I love it when people find a way to do what they love, earn a living, and help others at the same time!  Jewelry making isn't always the easiest thing to bring a social conscience to. Ok, so most of us now watch our waste, and are more careful about where we buy our raw materials from, but it's not exactly a skill you can take to Habitat for Humanity or Doctors Without Borders, and let's face it: we aren't much use in the face of any kind of natural disaster.  ("No, I can't repair that water system but I'm sure I could use the piping to make you some beautiful rings?")  So I always feel strangely relieved when I hear about someone using their jewelry business for the greater good.

If, like me you were born with that nagging urge to help people,  here are some ways you can use your skills:

Teach Your Community

Whether it is providing a pastime for elderly or disabled people in a care home, giving a creative outlet to underprivileged kids or sharing a skill so that single or stay-at-home moms can help to contribute to their family finances, teaching people how to make jewelry is a gift that will almost certainly reward you just as much as your students.  Contact your local youth centre, shelters, respite facilities, community groups or churches for ideas on who and where you could offer to teach classes.

Learning a new hobby is a great way to keep hands and minds occupied, whilst building self esteem, so it is a great way to help people in your community.  Keep lessons simple, and materials cheap and cheerful to make the classes accessible for as many people as possible. 


Raise Funds

There are many ways that you can donate money to charity through your jewelry business.  Consider donating a percentage of every sale, or design a special collection for a charity and donate your profits.   Or how about a sponsored bead-a-thon?  You can see how many inches you can string within an hour and donate your proceeds to charity.  The end product could be a contribution to the world's longest necklace.

Recycle

Challenge yourself to think about waste in a new way.  What else could you incorporate into a jewelry design?  The nice thing about art is that there are no limits, and as we have seen people use a variety of weird and wonderful materials in jewelry.  (We will be featuring an interview with a designer who has used debris from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to create a jewelry collection soon.  Be sure to join us on Facebook to hear when it publishes.)

What other ways have you come across to use your jewelry to make the world a better place?