Anthropologie Suede Choker Knock-Off Necklace

Choker necklaces are all the rage right now and even though whenever I think of chokers I immediately think of being back in 6th grade wearing those stretchy black tattoo style chokers, I figured it was about time I hopped on the band wagon to DIY my own version.  For my first choker project I decided to make something a little more grown up then what I used to sport in sixth grade though...and what is more classy/grown-up than a knock off from Anthropologie?

This Beaded Suede Necklace on the left from Anthropologie originally retailed for $68 and I was able to quickly and easily make my version for less than $20!

Thank goodness my fashion sense has also improved since I was in sixth grade! Instead of pairing my choker with a GAP sweatshirt, glittery white eye-shadow and flare jeans from Limited Too I kept it a little more simple with a black shirt, leggings, and an oversized poncho sweater.

While I did make jewelry back in sixth grade, my skills were not quite as developed as they are now.  This project is so simple however that I think even a sixth grade Rebecca could handle it. With a few simple steps and some basic jewelry making techniques you too can make your own version!

Supplies

Needed to make this necklace are red stone beads, gold rondelle beads, gold spacer beads, suede, beading wire, crimp beads, liquid stitch, jump rings, and various different gold chain pieces. Needed

Steps

Gold Pendant Chain Necklace DIY

This DIY Gold Pendant Chain Necklace is super fashion forward and easy to make with a few simple jewelry making skills. It's a quick project too and can be made in less than two hours!

Some of my jewelry projects are quite time consuming, but this little necklace is much more of an instant gratification project! It can be made in less than two hours: I know because I whipped it up while getting caught up on a few episodes of New Girl ;)

I felt very accomplished making this project from start to finish in one day: it happened on a most lovely Saturday back in September.  I had NO plans for the whole day so I spent the day doing a mix of productive and relaxing things, hah! I made myself get up and run in the morning and even got some meal prep done for the week by roasting some veggies, but then I treated myself by walking into town to get my nails done and then came back to my apartment to turn on New Girl and get crafting!

I love weekends where I have a bunch of fun plans, but throwing in a random empty Saturday here or there again isn't so bad, especially when I get a cute new necklace at the end of it :) If you have a free Saturday or even an evening or afternoon, here is how you can make your own necklace!

Supplies

Gold chain, gold bar pendants, faux clear crystals, large gold round beads, small gold round beads, beading wire, crimp beads, jump rings, clasp, needle nose pliers, wire cutters. My pendant beads are all from the boho jewelry making line at Cousin DIY!
 

Steps

How to Make a Statement Necklace

You can make a glam statement necklace with just a few jewelry making tools, beads and findings. This blue and gold statement necklace looks elegant and complex enough to be sold in a designer store but can easily be made at home with a little bit of patience and a few basic jewelry making steps! 

Friends, I'M BACK! I'm back in the jewelry making business! I recently moved and had limited access to my jewelry making supplies for a few months during the transition.  It feels so good to be settled again with my beads right at my fingertips!

What a better way to celebrate than to share this FABULOUS new tutorial with you all?!? A little bit of bling, a lot of bit of glam, and an overall stunning looking necklace than can be made very easily with a few basic jewelry making techniques!

Seriously, I couldn't think of a better project to share as my come-back jewelry making project. Woot woot! I've already worn it out a few times and have gotten multiple compliments on it and NO ONE believes that I actually made it!

Are you ready to learn how to make your own version? Let's get started!

Easy Gift Packaging Idea using Crystal Charms

Need a cute and quick packaging idea for a simple gift? I have a super simple wrapping idea for you today using charms made with Swarovski® crystals!

I blogged about these charms made with Swarovski® crystals that are available at Michaels stores last week with my DIY Wine Glass Charms but I wanted to share one more idea of how these charms make great little present toppers!

DIY Wine Glass Charms with Swarovski® Crystals

Today's project that I have to share with you all is a real winner because it involves two of my most favorite things in the whole world: beading and WINE!

Ok so technically this isn't really a jewelry making project, but more of just a general craft but it does involve CRYSTALS and it most definitely involves wine. Yup, we are making wine glass charms- whoop, whoop!

I whipped up these cute little wine glass charms after receiving a few of the new charms made with Swarovski® crystals from Cousin Corporation that are now available in Michaels stores!

I was immediately drawn to the pink and clear crystal charm sets because, well, OBVIOUSLY I love pink and sparkles.  I decided to connect the two sets to make a dainty little pair of wine glass charms.  This is pretty much the easiest DIY ever - you can make your own version in only five minutes with very little materials!

