Make your own rodeo jewelry, save lots of cash

HOUSTON

Making your own jewelry sounds like a big task, but it's pretty simple and if you do it yourself, you will save up to 75 percent.

The shop is called Bead and Silver Gallery, and it's located on Harwin. Once inside, there are strands and strands of beads in every single color imaginable -- plastic beads, glass beads and real stones.

"I have been up and down the street and this is the place to come to," shopper Esmeralda Thurman said.

And the price is hard to beat. We found real turquoise beads on sale.

"For the rodeo, right now we are having a big sale going on. All our turquoise beads are on sale for $2," Bead and Silver Gallery owner Aruna Daswani said.

Other beads range in price from a dollar a strand to $60, depending on what you choose.

"You get a lot of unusual stones, and I was looking at some coral that I have never seen before," jewelry designer Jim Hampton said.

Hampton buys most of his supplies there.

"It's not that hard once you get into it. What you have to have is good imagination," he said.

But you should take a class, and that's why Daswani offers free ones to her customers.

"We can help you design as well, and there is no charge for that," she said.

To see how easy it really is, Daswani challenged us to create a piece.

The first thing you must do is get all your supplies together. You will need a pair of pliers, cutters and wire.

First you'll need to cut some wire for a bracelet. Measure your wire about 7 inches. Then create your own design by spacing smaller beads and crystals with larger stones.

"Just be creative and keep stringing that's it. That's it," Daswani said.

Now we are ready to close the bracelet with a tool called a crimp tube and a clasp. Run it into the little crimper, then take the pliers and squeeze it shut. Add the another crimp tube to the other side with your closure and do the same thing.

In just a few minutes, we created a one-of-a-kind piece.

When we showed Hampton the piece we made for $3, he said he could charge $40 on the custom-made necklace.

But there are some things to keep in mind when it comes to making jewelry: you will have to make a one time investment in supplies. That could cost $50-$100. If you use big heavy beads, be sure to buy quality metal wire to hold up those stones; otherwise, it could bust.

The Bead and Silver Gallery Hosts free classes from 1-3pm every Sunday. You will need to call and sign up for the free class.

You can potentially fix items you already own. Whether you have a broken necklace or earring, it's pretty easy to fix with the right tools.
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