Making Lampwork Bead Earrings And Other Trinkets

By Ines Flores


Anyone who enjoys making spare time productive with crafty projects can appreciate the family bonding which takes place around a craft table. Creating beautiful things improves self esteem and opens up communication between people, teaching them to share thoughts and ideas more openly. Families who wish to facilitate this experience can begin by learning to make lampwork bead earrings.

This process is called lampworking, and it is not really known how old the technique is or where exactly it originated. Because it is similar to glassblowing and utilizes some of the same tools, it is easy to assume that this process goes back thousands of years. Not only has it been used to make jewelry, but also any glass trinkets or ornaments that were small in size, including items that are believed to have held a spiritual or religious significance.

Borosilicate, also known as hard glass, is used quite often when making these beads. This is especially true when there are several colors being utilized in a single piece, as it is more difficult to get the chemical compatibility necessary to bring various colors together with soda-lime, or soft glass. In addition, the borosilicate glass is much more durable during the heating and cooling process, and less likely to crack than the soda-lime; although the soft glass is still used most often.

For those artisans with a little spunk and courage, they can start the process of making jewelry by learning to make the actual beads first. Recreating an ancient skill such as lampworking, also known as flameworking or torchworking, can be great fun as well as educational. Seeing how ancient people created beautiful things can give anyone a new appreciation for the ease of our machine age, and they may discover a new talent for themselves.

As with our ancient ancestors, modern artisans can utilize such a unique skill productively and turn it into an income for themselves or their family. A ten second search reveals many individuals who have used the Internet as a means to make money from their art. For those who prefer a more personal approach, traveling with Renaissance Festivals or other fairs as a vendor can turn work into a permanent vacation experience.

Saving money at Christmastime is another benefit of cultivating a new artistic skill. Anyone can appreciate beautiful hand-made gifts, and most people probably prefer them to items that come from retail stores. The loving hand of a friend or family member makes a gift truly special.

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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