Making Lampwork Bead Earrings And Other Trinkets

By Ines Flores


Whether one is a retiree living alone, or the head of a household, arts and crafts are an excellent way to convert free time to productive time. A person with the ability to make beautiful things can become the envy of everyone they know. One looking for a place to start might consider learning how to make lampwork bead earrings.

Lampworking is a process where the beads are made by melting the glass with a torch or lamp, and it utilizes the same tools as glassblowing. The process has been used probably for thousands of years, although it is difficult to pin down a specific time or place in human history where this technique began. It is used to make other items such as figurines or glass die as well.

The soft glass known as soda-lime is the glass most often used in this technique even though the inherent instability can cause it to crack, and any chemical incompatibility can cause colors to run in ways not intended. The harder glass, known as borosilicate, is much more stable and better for creating multi-colored pieces, but it can be more difficult to get it heated up adequately. The ancient techniques used to heat the glass to a melting point would have made the use of borosilicate less time-effective.

Anyone learning to do beadwork with these pieces should consider starting their new hobby by learning to make the beads themselves. This ancient skill was also called flameworking or torchworking, as these are the methods that were used to heat the glass to a melting point. Recreating the old way before learning the modern and more efficient method can give anyone a new appreciation for our technological advancements.

Projects such as jewelry making can provide a person with an interesting skill, or even a means of producing income. Many people sell their arts and crafts Online these days, or they attend fairs and gatherings as a merchant. An art such as lampworking would provide not only jewelry to sell, but they could attract their customers by making the beads right they as people watch.

These hobbies save as well as make money during the Holidays, for birthdays, anniversaries, or other special occasions. While teenagers might not agree, most adults would rather be gifted with something hand-made than anything from a retail store. Putting time and energy into a special gift means that item becomes priceless to the recipient.

With families struggling to stay afloat on lesser incomes, establishing a new business can help provide comfort and stability. No one coming from a corporate environment really likes working fast food or retail, but bread winners have always taken the reign and done what they have to in order to provide for their clan. A family business is a much better model for young people than parents who work tiring and stressful jobs for low wages.

Most families sit around a television set being passively entertained, rarely interacting with one another in any meaningful way. Imagine a family who sits around a table and makes beads, ornaments, jewelry, or anything they like. That household has lively conversation and a true sharing of themselves which promotes a sense of happiness and well being.




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