• Home
  • Suggest A DIY
  • DIY Newsletter

Jewelry Making

DIY Jewelry, Beads And Patterns

  • About CraftGossip
  • Our Network
    • Bath & Body Crafts
    • Candle Making Ideas
    • Crochet Ideas
    • Cross Stitch
    • Edible Crafts
    • Felting Patterns
    • Glass Art
    • Home & Garden Ideas
    • Indie Crafts
    • Jewelry Making
    • Kids Crafts
    • Knitting Patterns
    • Lesson Plans
    • Needlework
    • Party Ideas
    • Polymer Clay
    • Quilting Ideas
    • Recycled Crafts
    • Scrapbooking
    • Sewing Patterns
    • Card Making
    • DIY Weddings
    • Not Craft Ideas
  • Giveaways
  • Roundups
  • Store
  • Search

Support MzuriBeads

August 26, 2010 by Shellie Wilson

Handmade, ethically sourced, recycled beads, You can’t get better than that!

Mzuribeads paper beaders live in the village of Ndejje, Uganda, where they roll paper beads from strips of recycled magazines and posters.

The director began this business with the ambition that she will one day not be needed, and Mzuribead will be ran entirely by Ugandans. Kirstie MacLean, is currently the director and acting as the voluntary/not for profit middle man. The money accumulated will be used to establish a program to train the women in the cooperative, (who so wish), to become directors, quality controllers, global marketeers, product developers, etc. In short, they aim to generate enough funds to develop a sustainable business structure.

Visit Mzuribeads and browse their online shop for some beautiful handmade beads.

WIN WIN WIN

Thanks to Mzuribeads we are giving 5 lucky CraftGossip readers the chance to win a DIY Bracelet kit.

This little box equips you with all you need to make your own recycled paper bead bracelet.  Mzuribeads is a business working with groups of village artisans who roll paper, and other ethical and natural beads.  Each bead is unique as the colour is from the specific page selected. And they are also varnished for a waterproof and glossy finish.    Presented in a gift box; containing over 15  colourful round Paper Beads, over 15 Glass Spacer Beads, knottable Tiger tail, (no need for tools,etc), and a toggle clasp.

For your chance to win simply leave a comment on this post telling us what is your favorite bead on the Mzuribead website.

Competition Closed – Winners are IndiviJewels,BeadingHeartArt,Letha,Ken and Sally Lowe. (You have all been e-mailed requesting your postal address)

Competition Open Worldwide

«
»

Comments

  1. Heidi says

    August 26, 2010 at 10:15 pm

    I love the pure purple jumbo “The Spaceships Have Landed” paper beads, but there are so many gorgeous ones to choose from. The barkcloth beads are also beautiful.

  2. Irene L says

    August 27, 2010 at 6:03 am

    I love all the bark cloth beads. The texture and the colors are so dramatic.

  3. Corvus says

    August 27, 2010 at 6:31 am

    The jumbo To Infinity and Beyond are awesome.

  4. Julia says

    August 27, 2010 at 7:09 am

    I like the Barkcloth Beads. They are so unusual and tactile. The chunky size is an eyestopper for sure! It is also neat that they are a product which is made by another group and shared Through the Mazumi site- I especially like that they are networking in their enterprises!

  5. skinglow muse says

    August 27, 2010 at 3:12 pm

    I was amazed to find such an wonderful site while I was researching making jewelry from recycled materials. These beads are so colorful and amazing…they make you happy just seeing them. Beautiful! Thank you.

  6. ChristinaRk says

    August 27, 2010 at 4:45 pm

    Hands down, my favosite is the Jumbo green beads. However, due to it being recyled, I love the recycled beads too.

    They are soo beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  7. Jennifer says

    August 29, 2010 at 8:25 am

    Gorgeous beads! I can’t choose just one! My faves are “The Spaceships Have Landed” and the “To Infinity and Beyond.”

  8. Coty says

    August 29, 2010 at 12:48 pm

    I love the red berry beads! So natural!

  9. Suzanne says

    August 29, 2010 at 7:15 pm

    So many colors of the variety of beads but I am drawn to the Barkcloth beads. They look so organic and interesting.

  10. Mildred T says

    August 29, 2010 at 7:20 pm

    I like the blue/white TO INFINITY & BEYOND beads.

