Sunday 4 September 2011

Tutorial: Everything Necklace

Got a box or drawer filled with ‘miscellanous’ items? You know the one—filled with keys that no longer have a partner lock, beads and charms left over from old projects, little bits of chain and buttons that fell off clothes so long ago you don’t even have those clothes anymore. 


 
This is a project great for using up those surplus items to create a statement necklace!
Although time-consuming, this project turns out a really eye-catching accessory; I never fail to gain compliments when I wear mine!

I’m calling it an ‘Everything Necklace’, because it pretty much used everything I could think of that was suitable for necklace-making!

Want one of your own? Go get your box or drawer, turn it out, and check out this how-to.


Time needed: 3-4 hours

You’ll need:
Lots of split rings, assorted sizes (I really mean lots)
Several metres of chain, different styles
Three clasps
Head pins and/or eye pins
Whatever beads, charms, etc you have--I used everything from old charms from childhood necklaces to beads to safety pins and paper clips!


1. Decide on your colour scheme and get together chain, beads, etc to match. I opted for black and silver since I have a lot of bits and pieces in those colours!



2. Cut three 4.5 inch lengths of chain and attach jump rings and clasps thus:
A. Clasp on each end
B. Jump ring on each end
C. Clasp on one end, jump ring on the opposite end

(If you want your necklace to be longer than the one in the picture, cut longer pieces of chain for lengths B and C)



3. Connect the chains together with the clasps to make a triangle, length A at the bottom.



4. Add a 2 inch piece of chain to either side of the necklace. Connect another length of chain between these pieces, beneath length A.



5. Fill up the space between the two 2 inch chains. I added one length of chain for each link in the 2 inch lengths.


6. Use split rings at random places to join the neighbouring lengths together, creating a chain net. I used around 1 split ring for each inch of chain.


7. Add on your bits and pieces until the chain net is completely covered!

In some cases, I attached charms directly to the chain net (using jump rings), in other cases I cut random lengths of chain and added things to them before connecting the chain to the necklace. I also threaded beads onto safety pins and created chains of pins and paper clips. Sometimes I used safety pins to join things onto the necklace, too.

Here’s a list of what I used to decorate my necklace:
Beads
Charms
Small metal pendants
Tiny old coin
Small keys
Paper clips
Safety pins
Large flat-backed gems/rhinestones
Buttons
Embellishment from a Christmas cracker
Chain
Pleather cord
Broken ring base
Pieces of broken necklace

9. Wear your necklace out and soak in the compliments :)


Will be linking up at the awesome link parties in the sidebar!

UndertheTableandDreaming

6 comments:

  1. Oh I'm loving your everything necklace... thanks for the tutorial, this is definitely a fun project I'll have to indulge in! I have 'everything' and making a little bit of my everythings into Fab Boho Jewelry would be so much fun! *Winks*

    Thanks for stopping by my Nostalgic Photo Post... you really should make a fun day out of helping your Dad to wade through his Photographs and Sentimental Objects to compile those Family History Albums! I only wish I'd spent the time doing that with my Dad and Aunt while they were still on this side of Time and Eternity... alas, I did not... hindsightis 20-20... don't have the same regret my Friend!

    Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

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  2. I absolutely love your necklace. So imaginative! I'm sure you do get a ton of compliments.

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  3. Wow, this is amazing. What a great use of those cast away items. Love it!

    Pinning this on pinterest. :)

    Cheers,
    Tracy Screaming Sardine

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  4. Great tutorial of your fabulous necklace! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing it at the Tuesday To Do Party last week! Can't wait to see what you link up this week!
    Smiles!
    Jami
    www.blackberryvine.blogspot.com

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  5. This is great! I love it! Love that it is so full- very unique!! I would love it if you would link this up to my Ta-Da Tuesday Link Party!!! http://mommybydaycrafterbynight.blogspot.com/2011/09/ta-da-tuesday-link-party-4.html

    xoxo, Ashley J

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  6. Brilliant. I've got more stuff than I care to admit that would be perfect for something like this.

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Reading all your sweet comments makes me happy! :) I appreciate each and every one and try to reply to all that I can!

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