It takes nimble fingers to work with wire, and creativity to pick a palette. It takes patience to string a complex necklace, and experience to make it beautiful. Junior Elsie Owen has been making jewelry since 2021, and she’s only getting better.
Owen began creating her own jewelry nearly two years ago, after being inspired by posts she saw on Pinterest. It took months of practice and many failed attempts before she could really get it down. She got a head start with supplies she inherited from her mother, who happens to be just as crafty as she is. However, restocking her materials, such as beads, wire, and fishing line, tends to be $5-$20, depending on how much she needs.
Now that Owen has become well-versed in the hobby, she’s able to make complex and detailed pieces. “My favorite things to make are definitely necklaces, just because there’s a lot more creative freedom you can have with that.” Her favorite overall creation is her daisy fairy necklace, a beautiful piece with multiple bead strings and gold chains, meeting in the center at a daisy medallion.
Depending on the type of project she’s working on, it can take anywhere from five minutes to two or three hours. Things such as wire wrapping quickly become more time-consuming. Owen’s process for jewelry starts with a design or a theme, then she picks out a color palette and pulls out beads that fit her needs. After that, she lays the beads out on her beading board and gets to stringing. Her work does not come without struggle, however. The constant tension in her hands from working tediously with such small objects causes symptoms of repetitive motion injuries, such as carpal tunnel.
Owen sells her jewelry through in-person requests and Depop, you can find her at https://www.depop.com/lavendryy/.
Kim Wolfe • Oct 12, 2023 at 2:57 pm
Great article, and I love Elsie’s jewelry.