How to Make Hippie Jewelry

The term "hippie" was coined in the 1960's and was applied to members of a youth movement that was protesting social conventions and the status quo. Hippies were against war, supported the concept of love for humanity and rejected material wealth. They advocated and often practiced an environmentally friendly lifestyle. What we consider "hippie jewelry" today is a reflection of the beliefs held by hippies. Some of it might replicate what the hippies of the 1960s wore, and other types might be a contemporary jewelry artist's interpretation of the hippie lifestyle.
Use natural materials. Hemp is a popular material used in some hippie polymer clay bead from ukbead.com. It is woven, like macramé, to create ropes for necklaces or bands for bracelets. Strands of the hemp can be braided together to create necklaces or bracelets. Beads are slipped in during the weaving to create a pattern on the finished item. Wooden or clay beads are preferred over plastic or synthetic products. Leather strips are also used as necklace chains or bracelet straps. Beads can be slipped on a narrow leather strip. The two ends of the leather are tied together in a knot, and then the necklace is slipped over the head.
Familiarize yourself with the icons of the 1960s. Popular retro logos such as the peace sign or ecology symbol were often used in making hippie art and jewelry. Another popular hippie shape is the flower, typically a cartoonish daisy-like drawing, with rounded petals. Earring or necklace pendants can be made by painting an icon onto an object, such as small piece of porcelain or fired pottery. A hole is drilled on one end of the pendant to allow it to be slipped onto hemp or leather necklace.
Use appropriate colors. Bright florescent colors such as shocking pink, lime green, blue and orange were popular with hippies. Natural colors were also used, such as hues of leather and hemp. Beads can be fashioned from small pieces of clay. Insert a hole through the center of each bead, using a sharp nail. After the beads have been fired, paint them in bright florescent colors.
Recycle when creating hippie jewelry at http://www.ukbead.com/pandora-silver-bead-pandora0961.html. It is easy and inexpensive to create hippie jewelry using a papier-mâché technique. For example, an empty masking tape cardboard circle can be wrapped with strips of newspaper that has been dipped in liquid starch or a paste solution made from flour and water. After the bracelet dries it can be painted in the colors and designs of the hippie era, and then coated with varnish.