Day 3 of Anthro Necklace Week!

Are you enjoying the tutorials? If you’ve missed any, here are the links so far:

Pretty-In-Pinking Tutorial

Pontentilla Bib Tutorial

Today we have the lovely Narcissus Net Necklace. Say that three times fast.

Here’s mine:

The Anthro Version:

( I think there must be little Anthro Elves with little tiny fingers that worked for days to get theirs to lay like this – with no funkiness in the chains.
Seriously. How did they do that?
I obviously do not have tiny elvish fingers.)

To make your very own Narcissus Net Necklace you’ll need:

Materials:

• Wire cutters
• Needle Nose Pliers
• Round Nose Pliers
• Ruler or Measuring Tape

Supplies:

• Assortment of chains – gold & silver
  (Keep the chains small.
  We’re going for delicate spider-web-inspired here – not Mr. T I’m-gonna-bust-you-up inspired.)
• Small pearls or charms (6)
• Larger pearl flower or charm
• Head pins (6)
• Jump rings (several sizes) (around 12)
• Lobster Clasp

(There are some gold charms in the picture that I thought I’d use but looked ridiculous. So ignore them.)

Update – 11/10: A sweet reader, Anissa, found a few errors in the process. I have corrected them and updated this tutorial so if you have printed out the instructions, you’ll want to reprint it.
Hopefully this doesn’t cause anyone any problems. Thanks Anissa for finding the errors! 

 Start with making your pearl beads.

Place your pearl on a head pin.

 Bend the pin at a slight angle a the top of the pearl.

Wrap the pin wire around one side of your round nose pliers, making a loop.

Clip the wire off at the top of the pearl using your wire cutters. Remember to point the flat side of the cutters away from you.

Bend your pin wire just a bit more so that it makes a complete loop.

Repeat this with your other pearls. If you are using charms that have holes or rings, you can skip this step.

At this point we are going to be putting together the chains. I will explain the lengths and chains I used, but feel free to switch it up for the materials you have. I’ve tried to make these steps as clear as possible, but if something seems wonky, just send me an email. I’m happy to help.

Start with a large area that you can build the necklace on. It will help if you can lay it out in “necklace shape” and add your chains and loops that way.

STEP 1

Start with outer loop of chain. This is made up of 5 different chains – 2 silver and 3 gold. In the picture below I have marked the lengths of each chain for you.

Cut the chain with wire cutters and attach them together with jump rings. Open the ring and place the two chain links on it, then close with your pliers.

STEP 2

On the right side, add in the small connector chain shown in the picture below. You will be adding it to the ring between the 7″ chain and the 5 1/8″ chain. Put a jump ring at the top of the silver chain and add it to the gold chain so that it makes a “triangle” shape with the 3/8″ piece as the bottom. Add one of your pearl loops to the top jump ring as well.

STEP 3

To the left ring on the 3/8″ chain, add the 5 1/8″ silver chain pictured below. Connect it to the ring at the bottom of the 5 1/8″ gold chain.

STEP 4

Now we’re going to start adding in some of the cross chains. Connect two different silver chains – a  1″ piece and a 6 1/4″ piece with a jump ring. Add a pearl loop to this jump ring.
Connect another two chains - a silver 3 1/2″ chain and a gold 8 5/8″ chain together with a jump ring.

Add the left sides of the two chains you just made to the jump ring at the middle on the left side. Add a pearl loop there also. Add the other side of the chains to the ring between the 2 1/2″ piece and the 5 1/8″ piece on the right side.

STEP 5

Still with me?? Hang in there. We’ve almost got it. And it will be so worth it. I promise!

Cut a 7 7/8″ gold chain.
Make another connected chain using a silver 1 1/2″ piece and a silver 7 1/4″ piece, with a jump ring between.

Attach both of these chains to the ring between the 1″ and 6 1/4″ silver chains on the left. On the right attach them to the ring between your two outer gold chains.

STEP 6

Last grouping. It looks complicated but just follow the measurements.

Cut the following pieces.

1 1/2″ Gold Chain, 5 3/4″ Silver Chain, 5 1/2″ Gold Chain, & a 6 3/4″ Gold Chain. 

