DIY Copper Beaded Chain Necklace & Blog Hop

Today I have a cute new necklace tutorial to share with a fun twist!

This cute copper necklace features a variety of bead types sandwiched between different layers of chunky copper chain to create a fun and stylish statement piece.

I really love how this necklace turned out and I think it's extra special because I had some special inspiration behind this necklace...

This project was part of a fun design challenge that the Cousin Creative Circle Ambassadors decided to do! Dawn selected a variety of beads and supplies to give to each ambassador to create whatever we wanted with.  Each of us ambassadors have very difference design styles so it should be really interesting to see what everyone else will make! Here are the supplies we were each given to work with, all are from Cousin Corporation of America and can be found on their retail site Prima Bead or at most of your local craft chains.

I immediately gravitated towards some of the smaller beads that had some sparkle.  I decided to stretch myself and ONLY use beads I was sent for this project, and luckily Dawn picked out a good variety so it's wasn't hard to make a cute project with them.

Here is a step by step tutorial to make my necklace!

Grab some small round stone beads and copper eye pins along with needle nose pliers, round nose pliers and wire cutters.

Thread the stone beads onto the eye pins

Bend the wire 90 degrees with needle nose pliers directly above the beads

Trim the wire tail with wire cutters to about a half inch length

Grasp the end of the wire tail with round nose pliers and bend back around into a loop

Next, cut two lengths of copper chain the same length.

Use needle nose pliers to attach a stone bead link onto the third link on one piece of chain

Alternating links, attach stone beads all the way across the piece of chain

Use pliers again to attach the other end of the beaded links to the other copper chain

This will make the first layer of your necklace

Make more beaded links repeating the above process with some small flat crystal beads

Use needle nose pliers to attach these links to the second piece of chain in the empty alternating chain links

Cut another piece of chain and attach the other end of the crystal links to the new chain piece

Your necklace should now have two layers and lay like this:

Connect the last link of the third chain piece to the last link of the second chain piece for a more cohesive look.  Do this for both sides of the necklace.

Create another layer on your necklace by making more links with bugle shaped crystal beads and attaching them onto the third piece of chain again in the empty alternating chain links.

Cut a forth piece of chain to attach to the other end of the bugle bead chain links.  Connect the ends of this chain back up to the third piece of chain again using jump rings on either end.

Now, you could stop here but I wanted one more slightly different layer to the necklace.  Make a bunch of beaded charms using some crystal rondelle beads by threading them onto a head pin and creating a simple loop on top.

Thread this simple loop on each bead charm onto the SAME link on the fourth piece of chain that the bottom end of the bugle bead links are connected to.

Squeeze each link shut with needle nose pliers and repeat across the entire length of the fourth chain like so:

Now that the beaded "bib" portion of the necklace is completed, we just need to add some chain on each end! Cut two piece of copper chain and attach each to the first piece of chain you cut on either end using jump rings.

Use two more jump rings to attach a clasp to the other end of the chain pieces.

After the clasp is on and connected your necklace is done!

Sometimes when I make jewelry projects for the blog I set the piece aside to eventually sell or gift to someone...not the case with this necklace.  As soon as I made it I knew it would fit perfectly in my own personal collection. I just love how it looks on! I feel like I could wear it with a bunch of different outfits.

This piece definitely shows my own personal style but is a little different from something I would normally make.  That's the fun part of letting someone else pick out the supplies for you to work with, you are forced to get a little extra creative to make something work!

So now you know what I made....

But what about everyone else??? The creative inspiration doesn't stop here! Be sure to hop over to the other fabulous ambassador blogs to see what everyone else made with the same supplies!

Allison Cooling of Quiet Lion Creations

Dawn Doucette of Bella Amore

Shelly Owen of Raziela's Rant

Rachel Nielsen of Adventures of a DIY Mom

Molly Alexander of Beautifully Broken Me

Carolina Moore of 30 Minute Crafts
Lisa Crone of A Bead a Day