Many of handcrafted jewelry makers work around the clock putting together unique jewelry pieces and buying jewelry supplies for that new bracelet or pair of earrings. Making jewelry is a challenging hobby and it can be very lucrative, but it can also sap your creativity if you're making a lot of unique jewelry designs and then spending lots of energy putting together the supplies for each piece repeatedly. One great way to avoid that jewelry making burn out while still using your jewelry design skills is to begin to repair jewelry on the side!

Fixing jewelry requires a different approach to buying jewelry supplies because you'll need to have lots of clasps, seed beads and stringing materials available. You'll also need think about using a decent jewelry supply management software package to track what jewelry supplies you have in stock, what you'll need to order soon and where you can get them for the best price. Repairing someone else's jewelry uses your jewelry design skills and will usually present some fun challenges. Instead of making a necklace from your own ideas, you usually need to take an existing jewelry pattern and find pieces to replace lost or broken jewelry pieces that either look similar to the rest of the jewelry piece or at least compliment it. Here are some general tips to remember when you begin repairing jewelry for others:

Some people want their jewelry to be repaired to the exact specifications it had before, some do not mind minor bead or clasp changes. Remember to get a little creative, especially if you need to fill in missing beads, but check with the client first.

As a handcrafted jewelry maker you may also want to make recommendations on other parts of a jewelry pieces to repair even though it may not be broken yet. If you notice worn clasps or cracked beads it's a good idea to notify your client so that she isn't caught off guard when something else breaks.

Remember to price your services fairly. Many times you'll be repairing a piece of jewelry that holds a sentimental meaning or is particularly liked by your customer. You are performing a service of not just fixing a piece of jewelry, but often you're helping restore a memory or feeling!

And really, don't forget to have fun with it! Both fixing handcrafted jewelry and designing your own jewelry are creative ways to make some extra money, but it's up to you to find the right balance to keep you smiling and making money at the same time. You can generally charge just as much to repair a piece of jewelry as you would to build it. But because are often working with existing jewelry supplies fixing a piece of jewelry can be much more profitable.