  11. Sally Lowe says

    August 30, 2010 at 9:11 am

    Definitely Omo in turquoise! I made a necklace with an earlier version of these beads and it’s been much admired. These beads are so much lighter and more comfortable to wear than glass or ceramic.

  12. Jewelry Making Supplies says

    August 30, 2010 at 12:09 pm

    I found your site on del.icio.us this morning and really liked it. I bookmarked your blog and will definitely be back soon to read your new posts!

  13. Kat says

    August 30, 2010 at 1:30 pm

    Love all the beads on the Mzuribeads website, have at least one of each of everything. Especially like using the Omo (the berry bead) in my jewellery designs as the shape works so well with all my other beads.

  14. Jewelry Making Supplies says

    September 1, 2010 at 9:46 am

    I loved the article! These types of resources are extremely valuable to anyone interested in making jewelry. I can’t wait to read some more of your articles!

  15. Lynn says

    September 2, 2010 at 3:42 am

    I am a Mzuribead customer and have to say ALL the beads are fabulous. I really like the jumbo recycled paper beads. I have them in black and they are awesome! But, I love the bead mixes of recycled beads – so much inspiration in one bag. OH, and the banana leaf beads are little pieces of glory! sigh. My favorite? Tough call. I guess I’ll stick with the jumbo! Thanks for the chance to win 🙂

  16. Jenny Jones says

    September 2, 2010 at 12:29 pm

    My favorite beads are the Jumbo Spaceships Have landed. They are amazing.

  17. Letha Lynea says

    September 4, 2010 at 8:32 am

    If I have to choose just one, I favor the Barkcloth beads. I love the color. By the way, the Paper Bead Dress is incredible!

  18. Ken McKee says

    September 4, 2010 at 6:17 pm

    Nice beads. Hope I win some. Comments ended.

  19. Ken McKee says

    September 4, 2010 at 6:17 pm

    Seriously, I make paper beads as a hobby. Or should I say addiction.

  20. Renee Antaya says

    September 6, 2010 at 1:00 pm

    These beads are incredible! They are a good representation of what beauty can come from, like the moth into a butterfly. I would use these as a sign that all is beautiful.

  21. joelle says

    September 6, 2010 at 1:32 pm

    these beads are way more than just beads they are fair trade for a fairer world and beautiful jewelry and i drool over all the beads but my favorite are jumbo’s in all the fab colours xx

  22. Doris D. says

    September 6, 2010 at 9:59 pm

    I absolutely love fair trade beads!! I am teaching a cultural beading class at a school in NYC this fall (begins in a week), and will include a class on fair trade beading in Africa. The children range from 5-8th grade, and I am sure they would absolutely love to work with such beautiful, ethical beads.
    🙂

  23. IndiviJewels says

    September 7, 2010 at 3:14 am

    Such a worthwhile project and I love all the different colours mixed in together.

Have you read?

Best Handmade Earrings To Sell At Craft Markets

There is something wonderfully dangerous about a good pair of handmade earrings at a craft market. They sit there on the table looking sweet and harmless, and before you know it, someone has popped “just one pair” into their basket alongside a candle, a card, and possibly a jam jar they absolutely did not plan to buy. Earrings are brilliant little impulse gifts because they are small, affordable, easy to display, and they feel personal without being too risky.

If you are planning a market stall, school fair table, handmade Christmas booth, Mother’s Day pop-up, or local makers market, earrings are one of those products that can work beautifully across price points. You can offer simple bead drops at the lower end, clay earrings in seasonal colours, pearl-style earrings for gift buyers, charm earrings for the fun crowd, and minimalist studs for shoppers who like things neat and wearable.

The trick with handmade earrings to sell is not just making what you love, but making what people can quickly understand. A shopper should be able to glance at your stand and think, “Oh, my sister would wear those,” or “That would be cute for book club,” or “That’s perfect for my daughter’s teacher.” Small, giftable, lightweight earrings are ideal for this because they do not need sizing, they are easy to wrap, and they can be made in batches without taking over the entire dining table. Although, let’s be honest, the dining table is already lost to craft supplies in most of our houses.

Below are some lovely DIY earrings for craft fairs that cover the big sellers: clay earrings, bead drops, charm earrings, pearl-style earrings, seasonal earrings, and minimalist studs. I’ve included a mix of CraftGossip, CraftBits, and other useful tutorials so you can build a market-ready collection with plenty of variety.

