Costume jewelry designers get their inspiration from many places, including animals, nature, and fashion. While some costume jewelry is thought to be gaudy, many designers choose to go the route of designing less flashy pieces that can be worn every day with several different outfits.A costume jewelry designer creates relatively inexpensive pieces of jewelry that almost anyone of any income level can afford. Instead of using expensive materials that a typical jewelry designer may use, a costume jewelry designer may use materials such as faux pearls and glass. Some designers work with only a few materials while others use a variety.