JCrew-Inspired Necklace Tutorial (and the Basics of Jewelry Making!)

Here is my latest little jewelry love!

It was inspired by this little pretty at JCrew:

I thought it would be a perfect little necklace to introduce some of the basics of jewelry making to those of you who have been asking about that! I'm sorry it's taken so long!

Like any craft, there are endless tools, supplies, and techniques that can be used for jewelry making. But so far, I rarely use anything other than needle-nose pliers, wire cutters, and these few supplies;

Chains and clasps:

Delicious beads, and vintage buttons and pendants:

And the "boring" hardware; Eyepins, headpins, and jumprings:

These three are all for attaching your beads and things to your chain, and can be purchased at a craft store (or even Walmart!) for very little. If you take a close look at the jewelry you have, you will probably recognize some of them!

Today we're mostly using eyepins, because we're attaching something on either side of our bead, but if you're designing a necklace with dangling beads, you would use a head pin instead, as pictured here:

Ok! Let's get started with our necklace! You'll want to get a simple 18" chain, and a clasp, if it doesn't already have one attached (again, you can purchase these at a craft store, or Walmart, if you don't have one on hand), 7 large pearl beads, 8 small pearl beads, and a 1/2" wide ribbon in your color choice.

1: Start by slipping one large pearl onto an eyepin, and clipping it about 1/2" from the top of the pearl with wire cutters.

2: Using your needle-nose pliers, grasp the very top of the clipped eyepin firmly, and turn the pliers over twice, to bend the eyepin into a circle. Then bend the bottom of the circle back a little, to form a hook shape (3rd photo). Repeat for 2 more large pearls.

3: Do the same thing, but threading 1 small pearl, then 1 large, then another small one, and repeat to make 4 sets of the three pearls.

4: Snip the link in the very center of your chain with your wire cutters. Then grab a single pearl, open the hook on one end slightly with your pliers, by twisting it to the side, and loop one of the ending links of the chain onto it. Then close, by bending your hook back into place (be sure that the hook is closed all the way!). Repeat for the hook on the other side of your pearl, so that your chain is intact again, with a pearl in the center.

5: Starting from your center pearl, measure 1.5" away, and snip another link. Add a 3-pearl accent using the same method as in step 4. Repeat, measuring 1.5" each time, to add another single, and 3-pearl accent.

6: Repeat on the other side of your center pearl.

7: Add a clasp, if necessary, by opening the loop on the end, and threading the ending chain link onto it, then close with your pliers. Add a jumpring to the other end of the chain.

8: Then tie three small bows onto your chain; the first right above the first pearl accent on one side, the second, right next to the center pearl accent, and the third, between the first two pearl accents on the other side. I gave mine a few securing stitches with a needle and thread.

Enjoy!!

I love the simplicity and femininity of this necklace.

It's not flashy at all, but I think it may be one of my favorites!

So I hope that gives you a little motivation to try some jewelry making! It's really not very complicated at all, for the most part. But I must warn you, that it is a little tedious, and your neck can really start to hurt after a while! :o)

P.S. the necklace from JCrew is actually 36" long, so to make one just like it, you'll need to get a longer chain, or add two together, and add more pearl accents.

Oh, and P.P.S. I'm so blown away by how many of you enjoyed the last two posts! I feel so encouraged, I'm just beaming! :o) Thank you all!!