Handmade Earrings To Sell At Craft Markets

Easy Polymer Clay and Air Dry Clay Earring Ideas

Clay earrings are still one of the strongest craft-market styles because they are colourful, lightweight, and easy to customise by season. This CraftGossip roundup includes polymer clay and air-dry clay earring ideas, which makes it a handy starting point if you want to create a whole tray of statement earrings in coordinated colours. These are great for shoppers who want something handmade but still trendy and wearable.

How To Make Clay Earrings + DIY Clay Jewelry Techniques

This tutorial is especially useful if you want to create a more polished handmade earring range, because it covers clay techniques such as colour blocking, shaping, adding holes, baking, and attaching posts or jump rings. For market selling, I’d use this style to create small collections: neutrals, brights, floral colours, Christmas shades, and soft pastels for spring stalls.

How To Make Easy Polymer Clay Knot Earrings

Knot earrings are a lovely middle ground between statement and minimalist. They look boutique-style but are made with simple clay shaping, which makes them a good choice for sellers who want something modern without needing complex cutters or lots of findings. These would be gorgeous in terracotta, sage, blush, navy, cream, or speckled clay.

Polymer Clay Stud Earring Tutorial

Minimalist studs are the little quiet achievers of a craft market table. They are small, affordable, and perfect for shoppers who want an easy add-on gift. This tutorial uses simple clay shapes, which you could batch in sets of matching colours and display on small branded cards for a neat, professional look.

Easy Bead Earrings

A simple bead-drop earring is one of the best beginner-friendly designs to make in batches. This CraftBits tutorial uses headpins, ear hooks, beads, and basic jewellery tools, so it is ideal if you want low-cost easy earring making ideas that still feel pretty and giftable. Change the bead colours and you can create dozens of different pairs from the same basic method.

Elegant Easy Earrings

These are a slightly more dressed-up version of the simple bead earring, using large, medium, and small beads with earring wires and headpins. I’d make these for shoppers looking for something a little more “grown up” — the kind of earrings they might wear to lunch, church, work, or a Christmas party. Lampwork beads, Czech glass, faux pearls, and gemstone-style beads would all work beautifully here.

How To Make Easy Beaded Drop Earrings

Beaded drop earrings are a craft fair staple because they have movement and sparkle without being too expensive to make. This tutorial shows a simple loop technique using headpins, beads, earring wires, and basic pliers, which is the sort of skill you can use again and again across different designs. Once you learn this method, you can create colour stories for every season.

DIY Seed Bead Earrings

These seed bead and leaf charm earrings are a sweet option for anyone wanting delicate handmade earrings that feel light and wearable. Charm earrings are great at markets because shoppers can instantly connect them with a person or interest: leaves for gardeners, stars for teens, moons for the witchy crowd, hearts for Valentine’s Day, and flowers for Mother’s Day.

Super Easy Bead and Charm Earrings

If you want a beginner-friendly charm earring idea, this one is a good fit because it combines beads and charms in a simple dangle style. For selling, the magic is in choosing charms with personality: bees, cats, moons, flowers, books, sewing machines, teacups, pumpkins, snowflakes, or tiny shells. Make a few themed groups and shoppers will do the matching in their heads before they even ask the price.

How To Make Your Own Elegant Freshwater Pearl Earrings

Pearl-style earrings are perfect for shoppers who want handmade but not too crafty-looking. This tutorial uses freshwater pearls, headpins, jump rings, and simple jewellery-making skills to create earrings that feel elegant and giftable. These would be lovely for bridal markets, Mother’s Day stalls, teacher gifts, and Christmas gift tables.

Jewelry Making – Pumpkin Wire Earrings

Seasonal earrings can be excellent impulse buys because they feel fun, timely, and affordable. These pumpkin wire earrings from CraftBits are a Halloween and fall idea using wire, beads, jump rings, earring hooks, and basic tools. Make them in small batches rather than huge quantities, because seasonal stock sells best when it feels fresh and limited.

4th of July Patriotic Earrings – A Quick and Easy DIY

These patriotic bead earrings are a good reminder that seasonal earrings do not have to be complicated. The same basic idea could be adapted for Christmas, Easter, school colours, sports teams, or local events by swapping the bead colours and adding a small charm. CraftBits notes that this style is light, quick, and can be made in under 15 minutes, which is exactly the kind of project that works well for market prep.

