Ian and I were waiting for Lens Crafters to finish making his glasses last Sunday, so we were walking around the mall. Express was having a big sale, and miraculously, this tea dress that I fell in love with 3 months ago was there. Originally, it was $90, and I don't pay that much for clothes... but at the sale they had one left in my size for $25! I was so excited. But then... I didn't have a necklace to match it! So, I decided to make one...
Some women love shoes... I love jewelry. Unfortunately, it can be an expensive habit to maintain, so I've turned to making my own jewelry instead. The instructions for making an easy (and cheap!) necklace below will allow you to make a necklace on a gold or silver chain with whatever beads you choose... so yours may not look like mine. Here is what you will need (I recommend Hobby Lobby for this, but any craft store should have some variety).
Supplies:
Beads of your choosing... look at the hole size to make sure it will fit the chain you use.
Crimp Beads. They come in various sizes, choose a small or medium variety. Again, compare the hole size to the chain you pick out.
Jewelry Hardware... Pliers, Wire Cutters, and Needle Nose Pliers. You will only need the first two for this project. These are the mini size, which I prefer because jewelry parts can be tiny. I got this for $5 by using this coupon: http://www.hobbylobby.com/weekly/coupon.cfm . Both Hobby Lobby and Michael's usually have a 40% off coupon on the internet. Google it and save!
Open ended necklace. This variety is the easiest to work with, and it's called Slide-A-Bead. If you can't find it... no worries, I'll show you the traditional clasp style in a minute.
Instructions for Slide-A-Bead Chain:
1. Decide an order for your beads, and then string them on your chain:
2. Slide a crimp bead on the end of the chain.
3. Use your pliers to clamp down and squish it flat near the end (right past the part that slides into the tube to clasp the necklace) to keep the beads from sliding off.
4. That's it! Enjoy!
Instructions for Traditional Clasp Chain:
1. Decide an order for your beads, and then string them on your chain.2. Thread the open end of the chain through the hole in the middle of the oyster-like crimp bead cover. If the chain is longer than you want your necklace to be, feel free to pull more or less chain through.
3. Slide a crimp bead where you want it, and use your pliers to clamp it flat. Then, use your wire cutters to cut off the extra chain.
4. Let the flat crimp bead sit in the oyster-like crimp bead cover, and use your pliers to close the oyster. Be gentle! I broke one by clamping it too hard.
5. You're done! Enjoy your necklace!
Extra Info:
1. Beads (and crafting supplies in general) can get expensive quickly! Michael's, Jo Ann's, and Hobby Lobby run sales quite often, so Google the store's weekly specials before you go. Everything I used for this project was at least 50% off.
2. It doesn't take very many beads to make this project, so don't over-buy! I had so many extra beads, I decided to make a second necklace to give away! Subscribe to my blog by entering your e-mail in the right side bar, and the 3rd person to subscribe will receive the give-away necklace!