DIY Sea Glass Necklace

I posted back in June about the wonderful trip I had down to Florida to visit the headquarters of Cousin Corporation as part of my ambassador program with them! I had so much fun on the trip and I absoltely loved being in Florida, we got to stay at a hotel right on the beach and I loved swimming in the blue water, walking along the ocean, drinking a cocktail from the tiki bar with my toes in the sand...just basically soaking up the whole experience!

I came back from my trip completely inspired to create and decided to make a project with a little beachy flair: this DIY Sea Glass Pendant Necklace!

If you are inspired by the ocean or just need some beautiful cool blue jewelry hues in your life, here is a step by step tutorial for how you can make your own version!

 

Supplies: 

Chain, crystals, pearls,  Sea glass pendants, jump rings, clasp, head pins, assorted other beads

 I used Cousin materials for the chain, crystals and pearls and a few extra beads from my stash. I was lucky enough to have these beautiful sea glass pendants still laying in my stash from when I snatched them up from a local bead show!

Steps:

First step is to make a "Y" shape with your chain and connect in place with a jump ring

After the chain is connected, use wire cutters to snip the two ends apart in the middle of the circle of chain.   Use jump rings and needle nose pliers to attach a lobster claw clasp on one end of the chain and another larger jump ring on the other end.

Finished clasp should look like so:

Now it's time to add some beads onto that chain! Open a large jump ring and secure it into the the top hole of the largest sea glass pendant

Attached the large jump ring onto the bottom "Y" of the chain using a small jump ring

Repeat this process for the two other pendants, attaching one to the middle of the Y chain and one where the chain intersects with the chain pieces. 

Next it's time to make some beaded charms! String on your crystals, pearls, and other assorted beads onto head pins.  Use needle nose pliers to bend the wire back 90 degrees directly above the bead. Use wire cutters to trim off the excess wire tail, leaving only about half inch tail left.  Use round nose pliers to bend the wire tail back around to form a loop.

Attach these charms to the chain equally spaced out between the sea glass pendants like so:

When all of your beads are attached, the necklace is done!

I just love this necklace, it's much more simple than many of the necklaces I typically make but the sea glass beads are so smooth and calm, I like letting them really stay the focal point of the necklace and keeping everything else simple!

If only I could just fly back to Florida pronto to be able to wear it back on the beach!! There may be no more grand plans to Florida anytime soon, but at least wearing this back home will remind me of the beauty I was able to experience while I was there!

DIY Rose Gold Crystal Necklace

Jewelry making is still my favorite craft and thing to do in my down-time, but lately it just seems like I don't have a ton of down-time at my disposal to get beading!! Sometimes I need an excuse to find some time to force myself into my craft room to create, so when a special friend asked if I could make a necklace for her sister's graduation, it was hard to say no to her!  I documented the process along the way so I can share the tutorial with you all as well!

My friend only requested that the jewelry be made with rose gold and that her sister had a bit of boho/hippie style. I don't consider myself super hippie (unless we are talking about my actual hips, because then I would classify myself as slightly hippy hah) but pink was one of the sister's favorite colors so I thought I could make an easy-going chain necklace with some pink crystals!

I think the necklace turned out really cute: the pink crystals make it nice and girly but the long style and basic design give off an easy-going/boho vibe!

Supplies:
Needed to make this necklace are Rose gold jump rings, rose gold clasp, rose gold chain, head pins, 4mm crystals, 6mm crystals, 24 gauge wire

Steps:

String a 6mm crystal onto a headpin

Use needle nose pliers to bend the headpin back 90 degrees directly above the head pin

Use wire cutters to trim off all but about a half inch tail from the head pin

Grab the end of the tail with round nose pliers and bend back around into a simple loop

Attach a jump ring onto the end of a length of chain and then start attaching the crystal charms onto the chain with needle nose pliers

I made my crystal chain about 2 1/2 inches long. I attached a crystal to every chain link and then added three more crystals onto the existing crystals links to give it a little more body.

String your crystal dangle onto a piece of chain around 3 inches long

Cut a short piece of wire using wire cutters

Thread the wire through the end of your piece of chain and bend the wire into a small loop



Grasp the loop using needle nose pliers and create a wire wrapped loop by straightening out the long wire tail and wrapping the shorter tail around it a few times

Trim off any extra wire on the small tail using wire cutters

String a 4mm crystal onto the wire and then use round nose pliers to bend the other wire end into a loop

Wrap this loop closed as well to finish the link

Repeat this process to build the length of your necklace chain

After you have reached your desired length, you can attach a clasp on the end!

Use jump rings and needle nose pliers to attach a clasp to the chain ends

After your clasp is attached you necklace is ready to be worn!

So wear it I did! Just real quick before shipping it off to it's new owner :)

I think it turned out really cute, too bad I didn't make one for myself! Ah well, I will have to use it as an excuse to get into my craft room again!!