How to Make Bullet Casing Jewelry: A Step-by-Step Guide for Crafters and Designers

There's a look to bullet casing jewelry you can't fake — real brass, real weight, and a little bit of edge that mass-produced findings never quite match. Whether you're making your very first piece or building out a product line to sell, spent shell casings are one of the most rewarding materials a crafter or jewelry designer can work with. This guide walks you through exactly how to make bullet casing jewelry from start to finish: the supplies you'll need, three beginner-friendly projects (a pendant, a pair of earrings, and a resin bullet slice design), and the finishing touches that separate a homemade piece from something you'd be proud to sell.

A quick note on the material

Everything you'll work with here is inert and spent — empty, once-fired brass with no live primer and no powder. These aren't functional cartridges; they're craft stock, plain and simple. That matters for two reasons. First, peace of mind: you're handling a finished, safe material the whole way through. Second, quality — clean, uniform, professionally sorted casings give you consistent results, which is exactly what you want if you're making matched sets or selling your work. Every casing and slice we carry arrives ready to craft with.

What you'll need

You don't need a full jeweler's bench to get started. A basic kit covers most of what follows:

• Spent brass casings or bullet slices — your main material. Popular calibers for jewelry include 9mm, .45 ACP, .38 Special, and .223/5.56, plus nickel casings when you want a bright silver tone instead of gold-brass.
• A rotary tool (like a Dremel) or a small hand drill with fine metal bits — for making the hole a jump ring passes through. (You can skip this entirely with pre-drilled casings — more on that below.)
• Jewelry pliers — round-nose and chain-nose are the two workhorses.
• Jump rings, bails, ear wires, chain, and cord — the findings that turn a casing into a wearable piece.
• A small file or fine sandpaper — to smooth any burrs after drilling.
• Strong adhesive — E6000 or a two-part epoxy for gluing bails or setting stones.
• Optional: jewelry resin, colorants, glitter, and small charms — for filling bullet slices and open casings.
• A polishing cloth or brass cleaner — to bring up the shine.
• Safety basics — eye protection when drilling, and good ventilation when working with resin or adhesive.

If drilling into metal sounds intimidating, it's the one step you can design around completely. Our pre-drilled bullet shells for jewelry come ready with a clean hole already placed, so you can go straight to attaching a jump ring — the single easiest way for a beginner to make bullet jewelry without any power tools at

Project 1: A bullet casing pendant or necklace

This is the classic first project, and it's genuinely simple.

1. Pick and polish your casing. Choose a caliber with a look you like — a longer rifle casing makes a bold statement piece, while a 9mm or .38 sits nicely as an everyday pendant. Give it a quick polish with a cloth so the brass catches the light.
2. Make the hanging point. If you're using a pre-drilled casing, you're already set. Otherwise, drill a small hole near the open mouth or through the rim, then run a file around the edge to remove any sharp burr.
3. Attach a jump ring. Open a jump ring with your pliers, or a fish hook, depending on where you made the hole, thread or insert it through the hole, and close it snugly.
4. Add your chain or cord. Slide the jump ring onto a chain, leather cord, or ball chain, and you've got a finished necklace.

Design tip: For a front-facing pendant that shows off the headstamp, skip the drilling and instead glue a flat bail to the back of the casing with E6000. Let it cure fully before hanging.

Project 2: Bullet casing earrings

Bullet casing earrings are one of the most popular pieces to make and to sell, partly because they come together fast and partly because they photograph beautifully as a matched pair.

1. Choose two matching casings. Lighter, shorter calibers — 9mm, .380, or .45 — keep the earrings comfortable to wear. Matching headstamps make the pair look intentional.
2. Add the hole and jump ring. Drill (or use pre-drilled casings), deburr, and attach a small jump ring to each.
3. Attach the ear wires. Open the loop on a fish-hook or lever-back ear wire, hook it through the jump ring, and close it.
4. Optional flair. Add a tiny crystal dangle, a bead, or a drop of colored resin inside the casing primer pocket for a pop of color.

