Erin Pruckno - DIY Statement Necklaces: Create Your Own Customizable Jewelry--For Less!

AVON, MASSACHUSETTS

Whether youre in the mood for a little edgy sparkle with the Crystal Spike Necklace from , the DIY necklace projects in this book have got you covered.

Do-it-yourself statement necklaces have never been more popularand with good reason! Jewelry is the easiest way to customize your look and update your wardrobe, and a necklace can be the centerpiece of an outfit, elevating everything from a cocktail dress to your favorite tee-and-jeans combo. When you make your own necklaces, not only can you tailor your necklaces to suit your personality and your clothes, but you can also save money, especially on some of the designer-inspired necklaces in . In addition, seeing a DIY statement necklace through from start to finish is a lot of fun, and a great activity to do with girlfriends or to channel your creativity. Theres also nothing like the feeling of wearing something you made yourself!

In DIY Statement Necklaces, you will find five chapters that teach you everything you need to know about making your own statement necklaces. If youre new to jewelry-making, be sure not to skip , which lays the foundation for the other necklaces by introducing you to some essential techniques. Once youve learned these skills, made easy by the step-by-step photos, you can use them to create the beautiful DIY statement necklaces in the other chapters and even when trying your hand at your own projects. In the later chapters, youll learn how to work with new techniques and materialsincluding chain, cord, string, and ribbonplus youll find new ideas to help inspire your own unique projects, such as making necklaces to accessorize your favorite outfits. To help you along the way, check out the sidebars throughout for tips, tricks, and ideas for project variations. Remember, fashion is all about developing your own individual style, so have fun customizing your DIY statement necklaces to reflect your taste and personality!

Each DIY statement necklace is unique, so when it comes to materials, dont feel that you have to find the exact supplies featured in these projects. Instead, consider the materials lists for each tutorial as guidelines. Jewelry should be a reflection of your personality, so change things up to use your favorite color or to suit your style. Its also important to be flexible with DIY projects: Sometimes you just cant find the right bead or the necklace simply wont work out the way you like it. Rather than getting frustrated, let these little challenges inspire you to a new solution! That said, there are materials that will make jewelry-making easier and more fun for you, so before you get started, make sure you have these basic supplies on hand:

• Beading wire
• Bead reamer or awl
• Findings, the smaller parts used to form a complete piece of jewelry, in different metals and sizes, including:
  • Jump rings in a range of sizes, such as 5mm, 7mm, and 10mm
  • Crimp beads
  • Head pins and eye pins in varying lengths, such as 38mm and 50mm
  • Barrel cord ends
  • Clasps, such as lobster clasps in 12mm size
• Glue: a strong, viscous super glue for jewelry, such as E6000 or Dazzle-Tac
• Jewelry pliers
  • Round nose
  • Chain nose
  • Flat nose
• Masking tape for wrapping cord ends to prevent unraveling
• Ruler or measuring tape
• Scissors
• Wire cutters

Once you get started with DIY jewelry, youll find you start to accumulate lots of odds and ends! Its helpful to buy a few affordable compartment boxes for storing your materials. Keeping organized means youll never lose track of what supplies you have.

Beading wire

Head pins and eye pins

Clasps

Jump rings

Glue

Crimp beads

Barrel cord ends

Bead reamer or awl

Wire cutters

Round-nose pliers

Chain-nose pliers

Flat-nose pliers

When you first start do-it-yourself jewelry-making, its useful to begin with basic projects that will help you hone your jewelry-making skills. In this chapter, youll learn things such as how to open and close jump rings, how to make wire loops on head pins, and how to use crimp beads. All of these skills will provide you with the basics you need to make statement necklaces of all kinds in the following chapters. These skills also get easier with practice, so if your first wire loop isnt perfectly round, dont sweat it! By the time you get to your last beads when working on a project like the Drop Bead Necklace (later in this chapter), youll be a wire-looping pro. As youre learning, be sure to have extra findingsthe smaller parts used to form a complete piece of jewelry, such as jump rings and pinson hand so you can complete a piece without worrying about running out of supplies. And, in addition to being a great way to get started with DIY jewelry, the beaded projects in this chapter have endless options for customization, thanks to the varieties of bead materials and colors you can buy. Plastic? Semiprecious? Wood? Glass? Its up to you! Personalization is the best part about DIY.