Elegant Homemade Necklace

This simple necklace is beautiful and easy to make. It makes a perfect gift to a girlfriend for valentines, birthday,christmas(hopefully this isn't all you get her), or just to say "I Love You".  You can use these techniques to create more stylish works.  I will be showing you how to make the necklace pictured below but feel free to be creative.  Send me pictures of the ones that you have made!

Step 1: Supplies

For this Instructable you will need:
Wire cutters
Needle nose pliers
Ruler
Beads of your choice (you can get special neat ones at wal-mart or a craft store)
Craft Chain (bought at craft store)
Fasteners (also at craft store)
Craft wire (jewelers wire works best)

Step 2: Cutting to Size

 Using your wire cutters, choose the size of you necklace and cut (I used a 18 inch strand). Cut both sides of the dividing link and remove the fragments. You know have a baseline for your necklace

Choosing the right size necklace
If you are a girl you can play with the chain to determine the correct size for you (closer or farther from the breast)
If you are a guy (like me) find out what your girl likes as far as necklace length. If you don't know what she prefers, do your best mock up on yourself (keeping in mind your neck and chest are broader than hers)

Step 3: Setting Up a Pattern

Finding a pattern:   Some ways to get ideas is to look at jewelry stores online.  The design we will use today is just a simple centered necklace.  When you have chosen your pattern(s) , do a mock up by laying out the beads in order against the chain.  Doing this will give you a preview of your necklace 

Step 4: Making the Tip

 Now that you have chosen a pattern it is time to start making the tiers. 
Grab your crafters wire and cut off about a 1 ft length (you shouldn't need anymore for this project)
With your needle nose pliers, grab the tip of the wire and bend it all the way around. (see picture)
Take your pliers just below the first bend and make another bend in the opposite direction (see picture).  With your S shaped end in hand, pinch it end to end with your pliers to make a mash of wire. This will be the stopper for the beads.

Step 5: Wire the Beads

With your pattern in mind, select your beads from the mock up and transfer them onto the wire.
If the eye of the bead is to big and slips over your block, repeat the previous step to make the blocker larger.
After you have set up all your beads, use your wire cutters to cut the excess wire off leaving about 3/4-1 inch of extra wire for bending

Step 6: Setting

 Now assuming that you want your necklace to be centered, tie up both ends of your necklace cord temporarily with crafters wire and hold your cord so the end doesn't touch the ground.  With the chain hanging you should be able to spot the center link.  Run though the center link with the end wire of one of your bead patterns and bend it over using your needle nose pliers.  

You can also use a round connecter. Slip it over you chain and use the extra wire to tie it to the round link. This method pictured will keep the pattern in place whereas when You use round connecters it will slide to the center automatically

Step 7: Completing One Stage

 Using your excess wire, gently wrap it around the top of the bead making a spiral pattern (fingers are your best tool here).  Be sure to make the bead line straight or it will be kind of wavy and crooked (but you may want that for you pattern)

Step 8: Adding More Tiers

 Now if you want to add more tiers or layers use must measure precisely with your ruler.  Be sure to create the bead line before you measure or you will just have to re-measure and we do not want that.
For most of my 3-tier necklaces I measured about 1 1/2 inches away from center.  

If you wanted to make a 2-tier necklace you would just mark center  with a sharpie and measure away from it equally on both sides

Step 9: The Connecters

 With the completion of your bead set up its time to finish it off.  Use your needle nose pliers to pry open the connector rings.  Slip the chain over the ring and close the ring (see picture)  You can use crafters wire if necessary. 

Step 10: Finshed

 Completed!! All thats left is to give it to a loved one OR keep it for yourself! Show me the patterns you have come up with! 

Comments

[imajem]

I've had success supergluing an 11* seed bead to the end of the dangle to start it off, then procede with the pattern....

[black_lily]

It's a great idea for when you run out of head-pins/eye-pins and all you have left is craft wire

[awojahn]

I would suggest using head pins for something that dangles... then all you have to worry about is the top loop.

[dotskip]

Yes, definitely cut the tail, use a file to smooth the end after cutting the tail. Very pretty necklace.

[harryhydro]

A nice touch is the addition of a magnetic clasp......

[ERCBIENG]

I've tried that and the magnets always stick to the chain and wad up.  I find that the regular clasp does the trick just fine

[swani]

I admire you for attempting this! You have a good eye for layout and color. You might want to think about cutting off the tails of your wire-wraps and crimping the ends into the wrap. Those tails snag on clothes and scratch skin.

[iPanickedTGG]

Gorgeous!! I need to make some! I love making gifts for people :)

[hishealer]

Very nice!  People don't believe me, but most jewelry making is really just this simple!  It's more about creativity than complexity.  5 stars!

[spacepirate04]

the necklace is very nice and i like the idea of giving gifts that one has made.