You have a jump ring in the silver connecting chain from Step 5. Add one end of the 1 1/2″ Gold Chain and one end of the 5 3/4″ Chain to that ring. Close it up.

To the jump ring between the silver and gold chain from Step 4, Add the other end of the 1 1/2″ Gold Chain, as well as one end of each of the other two chains you just cut. Add in a pearl loop and close that ring.

So now you should have the silver and two gold chains loose. Add the other end of all three of these to the ring on the left outer loop that connects the bottom silver piece to the gold and silver strands from Step 3. Add a pearl ring to this as well then close it.

Ok Whew.

Time to finish up the top of your necklace. On the left side, to the silver chain add a large jump ring and a pearl ring. Close this ring.

On the right side, to the gold chain add a lobster clasp.

Add a large pearl flower or large charm to the middle jump ring on the right side of the necklace between the gold chains.

All done! I hope this isn’t too scary. You’ll be repeating the same steps several times with jump rings and chain, and if it’s not exactly the same when you’re done, it will still look just as great!

Here are more finished shots for you:

And a shot of me wearing it – cause it might be hard to picture how it looks on.

I’m really happy with how it came out! What about you? Would you give this one a try?

Please say yes. ;)

Don’t forget – we have two more days of necklaces and tutorials – then the big day.
Friday.
When all the Giveaway posts will go up!
Don’t miss out!

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Day Two of Anthro Necklace Week!

Click here for Day 1  – The “Pretty-In-Pinking” Knockoff Necklace.

Today we’re doing the Potentilla Bib Necklace – which I just love.

I don’t get the price though. (I usually don’t.) It’s $138.00 for this little gem. Is it because it’s made in France?? I have no idea.

Here’s the Made in Carlsbad version:

And here’s the French Anthro Version. Oui oui.

 This is really one of my favorites for the week.
Here’s how to make your very own, inexpensive, Non-French, knockoff.

Materials:

• Scissors
• Needle & Thread
• Needle Nose Pliers
• Wire Cutters

Supplies:

• 1 18″ Silver Chain Necklace (Or supplies to make your own) 
• Knit fabric (just scraps)
• Seed Beads
• Cone or Small Ribbon Clamp
• 3 Jump Rings (Silver)
• Felt scrap

The first step is to make the flowers. For my flowers I used the end of a T-shirt that I was needing to shorten.

Trace a small 4 leaf flower onto the fabric.

Cut out four flowers this size. Repeat this process making a smaller 3 leaf flower, cut out 4. Then cut out one 2 leaf piece, with one leaf smaller than the other.

For your largest flower, layer the 4 large pieces on top of each other, rotating them just a bit so the different petals show through.

Sew a grouping of seed beads in the center of your flower. At the same time, do a couple of small stitches in the center that gather the flower just a bit.

Repeat this process for one of the smaller flowers. Stack them so that the petals are rotated and sew on the seed beads.

Take a minute to say some fake swear words because you knocked over the bottle of seed beads.

Sigh.

Repeat the process – minus the mess - with the third flower.

From your felt scrap cut a small shape to sew your flowers too.  It should be a little larger on one side for the larger flower, but it should be able to be completely covered by the flowers.

Start with the large flower and sew it to the left side of the felt shape.

Make sure you don’t sew all the way through to the front of the flower, or that your stitches show on any of the petals.

Sew on your two smaller flowers. Overlap them just a bit.

Optional: If your knit is a bit curly, take a little fabric glue and glue down just a few of the petals.

Find the center point of your necklace chain and using wire cutters, clip it in half.

Turn your flower bib over and add an open jump ring to each side of the felt. Don’t get too close to the edge.

Add one end of your chain to each jump ring.

Close your rings. Your bib is now attached to the chain.

For the small decorative piece at the top, fold the 2 petal flower in half and take a few stitches to gather up the top.

 You can skip this step but I’m paranoid, so I added just a bit of Gorilla super glue to help hold the piece in the ribbon clamp.

If you’re using a clamp, open up the little teeth and place the petal inside. Clamp the ends around the fabric. You can also use a small cone to glue the petals into.

 Add a small jump ring to the loop on the clamp, then add this to the necklace chain near the clasp.

