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How to... Repurpose an old necklace

I know I spend a lot of time trying to make you all buy things from my Folksy shop but I’m aware that perhaps some of you are thinking “I could do that”. Well yes you can! And to help you out, here’s a quick tutorial for an easy way to rework an old bead necklace into something fabulous.

You will need: A pearl necklace about 25 inches long
Four lengths of chain, ranging from 14 to 16 inches long
A pair of clip on earrings
Jump rings
Two lengths of grosgrain ribbon, about 28 inches each
Scissors
Bent nosed pliers

TIP – This is a good way to use old, broken necklace chains. Mix with new chain bought from a craft shop if you don’t have enough.


Fold the pearl necklace in half. If there is a clasp, use this as one end. Open a jump ring and place around the string at one of the folded ends.


Thread the ends of all four pieces of chain through the jump ring...


...and close. Repeat on the other side. You should now have the main body of your necklace.


Using jump rings, catch through one chain and attach it to the string of the necklace to form a loop. Repeat for the other four chains. The chains may get tangled up – don’t worry, this just adds to the effect. Aim to make four to six loops, equally spaced along the necklace, depending on how simple or how tangled you want your finished necklace to look.


Tie the ribbon around the necklace and chains at one end, using the knot to cover the jump rings. Repeat on the other side.


Open one clip on earring. Push the clip through the knot in the ribbon. You may have to loosen it slightly.


Once the clip is through, make sure the knot is tight again and close the earring. Fix in place with a dot of superglue, if necessary.



Tie the ribbon so the necklace is long enough to slip over your head.

Sadly I don't have a picture of the finished product as the magazine this tutorial was commissioned for neither paid me as they were contracted to do, nor returned the necklace which had been sent to them to photograph on a model. But hopefully you will get some idea of how cute it is from these pics!


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Designer Necklaces said…
Very nice Designer Necklaces. It looks very smart and trendy in the metallic finish.
5 December 2012 at 05:44
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