol of wealth or status. Hence costume jewelry has come to mean cheap jewelry, and vice versa. Trinkets, baubles, and bric-a-brac are common synonyms for costume jewelry. It is interesting to note that Columbus offered trinkets to the natives of the lands he visited as peace offerings, which were readily accepted, showing the power of attraction inherent in jewelry.

Making costume jewelry is a craft and an art. By its very definition, then, making costume jewelry is a creative activity. It is very simple to pick up. It is a great way to explore your latent creativity, and to give free rein to the aesthete in you.

You can source the materials required for this craft from the virtual world that is the Internet. Or, you can visit the local brick-and-mortar and get your supplies there.

You will not be bereft of resources for this craft. You'll be sure to find craft clubs in your locality where bead craft is practiced. That's where you'll find experts who'll guide you through the first few lessons in crafting beaded costume jewelry. The Internet is full of special interest groups and websites dedicated to costume jewelry and beaded jewelry.

Encouraging children to express their artistic qualities is an educational paradigm and what better way to do that than by introducing them to the art of bead craft. Get your children a bead craft kit and see them enjoy themselves in a creative way.

Handmade costume jewelry is considered very fashionable. Besides giving a traditional, ethnic look to your outfit, it has the added advantage of being unique. All handmade crafts share this property of being unique unlike the mass-produced factory products. When you make your jewelry yourself you can make it distinctive and personalized. This adds value to the basic fact that it is jewelry. Many people go for handmade costume jewelry because it is so low-priced and affordable.

New fashioned beads are giving a new impetus to the craft of beaded jewelry making. The new beads are full of surprising variety and specialties. Many of the beads are exquisite in appearance.

Clothing is embellished with beadwork to personalize the clothes. So that is another application of beaded jewelry. Some fashion analysts have noticed a reverse trend too - as beadwork jewelry is increasing in popularity so also is the popularity of casual, trendy clothes to match the beaded jewelry.

The market segment that caters to the craftspeople involved in making handmade costume jewelry and beaded jewelry is large and flourishing. From your friendly neighborhood craft store to the webstore on the Internet, there are literally hundreds of sources from where you can get your supplies. All that remains is for you to make up your mind, and to take up this fantastic creative activity. - 16651

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