Skip to main content

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!


Follow
Labels:

Comments

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

Popular posts from this blog

How to make: Suffolk puffs

I love Suffolk puffs (also known as yo yo puffs in America). They're an easy way to make a pretty brooch, are a great embellishment for bags, an easy way to make a pretty scarf by stitching several together and have 101 other uses. Here are just a few ideas...

Headpiece with net and Suffolk puffs by Ark Designs

Christmas puff ball from Maximum Rabbit Designs

Bib necklace with Suffolk puffs from Pom Pom Emporium
The good news is, they genuinely could not be easier to make yourself. Here's how...
You will need: Fabric, thread, needle, scissors, plus embellishments such as cabochons, buttons, ribbon etc.
Step one:

Cut out a circle of fabric approximately twice as large as you would like your finished puff. Tie a knot in the end of your thread, stitch through the fabric a few times to secure, then sew running stitch around the edge of the circle.
Step two:

Gently pull the thread to bring the edges of the circle in together to the centre.
Step three:

Tightly stitch through the fabric in the c…
1 comment
Read more

Review: Hand Lettering A to Z by Abbey Sy

I've been wanting to try my hand at "proper" hand lettering for a while - I often get complimented on my handwriting but when it comes to lettering for journalling or cards I'm never quite as happy with the outcome as I hope to be. So when the lovely folks at Quarto Publishing got in touch with their Autumn catalogue I was thrilled to see how many titles they had on the subject.
Hand Lettering A to Z by Abbey Sy is a gorgeous place to start. Abbey's instagram is absolutely lush (follow here here) and I particularly love her Bangkok photos as we've just returned from there, so I was super excited to be able to have a look at her book. The book takes you through a range of hand drawn fonts, plus has additional chapters on embellishments and a gorgeous gallery of inspiration. See how beautiful? So exciting. I was so excited, in fact, that I totally ignored her advice to get a sharp pencil and a proper table to work at. 'I can do this in front of Netflix can&#…
Post a Comment
Read more

Look! My craft stall!

Well the craft market at the Midsummer Festival this weekend didn't go brilliantly for me thanks to the rain, but lots of people did take business cards so hopefully they will go home and order online from the cosiness of their houses. But look how pretty my stall looked! And all made on a budget of about 50p, proving that you don't need to spend a fortune on display things:



Of course, the highlight for me was lovely Thomas, the Clydesdale horse who had his shoes remade (they were huge!) and gave small children rides up and down Churchgate. He was adorable.




3 comments
Read more