Youtube tutorial videos and marthastewart.com has some great jewelry craft/beading ideas.

and buy good quality tools.

Once you learn the basics you can teach yourself other things, but it is much easier to learn the basics when someone shows you in person.

I've taken jewelry making and silversmithing classes at my local community college. It's a great way to get started and use some of the equipment that you can't afford or don't want to buy at first. I did the same with furniture making. No way would I have had access to all the machinery needed to build a table otherwise.