Behind The Beauty

Handmade jewellery for under a tenner

by Emmy Glover

"No two pieces ever turn out identical - we’d have to be machines to be able to do that. It’s the beauty of handmade."

In the middle of her Broadcast Journalism degree, 22 year old Megan Jane Hunt from Nottingham first began making handmade jewellery to keep her occupied:

 "I kind of needed a hobby because I was quite short on money (as most students are) during the summer holidays and needed something to keep me busy."

 After watching several YouTube tutorials, she began crafting pieces of vintage inspired handmade jewellery. Three years on, having completed her degree, she is now running her own website, with her pieces growing increasingly popular both in the UK and overseas.

Her jewellery, which includes bracelets, earrings and necklaces, as well as other quirky pieces, can all be brought for less than ten pounds each.

"I’d say the pieces I stock now are quite whimsical and quirky, with a little retro / vintage inspiration thrown in there too. I believe that I do offer something for every type of girl from minimalist and pretty to big statement pieces"

Although admitting she has a very good imagination, Megan says she was surprised how quickly she taught herself to make her jewellery, especially after finding it hard to concentrate at school:

"I was the girl at infant school who had to be put in a separate room so I could concentrate on my cross stitch. Don’t get me wrong though, I made some mistakes and I still do every now and then! No two pieces ever turn out identical - we’d have to be machines to be able to do that. It’s the beauty of handmade."

Alongside supportive family and friends, she has continued to be surprised by her increasing client base and says she felt particularly honoured when she was approached by a Bride-to-be to design her wedding jewellery:

 "I almost said 'are you sure?' I couldn’t believe she wanted little unknown jewellery maker me, to design something so special."

As well as selling through her website, Megan also regularly attends local craft fairs to showcase her pieces, though her big dream is to have her jewellery big fashion boutiques.

 "It would be great if some of the larger fashion stores had handmade collections on their websites, I’d also quite like to see a celebrity wearing my jewellery."

Starting with a small pair of crystal earrings, Megan's collection has increased rapidly over the last few years, with her now stocking an array of vintage inspired jewellery for every occasion.

Despite a lot of online competition, Megan hopes her unique pieces will attract people to steer away from mass-produced jewellery:

 "I love how they sort of have a vintage edge to them and can add something a little extra special to an outfit. Instead of going out and buying a necklace from a high street store, I’m trying to encourage people to buy handmade instead!"

You can pick up your own unique piece of jewellery from her website:

You can also see if she's coming to an event near you by following her Twitter and Facebook pages.