Necklaces, bracelets and earrings made with Legos are beyond easy to make and a great way to reuse your favorite childhood toy. :D

The last picture shows a huge batch of necklaces I made in one day!

I have a ton of necklaces up for sale in my etsy shop if you'd like one: making jiggy on etsy!

Step 1: What you'll need...

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For the earrings:
  • posts + backs (sold in bulk at most craft stores)
  • Legos of desired size
  • Aleene's Platinum Bond 7800 glue OR E600 glue
Before someone asks - I recommend these glues because I've used them before in other projects (Playstation controller button earrings!) and I know that they work amazingly well to adhere metal and plastic. The bond will last for years - I made the controller button earrings over 6 years ago and they're still fine. Plus, both glues dry clear. :)

For the necklaces:
  • drill with a 1/16 bit
  • jump rings (sold in bulk at craft stores)
  • your choice of necklace chain (sold in bulk at craft stores)
  • clasps/closures for chain (also sold in bulk)
  • small selection of pliers
The necklaces allow for more customization, as you'll see. :)

Step 2: Assembling the earrings.

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Nearly any size Lego will work for earrings - it just depends on how crazy you want to get.

I'll break this down into steps for easy reading:
  1. get a post, Lego, and your desired glue.
  2. put a generous dab of glue onto the base of the earring as shown in photo 2.
  3. check picture 3 for where to place the posts - if you're apply the post to a single line Lego, it needs to go at the very top so that it sits on three edges. On double line Legos, it needs to sit on the top circle.
  4. press firmly into the desired place and hold for ten seconds or so, and then don't touch it anymore. Make sure not to slide it to the side, or push it around - just push down. Pushing it around will make your layer of glue tacky and thinner, and you won't get a good bond. So set it aside and keep on keepin' on.

Step 3: Let the glue cure!

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This is so very important. If you skip this step, you will not get a lasting bond.

After a few hours, push up on the posts very lightly with your thumb. If they move at all, your initial attempt at gluing was not successful. So go ahead and rip the posts off, clean everything up with a bit of alcohol, and try again.

If they pass the initial test, let them sit for at least 48 and up to 72 hours.

Step 4: Wear them!

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No model photos yet. Perhaps on a more photogenic day. ;)

Step 5: Starting the necklaces - drilling the lego!

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Step one and the most important step. You need to make two holes in one of the long sides of the lego.

Be careful and steady with the drill - Legos are remarkably soft and you will go through them very quick, so pay close attention. :D

Check the photos for reference on where to drill. It's not an exact science. Close to edge, close to the outside edges.


Step 6: Cut chain to desired length!

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You will need two pieces that will equal your desired length. I have a very small neck, and I like my necklaces to sit pretty high, so I'm using lengths of chain between 8 and 9 inches.

The best way to measure for this is to loop the chain behind your neck, so you have one short end and one longer end hanging down your front, and determine what length suits you the best by pulling it back and forth, and then cut the longer end off.

Then you can double the chain and cut it in half.

Step 7: Attach the chain!

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  1. Attach two jump rings to the Lego
  2. Attach the chains to those jump rings
  3. Attach a jump ring to the opposite end of each chain
  4. Attach your desired closure to those jump rings
  5. Make sure all jump rings are securely closed and that no chains or jump rings will escape

Step 8: Wear it!

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Add bricks onto your base brick if you like. :D

Step 9: Bonus! Lego bracelets!

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I posted this without thinking about bracelets, and as I sat at my desk this morning, it dawned on me... I DIDN'T MAKE ANY BRACELETS!

So here we are. :)

You will need:
  • jump rings
  • enough Legos to fit around your wrist
  • a drill with a 1/16 bit
  • a closure
  • small pliers

Step 10: Drill each end of the Legos!

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As shown in the photo. :D

Step 11: Connect the Legos with jumprings!

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As shown in the photos... each Lego end gets a ring, and those rings are linked together.

At the very ends of the chain, attach jump rings and a clasp, attaching multiple jump rings opposite the clasp if you like. :)

Step 12: Wear it!

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It's a little tricky to get on... but hey, it doesn't matter if it's cute, right? :D

Enjoy your Lego jewelry... and keep an eye out for cufflinks - coming soon!
Cissy Green says: Sep 6, 2012. 7:26 PM
Gorgeous and you are wonderful dear :)
barista says: Jul 17, 2012. 9:07 AM
(removed by author or community request)
jessyratfink (author) in reply to baristaJul 17, 2012. 11:03 AM
It makes sense, but I don't think I can adopt it, ha! It's hard to change the way you talk about something when you and everyone you know has been calling them Legos for years and years. :P

It was very hard to be as consistent as I was. Very tricksy.
sherrycayheyhey in reply to jessyratfinkJul 17, 2012. 4:14 PM
I respect you for not adopting it.

Barista spammed that same thing to a few other Instructables and his explanation isn't even that good since he doesn't mention that LEGO is a combination of two words and that LEGO is the trademark. When talking about the pieces branded as LEGO, referring to them as pieces of LEGO or a pile of LEGO is incorrect as well.
EchoJackpot says: Jun 26, 2012. 9:55 AM
Im making a buisness with these and i think they could rake in some money!
jessyratfink (author) in reply to EchoJackpotJun 26, 2012. 10:07 AM
To be honest, I haven't had much success with them. I've been selling the necklaces on etsy for 10 months now and hardly any takers... maybe 4 or 5 sold? Right now I've got them listed at $5 just hoping to get rid of them. :P

The earrings sell like crazy at craft fairs, though, if you do $2-3 a pair.

I think the internet is just too clogged with lego jewelry!
savagediana says: Jan 9, 2012. 4:10 PM
Hi, I've been wanting to make awesome LEGO jewelry for a while now, and I wondered if you might have any specific tips on drilling plastic?
monsterlego says: Aug 21, 2011. 2:53 PM
cool, i do this a lot with the huge Lego gears, and the Lego chains(you can adjust size that way) you can definitely go insane with this, great job!
amott1 says: Aug 18, 2011. 7:03 PM
I Have Just One Word For You :
A M A Z I N G
;D
jessyratfink (author) in reply to amott1Aug 21, 2011. 11:54 AM
Ha, thank you!
Penolopy Bulnick says: Aug 17, 2011. 8:44 PM
Looks fun. What if you wore two or three and connected the legos while you were wearing it?
jessyratfink (author) in reply to Penolopy BulnickAug 17, 2011. 8:48 PM
That would be really cute, I bet. I added legos to the larger white one while I was making it and it looked really neat.

I'm also thinking about using one of the larger flat base legos as a necklace - you could really customize that. :)
Penolopy Bulnick in reply to jessyratfinkAug 17, 2011. 9:24 PM
You could really go crazy and make huge Lego Bling!
ynze in reply to Penolopy BulnickAug 18, 2011. 3:48 AM
Gold plated Lego bricks!

Great project! 5 out of 5!
SHIFT! says: Aug 17, 2011. 10:22 PM
Awesome! I imagine this is exactly the kind of thing that would do fantasic on Think Geek!
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