As a dabbler in various types of jewelry-making activities, and also a pet parent (two of my babies are at left) I find I have a large number of shiny and interesting objects around the house that my beloved pets find fascinating. These jewelry supplies do look great to play with, but could be harmful to a pet’s health if some safety precautions are not made a part of my routine. In this article, I wanted to just go over a few guidelines you should observe to help keep your pets out of harm’s way while pursuing your jewelry-making passion.

Polymer Clay

Polymer clay is a great modern material to work with, but can contain compounds you don’t want Fluffy or Spot ingesting or coming in contact with through you.

Always:

• Wash your hands after handling polymer clay and before touching your pet’s fur.
• Use a mat that can be taken up from a work surface and put away, particularly if you have cats. You don’t want the chemicals in the clay transferring to their feet where it could be cleaned off via licking and grooming, so never work right on a surface they walk over.
• When sanding baked clay, keep your pets out of the area and wear a dust mask yourself. Clean up any dust thoroughly before letting your pets re-enter the room

Beads

My cats have a thing for beads. They frequently try to kidnap my beads from under my nose while working, however a pet parent needs to make sure that pets don’t have access to swallow these baubles.

• Don’t leave beads out in the open where a pet can get to them
• Keep beads in closed containers
• Throw away empty bead strings so your pets do not eat them.

Metalsmthing & Wireworking

The same precaution goes for small metal parts as for beads. They are attractive looking to pets yet can cause problems if swallowed.

• Keep small metal parts and jewelry findings put away in bead boxes.
• Don’t let pets chew on metal parts or beads. Some types of beads or wire have chemical coatings or patinas that may injure your pet.
• Long term exposure to metals in jewelry wire like copper, brass, and even silver may cause problems for humans and pets alike. Always wash your hands after touching wire and don’t let pets play with bare wire products.
• When working with metal techniques that may generate shavings, keep the pet out of the work area entirely.
• Always clean up any metal shavings or dust you find and make sure you don’t track them on your shoes into the rest of your living space.
• When using pickling chemicals, patina, or torches, work in a well ventilated area which your pets do not enter. Do not allow your pets to breathe the fumes any more than you would let your children breathe them.

Miscellaneous Hazards

One of the biggest other hazards for pets in the jewelry maker’s home is the product packaging that supplies arrive in. Make sure you always watch out for the following:

• Keep all rubber bands from bead hanks out of reach. Throw them away promptly instead of leaving them on your work surface. Rubber bands can cause your pet SERIOUS harm when eaten. Rubber bands can wrap themselves around the inside of the pet’s intestines causing blockages that your pet may need surgery to remove.
• Throw away bags as soon as they are empty. Do not leave OPEN zip lock bags or other bags where pets can get to them. I have previously had a pet stick her head IN one of these a few seconds after the bead hanks were removed and though we were nearby and removed it immediately before harm was done, she easily could have suffocated.  (I have never seen such a frightened face on any of my pets before!)

I hope these quick tips have helped you think more about what hazards may be present in YOUR house so you can keep your beloved companion animals from being hurt by your jewelry-making passion!

More Jewelrymaking Links Around the Web

How to plan your jewelry making workstation
Lens: Making Your Own Jewelry