How to make Viking jewelry

Vikings remain beloved people for their culture, religion, and their fierce natures. It is no wonder why people have a constant interest in them. One of the ways to show appreciation for Vikings and who they were is by wearing Viking-inspired jewelry. What’s better than purchasing Viking jewelry? Making them yourself. Here, we are going to look at what Viking jewelry looked like, and how you can make your very own.

A deep dive into Viking jewelry

The Vikings had quite the collection of jewelry. Exploring their burial sites has come to show that both men and women did wear jewelry. The varied from rings, bracelets, pendants, and more. The material was also varying, with some being made from knotwork and animal bones. What was, however, common is that their jewelry was chunky. That way, it could withstand everyday wear and tear but also, for the warriors, survive a battle.

Just as with any other society, there was a difference in the appearance and the quality of the type of jewelry the people wore. One can tell a person’s wealth based on the detail, or lack thereof, of the ornaments, found. Therefore, you’d find that the wealth, for example, had more detailing on their pieces than the poor. The reason behind wear jewelry is very much the same as with other cultures. It was a form of expression, a way to communicate to others what they were all about.

Given that these ornaments were about upholding culture, you will notice that a lot of the jewelry was a reflection of their Viking ways, their beliefs, and the gods they served. Another aspect you see about the Viking culture is that symbols and markings were all around them. It wasn’t only the jewelry but other facets of their lives, including weapons and rune stones. For the most part, the designs did appear abstract, but they did carry with them inspiration from nature, animals, and depictions of their gods.

If you’re of Scandinavian heritage or interested in Vikings, it only makes sense to want to know more about their jewelry. You want to be sure that you’re wearing something authentic. There’s the option of purchasing from a store that specializes in Viking jewelry, but you can always go for a DIY. You can incorporate symbols and other aspects that mean something to you, and thus creating a piece that matters to you.

Making your Viking jewelry

There are a couple of things that you will need to make your very own Viking jewelry. The best place to get them is from your local crafts store, or one that sells something similar. You’ll need a metal plate, a cutting tool, wire, beads, gemstones, and runes. These are the essential items that you would use to make a basic Viking jewelry. You can make anything from a bracelet to a pendant.

There are various directions that you can take. For example, if you want to make a bracelet, you can use the cutting tool to make shapes of Viking symbols that matter to you from the metal plate. Look up the meaning of various Viking symbols; they include The Web of Wyrd, The Horn Triskelion, The Viking Axe, dragons, runes, and wolves. If you want something simpler, you can opt for lightening blots, boomerangs, hammers, or chariots. Think of all the symbols that remind you about Vikings and use them to create a unique piece.

You can use any appropriate metal; you can opt for iron or silver, which were frequent, or even bronze or gold. Remember to make it chunky to your liking so you can create the same feel. Something you’ll also notice is how vintage Viking jewelry tends to be. You, therefore, might consider getting pieces and items that look rustic and aged. If you have an old bracelet or pendant lying around that has a similar feeling, you can add more elements to make your jewelry as such. It is not a must that you wear vintage-looking Viking jewelry– there are some people who prefer to have shiny metals instead. What’s more, you can mix up the different metals too.

If you’re going to make something elaborate, you will need carving tools where you can create intricate symbols in the metal sheet. Alternatively, you can look for those that have already been made or get something to do that for you. You can then use arts and crafts practices to piece the parts together. With the beads and string, you can also make some fantastic pendants. If the beads are simple, you can get pain and draw symbols on them.

Additional material

The great thing about Viking jewelry is that you’re not limited to runes, beads, and metals. There is evidence that they also used minerals and gemstones in jewelry-making. They include rock crystal, amethyst, amber, garnet, and colored glass beads. The great thing about all these materials is you can glue them to the metal with ease. If you want to add a modern twist to your jewelry, you can incorporate quality leather. Be mindful of how you treat it, though, so that it doesn’t give out to wear and tear before its time.

If you want to go vintage, you can do what the poor did and make jewelry from bones. The good thing is you don’t have to use your dinner’s leftover; there are plenty of shops that sell bone-look alike beads made from plastic. You can weave these together using string or leather to make whatever artifact you want to make. To all the ideas we’ve looked at, you can consider intertwining the wires, leather, or whatever piece that you’re using to add an exciting dimension to your jewelry.

Wrap up

Making Viking jewelry, whether for yourself or an arts and crafts project you’re doing with your kids, is a fun way to appreciate the era they come from. You can get in touch with what the people from this ancient civilization wore and what they signified.


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