Tutorial: Ethnic Disc Necklace

After an inspiring trip to Accessorize, I rummaged through my crafting drawers and came up with this:

£0, me

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Despite the distinctive style, this ethnic disc necklace will compliment all kinds of outfits and occasions--be it with a bikini on a beach in St Tropez, jeans and a tee at a barbecue or worn with an evening dress!

The inspiration is Accessorize’s ‘Embossed Disc Collar Necklace’:

 £14, Accessorize

My version cost me very little since it was all stuff I had to hand. The coins I used were given to me by a friend (along with the ones I used in my Gothic Comedy Scarf). The thick chain was an old belt and the other chains were bought fairly cheaply too (these are project leftovers)

Everything else was pilfered from the remains of my parents’ jewellery-making supplies!

 

Read on for a how-to.

Time needed: 1-2 hours

You’ll need:

Chain (three widths/types)

Beads (I used 15)

Spacer beads (if appropriate)

Metal disks/coins (two with a hole at top and bottom)

2 connectors (preferably 3-hole)

Jump rings

Clasp

Side cutters

Round-nose pliers

Flat-nose pliers

1. Since I only had 4-hole connectors, I cut the centre hole from one side of the connectors. You might need to do the same if you have the same issue as me!

2. Slide your beads onto eye pins, between spacer beads if necessary. I used spacers because the holes in the spiral beads were so big they slipped over the eye pins! Bend the tops of the eye pins over into loops and cut off the excess 

 

3. Cut a 5.5 inch (approx) length of your thickest chain and a 7 inch (approx) length of the thinner chain. Fix the beads evenly between the two lengths of chain. Make the spaces on the thinner, bottom chain a little bigger than the top chain so that the necklace curves a little.

4. Attach the coins/disks to the thinner chain

5. Use jump rings to fix the main section of the necklace to the connectors. On the single-loop end, attach the coins/disks with the two holes. I ended up making an extra hole in the bottom of two of my coins/disks because I didn’t have anything more appropriate! 

6. Cut two equal lengths of your third chain (I used 5 inches each side) and fix them to the top of the coins with jump rings. Add on a clasp and you’re done!


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