What Handmade Earrings Sell Best At Craft Fairs?

For impulse buyers, the best handmade earrings are usually the ones that are easy to imagine wearing or gifting straight away. Think small bead drops, pearl-style earrings, clay studs, floral clay dangles, tiny charms, seasonal pumpkins, Christmas trees, stars, moons, bees, hearts, and simple geometric shapes.

A good market table should include a few different price points. I’d suggest a small “grab and gift” section with simple bead or charm earrings, a mid-range area with clay earrings and pearl-style drops, and a small feature section with more detailed seasonal or statement pieces. Shoppers love choice, but too much choice can make them wander off, so grouping earrings by colour or theme makes everything easier.

Tips For Selling DIY Earrings At Craft Markets

Keep your earrings lightweight. Even if a design looks fabulous, shoppers will put it back if it feels heavy in their hand. Clay earrings should be rolled thin enough to wear comfortably, bead earrings should not pull on the ear, and charm earrings should be balanced so they hang nicely.

Presentation matters enormously. Use clean earring cards, clear pricing, and a mirror on your table. A small sign saying “Handmade Earrings – Great Little Gifts” or “Easy Gifts Under $20” can work wonders because it gives shoppers permission to buy without overthinking.

Make multiples, but not identical rows and rows. For example, create the same bead drop design in six colours, or the same clay stud in three sizes. That gives your stall a cohesive look while still making each pair feel handmade.

Craft Market Display Ideas For Handmade Earrings

Earrings sell best when shoppers can see them at eye level and touch them easily. Try a small rotating earring stand, cork board, framed mesh, wooden display blocks, or simple kraft cards clipped to twine. For a softer handmade feel, group your earrings by mood: “Everyday Neutrals,” “Pretty Pearls,” “Fun Charms,” “Seasonal Favourites,” and “Colour Pop Clay Earrings.”

Packaging can also help close the sale. A tiny paper bag, branded card, care note, or ribboned backing card can make a $10 pair of earrings feel like a ready-to-give present. Around Christmas and Mother’s Day, I’d absolutely add a small sign that says “Gift-ready handmade earrings” because tired shoppers love anything that saves them wrapping drama.

Tags

Bangles/Bracelets Beading Beginner Jewelry Making Book Reviews Craft Inspirations Crystal Jewelry Making DIY Necklace DIY Tutorials and Patterns earrings tutorials Felt/Fiber Halloween Jewelry For Men Jewelry Making - General Jewelry making - Supplies Jewelry Making Giveaways Jewelry Making Techniques Jewelry Making Tutorials and Ideas Mixed Media recycled/upcycled Wire Work

RSS More Articles

  • 10 Fall Leaves Scrapbook Layout Templates for Cosy Autumn Memory Keeping
  • Activities and Crafts for Johnny Appleseed Day
  • Totoro Knitting Patterns
  • Mixed-Fibre Quilts: How to Combine Linen, Hemp and Cotton Lawn Without Regretting It
  • 15 Tapestry Crochet Patterns That Make Colorwork Surprisingly Easy
  • Can You Boil Polymer Clay? The Truth Every Crafter Should Know
  • Easy Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe – Know Exactly What’s in Your Food
  • 10 Dollar Store Home Hacks That Look Surprisingly Expensive
  • DIY Review: Giving a Vintage Milk Can New Life as a Charming Outdoor Side Table
  • 8 FREE Camping Journal and Project Life Cards to Download

Pick Your Blog

  • Sewing
  • Knitting
  • Quilting
  • Crochet
  • Home & Garden
  • Recycled Crafts
  • Scrapbooking
  • Card Making
  • Polymer Clay
  • Cross-Stitch
  • Edible Crafts
  • Felting
  • Glass Art
  • Indie Crafts
  • Kids Crafts
  • Jewelry Making
  • Lesson Plans
  • Needlework
  • Bath & Body
  • Party Ideas
  • Candle Making
  • DIY Weddings
  • Not Craft
  • Free Craft Projects

Copyright © 2026 · CraftGossip | Start Here | Contact Us | Link to Us | Your Editors | Privacy and affiliate policy