A DIY Statement Necklace That Wows

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Photography by: Lisa Anderson Shaffer

This project is a collaboration with my friend Lisa Shaffer of Zelma Rose. We decided to do a craft project together because a huge part of being an entrepreneur is engaging with our community and fellow artisans. I feel very lucky to have met Lisa at a craft show; we bonded instantly as we talked about our triumphs and struggles as artists, makers, and entrepreneurs. As she puts it, “we became instant best friends.”

Lisa makes amazing embroidered necklaces as well as fun bow ties and pocket squares. Like me, she is always coming up with new ideas. We are both creative souls who are constantly looking to learn and do new things. While sharing our stories, we had the idea to combine our creative minds and dream up a fun project to try together.

With our love of vibrant prints, a similar design aesthetic, and lots of laughter leading the way, we created this fun DIY statement necklace that you can do in just 90 minutes. Give it a try and you will be looking like a fashion-forward femme fatale in no time.

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Photography by: Lisa Anderson Shaffer

Materials:

  • 90 minutes
  • At least 1 yard of fabric
  • Scissors
  • Iron
  • Wood beads — we used 1-inch and 3/4-inch beads but you can choose any size you like
  • Embroidery thread
  • Sewing needle

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Photography by: Lisa Anderson Shaffer

Step 1:

Cut your fabric into strips. For 1-inch beads the fabric needs to be 2.5 inches wide. For the 3/4-inch beads the fabric needs to be 2 inches wide. All strips should be no shorter than 30 inches. The length of the strip determines how long your necklace will be.

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Photography by: Lisa Anderson Shaffer

Step 2:

With a hot iron, create a 1/4-inch hem on both sides of your fabric strip.

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Photography by: Lisa Anderson Shaffer

Step 3:

This is the fun part! To add your first bead, find the center of your fabric strip by folding it in half lengthwise. Next, place your first bead in the center of the fabric strip and wrap the fabric entirely around the bead. Once the bead is completely covered in fabric you will secure both ends with embroidery thread. Put your needle through the fabric to secure it tight, wrap it around several times, and then knot it at the end. You will repeat this step until all your beads are covered.

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Photography by: Lisa Anderson Shaffer

Step 4:

To finish the necklace, tie the remaining loose fabric into knots and then knot both sides together. You can also cut the remaining loose fabric into 3 strips to braid and then knot it at the end. We did both.

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Photography by: Lisa Anderson Shaffer

Your necklace is complete and ready to wear!

Happy crafting!
Lisa + Madeline

 

Shop Madeline Trait’s Products in The Martha Stewart American Made Market!

SOURCE:http://www.marthastewart.com/1095259/diy-statement-necklace