In light of the husband and I putting together our joint craft room / office space in one of our spare bedrooms this past week, i decided it was time to get to work on the crafts, utilizing my new organized space, which i love. We went to our local Ikea & each bought a table and a matching shelf unit, giving him space for his computer stuff & me room for my sewing machine & hundreds of random loose fabrics, notions, etc. As i went through my pieces i realized that i have way too much unused stuff waiting to be turned into something great, so i decided to make this super quick & super easy necklace.
DIY Industrial Inspired Necklace
If anyone else out there is a relatively avid crafter then you have probably been to your local Michaels' store & seen the fantastic collection of charms called Industrial Chic. This line features industry-inspired pieces, mixing a hint of vintage with urban. While $5 charms don't seem like a giant amount to pay for something, when you need 20 charms or so, you're paying quite a bit for these unique little pieces. What i have found when perusing the charms is that they are replicas of many things already found in my house. Now, as a teen i grew up in my grandfather's house, & he had an entire room dedicated to tools & wood carving & all kinds of stuff, so there was a plethora of screws & nails & little metal pieces that could be made into charms, & i've been making this type of jewelry on a smaller scale since then.
Now, i was able to collect things around the house & from my former work to use in this particular piece. One warning, though: Many pieces found around the house & at jobs are not for sensitive skin! Please make sure you have no allergies or bad reactions to the kinds of metals you may be handling before attempting this project.
So, without further ado:
You will need
Random found pieces (buttons, small hinges, nuts, washers, keychain rings, bits of chain etc)
Cord (Cotton, hemp, leather, anything that can be knotted)
My collection of pieces. i also incorporated pieces of old broken jewelry, & a ring i found at work a long time ago, & an old earring whose partner has been lost forever. A great way to reinvent & recycle old jewelry!
DIY Industrial Inspired Necklace
If anyone else out there is a relatively avid crafter then you have probably been to your local Michaels' store & seen the fantastic collection of charms called Industrial Chic. This line features industry-inspired pieces, mixing a hint of vintage with urban. While $5 charms don't seem like a giant amount to pay for something, when you need 20 charms or so, you're paying quite a bit for these unique little pieces. What i have found when perusing the charms is that they are replicas of many things already found in my house. Now, as a teen i grew up in my grandfather's house, & he had an entire room dedicated to tools & wood carving & all kinds of stuff, so there was a plethora of screws & nails & little metal pieces that could be made into charms, & i've been making this type of jewelry on a smaller scale since then.
Now, i was able to collect things around the house & from my former work to use in this particular piece. One warning, though: Many pieces found around the house & at jobs are not for sensitive skin! Please make sure you have no allergies or bad reactions to the kinds of metals you may be handling before attempting this project.
So, without further ado:
You will need
Random found pieces (buttons, small hinges, nuts, washers, keychain rings, bits of chain etc)
Cord (Cotton, hemp, leather, anything that can be knotted)
My collection of pieces. i also incorporated pieces of old broken jewelry, & a ring i found at work a long time ago, & an old earring whose partner has been lost forever. A great way to reinvent & recycle old jewelry!
I used cotton cord because.... it's what i had! You can also use a chain, but i made this necklace specifically for people who don't make jewelry regularly-- who don't have the necessary tools to cut jewelry chain. You could even use ribbon for a more feminine touch.
How to!
1. Gather your pieces
2. Cut a length of cord about twice as long as you wish the necklace to be
How to!
1. Gather your pieces
2. Cut a length of cord about twice as long as you wish the necklace to be
3. Attach each piece by sliding it onto the cord, tying a knot to hold it in place. Make sure you secure it, leaving enough cord to fit a little over halfway around your neck, at least.
Knotting creates small spaces between the "charms," but to create a more cluttered look, you can slide the pieces on between the knots, making them closer together. Knotting will also shorten your cord enough to make it long enough, once finished, to fit around your neck comfortably.
4. Once finished with your pieces, you should be able to knot the necklace around your neck. i knotted mine where the extra cord meets the charms, to create another piece of texture. Cord knots are typically adjustable, so you should have no problem taking it on & off. Have fun!
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