Mama Jewelry

Make your own very cool mama jewelry! Here, you'll find easy step-by-step illustrated jewelry making instructions.

We'll use a jewelry making technique called stamping. It's an easy, beginner technique for making metal jewelry.

It's an excellent way to easily personalize jewelry!

Best of all, we'll use stamping blanks with predrilled holes (no cutting, drilling or sawing required) to create a metal pendant. You'll attach it to necklace chain for a unique piece of personalized jewelry.

The jewelry making instructions are very step by step, complete with pictures and detailed instructions.

You'll easily make a charm or pendant in less than an hour.

If you've never stamped metal jewelry before, purchase extra cooper stamping blanks to practice the 'act of stamping' first. It takes a few times to get a feel for how hard to hammer the metal stamp.

Let's get started...

Jewelry Making Instructions to Make Mama Jewelry

Approximate Length: Necklace: 18" (45.7 cm)

Jewelry Making Supplies

Stamping Supplies

Stamping supplies are available from most major online bead stores.

• 1 chasing hammer
• 1 steel bench block
• set of metal stamps, size 1/8" (3mm) (available in various sizes)
• stamping blanks with predrilled holes (available in various types of metal)

Top: Chasing Hammer, Left: Steel Bench Block, Right: Metal Stamps

Close Up of Metal Stamps Set

Sampling of Metal Stamping Blanks

Jewelry Making Pliers

• wire cutters
• chain nose pliers
• round nose pliers

Left: Wire Cutters, Middle: Chain Nose Pliers, Right: Round Nose Pliers

General Jewelry Making Supplies

• desired length of unfinished jewelry chain (your choice of metal)
• 1 round open (unsoldered) jump ring (to connect stamped pendant to chain)
• 1 stamping blank (your choice of shape and size)
• 1 S clasp with two attached round open jump rings (your choice of metal)
• painter's tape
• non-permanent ink fine point marker pen (a dry erase pen works well)
• slip of writing paper
• a piece of cloth, felt or mouse pad
• rubbing alcohol
• cotton ball

Jewelry Making Instructions for Mama Jewelry Necklace

1. Gather your supplies and tools.

With a non-permanent ink marker, write out your sentiment on a strip of paper and your stamping blank.

You'll keep the strip of paper in front of you to remind yourself of which letters to stamp. (At some point in later steps, the letters on your stamping blank may be covered with the painter's tape.)

2. Set up a work area to begin stamping.

(The picture in this step shows you almost everything that will be done. Please read it carefully before preceding.)

On a flat work surface lay out a piece of cloth, felt or mouse pad to act as a cushion between your work surface and the steel bench block.

Place the bench block on top of the cushioning.

Place your stamping blank on top of and in the middle of the bench block.

Place a strip of painter's tape at strategic corners of the stamp, temporarily securing it to the bench block. This will help to keep the stamping blank from moving around too much when you strike it with the metal stamp and hammer.

The tape may also act as a guide for letter placement of the metal stamp.

Line up the first stamp on top of the first letter of your sentiment.

In a standing position, hold the stamp perpendicular to the metal stamping blank.

With the chasing hammer, firmly strike the stamp once, straight down with one solid hammer blow. (I suggest a few practice runs first on a spare stamping blank so that you can get a feel for how hard to strike the stamp)

Proper Setup to Stamp Metal Stamping Blanks

3. Repeat for each letter until your sentiment is finished.

4. You've created a stamped metal pendant. Use rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball to clean the non-permanent ink from your newly stamped pendant. Now, it's ready to be turned into mama jewelry.

Jewelry Making for Instructions Mama Jewelry Continued

5. Using the wire cutters, cut a length of unfinished chain to a desired length (not pictured). Cut a length that ensures a uneven number of links, so that there is definite center link on the chain.

Using the chain nose pliers and the round nose pliers, open each one of the jump rings connected to the S clasp (if necessary see note below on how to open a jump ring).

Attach an end of the unfinished chain to a jump ring.

Repeat for the second chain end.

Now, using the chain nose pliers and the round nose pliers, close the jump rings (closed jump rings are shown in the picture of Step 6).

Note: How to Open and Close Jump Rings

Using a pair chain nose pliers and a pair round nose pliers, pick up an open (unsoldered) jump ring. Make sure the jaws of each pair of pliers is parallel to the opening of the jump ring.

Move one pair of pliers downward and the other pair upward (move the pliers in a north and south direction). The jump ring will open with its shape in tact, round, not oval.

Reverse the direction to close the jump ring.

How to Open and Close Jump Rings

Jewelry Making for Instructions Mama Jewelry Continued

6. Now, prepare the clasp to allow the necklace to be put on and taken off.

One side of the S clasp should be closed completely.

Using the chain nose pliers, open the second side of the S clasp enough so that the jump ring comes off with a slight tug. The jump ring should go on and off snugly, but not easily slide off the hook.

This is how you will unclasp the necklace to put it on and take it off.

7. Attach the stamped pendant to the center link of the necklace chain.

Using the chain nose pliers and the round nose pliers, open the last jump ring.

Slide the stamped pendant onto it.

Attach the jump ring to the center link of the chain.

8. Close the jump ring. You've completed your mama jewelry necklace!

Your mama jewelry is unique and personalized, and you made it!

Tutorial created by Wanda A. Epps.
Visit her at Making-Beaded-Jewelry.com to learn more about how to make beaded jewelry.

Return to the Keepsake Baby Jewelry page for another project idea!