That's it — a complete pair of bullet shell earrings in under fifteen minutes once you've done it a couple of

Project 3: Bullet slice jewelry with resin

If you want the design that consistently turns heads, this is it. A bullet slice is a thin cross-section cut from a casing, revealing the concentric rings of brass — a naturally striking little frame that's practically made for resin work. Slices are the foundation of some of the most sought-after bullet jewelry designs, and they're what a lot of professional makers build their lines around.

1. Start with a slice. Our brass bullet slices come in a range of calibers, and you'll also find mixed options among our bullet slices for jewelry. Slices are available solid, pre-drilled, or deprimed (with the primer pocket removed) depending on the look you're after.
2. Fill the center with resin. Mix a small batch of clear jewelry resin, then pour it into the open center of the slice. This is where you get creative — tint it with a drop of color, drop in glitter or a tiny charm, embed a small photo, or even set a birthstone.
3. Cure and finish. Let the resin set fully, then attach a jump ring through a pre-drilled slice or glue on a bail.

Designer's trick: With a deprimed slice, that empty primer pocket becomes a ready-made setting. Seat a small crystal or rhinestone into it, or wire-wrap the slice for an entirely different, more intricate style. It's a small detail that reads as high-end craftsmanship.

Bracelets, zipper pulls, and beyond

Jewelry doesn't stop at necklaces and earrings. Bullet casing beads string right onto cord, wire, or paracord — perfect for a rustic bracelet, a zipper pull, or a lanyard. They're a great way to use the same brass-and-nickel palette across a whole coordinated collection rather than a single piece.

Finishing touches that make your work look professional

Small details are what elevate a piece from "homemade" to "handmade":

• Polish before you assemble, not after — it's far easier to shine a bare casing than a finished piece with findings in the way. Most brass polishes work well.
• Match your metals. Pair brass casings with gold-tone findings and nickel casings with silver-tone ear wires and chain for a cohesive look.
• Deburr every drilled hole. A snagged thread or a scratched neckline is the fastest way to lose a repeat customer.
• Seal your resin with a light coat if you want extra gloss and durability.

Turning your bullet jewelry into a business

Plenty of makers who start with a single pendant end up selling their work — and finished bullet jewelry (earrings, necklaces, bracelets) is widely welcomed on the marketplaces even in categories where raw components can be restricted. Popular sellers lean into a theme: rustic and western styles, patriotic red-white-and-blue sets, memorial pieces, or personalized designs tied to a customer's caliber of choice for a wedding, a gift for a veteran, or an anniversary. If you're building a line, working from consistent, well-sorted supplies is what lets you reproduce a design reliably order after order.

Where to get your supplies

Every project above starts with the right raw material. If you're ready to begin, our brass bullet slices are the best place to start for resin and pendant designs, and the pre-drilled bullet shells for jewelry are the fastest on-ramp if you'd rather skip the drilling entirely. Everything ships inert, spent, and ready to craft.

Frequently asked questions

Is bullet casing jewelry legal to make and sell?
Yes. The casings used for jewelry are inert and spent — empty brass with no live primer or powder — so they're treated as a craft material, and finished bullet jewelry is widely sold on major marketplaces. (This is general information, not legal advice; if you plan to sell, it's always worth a quick check of the specific policies on whichever platform you use.)

Do I have to drill the casings myself?
No. Pre-drilled casings and pre-drilled slices let you skip the drilling and go straight to assembly, which makes them ideal for beginners or for anyone producing in volume.

What caliber works best for jewelry?
It depends on the piece. Smaller calibers like 9mm, .380, and .22 make comfortable earrings; larger rifle and pistol casings make bolder pendants; and slices work for flat, resin-friendly designs in almost any size.

What is a bullet slice, exactly?
It's a thin cross-section cut from a casing that shows the headstamp in a circular frame. Slices are a favorite for resin jewelry because the open center gives you a natural little dish to fill and decorate.

Are the casings safe to handle?
Yes — they're fully inert and spent, with no live components. You're working with finished brass, the same as any other craft metal.

Can a complete beginner really do this?
Absolutely. Start with pre-drilled casings, a handful of jump rings, and a pair of pliers, and you can make your first bullet shell jewelry the same afternoon — no special skills required.