 That’s it! So fun and cute, don’t you think? I think I need this in multiple colors.

 And more from our Anthro Photo Shoot:

See you tomorrow!

Oh – want a hint? Think Chains. Lots of Chains. :)

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Welcome to Anthro Necklace Week!

If you haven’t stopped by, this week has been declared Anthropologie Necklace Week!!!
Five Days of Tutorials – ending with a super fantastic giveaway day on Friday for the necklaces created this week!

I had such a great time putting the necklaces together – I hope you enjoy them!

A couple of brief disclaimers . . . I was not able to find the exact materials used in the Anthro necklaces, therefore they are not exactly Anthro necklaces. :)
But they’re close.
Also – I am in no way, shape or form a jewelry expert. So my methods might not be “professional” but they get the job done – and if I can do it – anybody can!
Remember - these are NOT the giveaway posts. Those will go up on Friday.

Ok, enough of that.

We’re starting off the week with Anthro’s Pretty-In-Pinking necklace.

So fun with the ribbon and gold beads – it would go great with just about anything.

Here’s my version:

And here’s their version:

Ready to make your version?? Here’s what you’ll need.

Supplies:

• Pinking Shears
• Round Nosed Pliers
• Wire Cutters
• Needle Nose Pliers

Materials:

• Ribbon (either a variegated ribbon like the one I bought at Michael’s, or multiple colors)
• Gold beads (10)
• Gold Chain (30″ piece & 4 1/4″ piece)
• Jump rings (4)
• Head Pins (13)
• Crystal Beads (2)
• Lobster Closure (1)
• Optional – 11 small pearls

Start with putting your gold beads on the head pins. These are small wires with a flat end. Your bead should sit on the end of this head.

If it doesn’t (like the one’s I bought) you can add a small pearl or bead on first to prevent it from slipping through.

Bend your wire at a slight angle where it comes out the top of the bead.

Place your round nose pliers next to the top of your bead and wrap the pin around the pliers tip.

Clip the wire off at the top of the bead. Make sure you hold the flat side of the wire cutters down -
away from you.
We don’t need any Flying Wire Injuries here. Or any more anyway.

You might need to bend the loop just a bit more, so that it closes.

See? Not too bad. Feel free to practice this a few times if you need to first. But don’t freak out if they’re not perfect loops either.
They’re going to be a bit hidden in the ribbon and no one should be looking at your chest that closely anyway. Well.

Continue adding your beads to the head pins.

Repeat these steps for the little crystal accent beads and a single small pearl. Poor pearl got left out of the picture. Awww.

Lay out your 30″ gold chain.

Measure down from each end 12″ and put a jump ring into the chain. (A jump ring is just a ring that you can open.)
Add one end of the 4 1/4″ chain to each ring.

Always open your rings and loops to the side, never pull them wide to open them.

Close your rings. Your necklace should now have two lower sections.

Open up your loops on the beads you did earlier and start adding them to the two lower chains. I put 6 beads on the bottom row and 4 on the top row.
But it’s your necklace. You can do anything you want.

Ooooh. Too cute.

Cut your ribbon into to 3″ strips with your pinking shears – making the ends angled.

Start on one end of the lower row and tie the ribbon in a knot around the chain, close to the jump ring.

Continue tying ribbon strips along the chain to the other side of the row. Make sure they are close together – add in any knots in blank spaces you see.

I also went back through and trimmed some of the ribbon so it didn’t look to long. And I scrunched it up so it wasn’t so foofy.

Add in the crystal beads, one on each side. Put the bead in the same loop of chain that the jump ring is in.

Almost done!

Add a jump ring to your lobster clasp. Add one end of your necklace chain to the ring also. Close the ring.

On the other end of the necklace chain add a jump ring and the little pearl you made earlier.

Ta-daaaa! Day one done!!

The fun thing about this larger chain is that you can shorten up the necklace by putting the clasp a little higher.

I thought since it was Anthro week we should take some Anthro-esque photo shoots with the necklaces.

But I don’t care how “Anthro-esque” we’re getting – I’m not wearing a paper dress or contracting scoliosis to model this.

Check back in tomorrow for Day 2!

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