This will be my first holiday season as a beader, so I am making a few jewelry gifts for friends and family. Having never done this before, I am learning as I go how to make jewelry that the recipient will like and hopefully wear. Here are some ideas I’ve come up with so far, but please add to the list! No one wants to sink time, energy, and money into jewelry that someone won’t appreciate.

• For me, I decided that giving bracelets was best. If for whatever reason I miss the mark on someone’s fashion style, at least she can wear it somewhat discretely.
• Kits are super helpful! I love to design, but not when I feel like I have a deadline that doesn’t permit me to shop around for just the right components. I found that buying jewelry kits with all the materials I need is an easy way to give a handmade gift without the hassle of tracking down the parts and pieces. I bought my most recent kit from www.etsy.com.
• Think carefully about sizing. Adding an extender chain to a necklace or bracelet is pretty foolproof. For me, I imagined other peoples’ wrists in comparison to my own, and strung my bracelets to size.

What jewelry gift-giving tips have you picked up? Please share by posting below! And after you’ve strung all your gorgeous pieces, here’s an idea for packaging your wares.