Creating Some Sparkle

Cheryl Corbitt makes magic with her hands on a daily basis for her at-home craft business, Georgia Girl Crafts and More.

But the Lithia Springs mom and grandma veers off her usual quilting and stitchery path to amuse herself when she’s not giving demonstrations and shows.

“I got into jewelry making a few years ago, and I really enjoy it,” she says. “I’m always looking for something different to do that’s creative.”

Virginia Puckett from in Powder Springs has taken her creativity with ceramics and used it in her jewelry making. 

“I actually make beads from polymer clay, and I order bisque beads to paint," she explains. "You can make them any color you want to match anything.”

Making something that matched an outfit was one of the motivating factors that got Michele Cooper into jewelry making. 

“My wrists are big, and I couldn’t find the right bracelets that fit me and went with what I was wearing,” she says. “A lot of women want to make something they can’t find.”

Cooper’s now a jewelry making instructor at Michael’s in Hiram. 

“We get lots of moms and grandmothers, and they end up bringing their daughters and granddaughters with them," she explains. "They’ll share ideas and a lot of laughs.”

Cooper suggests aspiring jewelry makers put together a set of tools before they start.

“There are four or five basic items you need: wire cutters, flatnose pliers, roundnose pliers, a crimping tool and a beadboard.”

Not that beads are required in jewelry making. 

“One of my students is an instructor at Savannah College of Art and Design, and she cuts up old license plates and uses them in her work. Another one of my students is a writer, and he used old typewriter keys for a bracelet he made,” Cooper shares with amusement. “There’s a new ‘steampunk’ style that uses old gears and brass pieces and turns them into some pretty cool jewelry.”

Corbitt has been working on bottle cap jewelry. 

“I make it so you can interchange the centers," she says. "I also made angel pins a few years ago and actually started to sell them through my business. Oh my goodness, we sold hundreds.”

Stores such as Michael’s, Hobby Lobby and Walmart have aisles full of beads and gemstones to use for handmade treasures, but Cooper says some moms will restring old or broken pieces and include something new. 

“That’s how I got started,” Marianne Krutsinger of Powder Springs says. “I did jewelry repairs on boutique items in a dress shop. Then I got really interested in making my own jewelry. Now I’m taking courses for it, and I’m pretty much on a first name basis with the clerks at Michael’s.”

Puckett says there are many online courses available for those who can’t make it to a regular classes like Cooper’s.

Krutsinger concurs. “I’m taking mine through the Sheffield School in New York, and it’s very reputable. I’m learning a lot. I really like being creative and exploring my creative options.”

Cooper says the creativity draws women in, but it also gives them a chance to do something away from the hubbub at home. 

“You can go into a room, close the door, concentrate on your craft, and shut everything else out.”