Hey Everyone!!! It’s the last tutorial for Anthro Necklace Week!

Have you missed a tutorial?
If you click on the button, it will take you to the Anthro Necklace Week Category. Then you can scroll through and see all the tutorials for this week!

Today we’re doing the sweet (ha. Pun.) Fabric Marshmallow Necklace!
It’s a pretty combination of cotton thread, pearls and linen – here’s mine:

And here’s Anthro’s:

Now I know mine looks a little different – but theirs is (again) a really large piece. I like the elements of it – but not necessarily the size and chunkiness of it.
So for this one, I tailored things down a bit. But I really like the neutral fabric and the fun combination of materials!

The necklace isn’t for sale anymore – but it used to run $48 – and we can do way better than that!! :)

Here’s what you’ll need to make one:

• cotton thread
• small pearls or beads
• beading cord
• 8 rings, 2 different sizes
• 4 crimp beads
• glue

Start by making your pearl strands. Cut a length of bead cording 18″ long.

Attach the cord to a jump ring with a crimp bead. (Feed the cord through the bead, through the jump ring, and back through the bead. Crimp the bead flat with flat nosed pliers.)

Thread the small pearls onto the bead cording, until the strand measures 14″.
Finish the strand with another crimp bead and jump ring.

Cut 6 strands of your cotton thread, each measuring 24″.
Knot three of the strands into the jump ring on one side of the beads, and three on the other.

Find some way to hold the end of this strand steady. I clipped it into one of my bead boxes.

Braid the three sections together.

Continue braiding until you reach the end of the bead strand. Knot the cotton thread around the jump ring at the other end.

(The colors of the pearls look very gold in these pictures. They are actually a pale peachy-pink color.)

Make another strand of pearls that measures 11″. Braid this into another strand with cotton thread.

Here’s a closeup of the braids:

Set those aside for now. Cut small (approx 3/8″) strips of linen to wrap the rings with.

Add a dot of hot glue to the ring and start wrapping the linen around the ring.
(You could use any glue – I used hot glue because I wanted something fast. ;)

Wrap the ring completely in linen. Glue the end down. You might need to trim the ring a bit if the fabric frays during wrapping.

Wrap the other 7 rings.

Now we’re going to add the small rings to the shorter braided strand.
Cut a piece of cotton thread about 22″ long.

Knot the cording around the braid about 2″ down from one of the rings.

 Trim the knot and add a drop of glue over it so the thread doesn’t fray.

Thread one of the small rings onto the cord. Measure down about 1″. Knot the thread around the braid, with the linen ring between the knots.

Add the other three small rings to the thread and knot after each one. Finish the last knot about 3″ from the end.
Add a drop of glue to that knot as well, to hold it. The rings will be knotted around the braid off center on the left side.

Repeat this for the longer strand and larger rings.
Start the knot about 5″ from the left, then add the rings and finish the last knot 2″ from the right side.

Cut from your twill 2 pieces 22″ long.

Knot the twill around the jump rings of both strands on the right side.

Repeat for the other side.

Trim the cotton threads and glue them and the end of the twill down.

Cut a piece of cotton thread about 24″ long. Tie it in a knot just under the twill knot but over the jump rings.

Wrap the thread around the twill and other thread ends, covering the jump rings.

Knot the end around the base of the wrapped area and finish the knot with a bit of glue.
Repeat for the other side.

That finishes off your sweet little Marshmallow Necklace!!

Aren’t the wrapped rings pretty? I love the linen!

I hope you had a fabulous time this week!! I sure did!

And I hope you like the necklaces – because (in case you forgot) I’m giving them all away!!

The giveaway posts (10 in all) will go up tomorrow (Saturday) morning, every half hour, starting at 6 am PST.
Then tomorrow night we’ll celebrate a fun week with our 3rd Tickled Pink Link party!!

See you then!

I’m linking to Today’s Creative Blog, Met Monday, Skip to my Lou, Tutorials & Tips Tuesday,
and the other fabulous parties on the sidebar – make sure you check them out!

It’s Anthro Necklace Week!!!

Have you missed a tutorial? It’s Day 4!!
If you click on the button, it will take you to the Anthro Necklace Week Category. Then you can scroll through and see all the tutorials for this week!

Today we’re doing the Anthro Petalouda Necklace.
(Holly, a sweet reader, sent in a Tutorial Request for this one. It turned out to be a perfect fit for Anthro Necklace Week. Thanks Holly!!)

In another bit of Anthropedia knowledge for you – I looked up Petalouda.
It’s Greek for Butterfly. Cool huh?
And that’s just perfect because this necklace is dressed up with a little beaded butterfly!

Here’s mine:

And here’s theirs – for a sparkly $278!!! Ka-ching!

Here’s what you need for you very own Butterfly Necklace:

• Lots of beads. :) Pull from your stash – you need an assortment of sizes and colors.
   You’ll need enough for approx. 60″ of beads.
   Look for sales – Michael’s often puts their beads on sale for 40-50% off.
• bead cording
• Crimp Beads – at least 16
• eye pins (wire pieces with a loop on one end) – 8
• closure pieces (I used a toggle closure for this one)
• 5 jump rings
• head pins (wire pieces with a flat end) – 10
• bead caps – 2
• 1/4″ wide ribbon
• 1 bail
• glue (I used E-6000)
• small circle of felt

Let’s start with the butterfly ok?

Add some small beads to a head pin. You want this first piece to measure about 3/4″.

Make a loop at the top of the beads. Hold the wire with round nosed pliers just above the top bead.
Wrap the wire around one side of the pliers and bring it back in front of the beads, to make a loop.

Clip the wire where it meets at the top of the bead. Now you have a loop at the top of this wire.
Add this loop to a jump ring.

Make another beaded wire, just like that one, but a little shorter. Closer to 5/8″.
Add this to the same jump ring, just above the last one.

Make another beaded wire, this one about 1″. Add to the jump ring.

The next beaded wire should be about 1 1/8″.

The last one on this side should be 1″ again.
You don’t have to use these exact measurements, but you want the layout to be similar.

Repeat this pattern with five more beaded wires for the other wing of the butterfly.

Cut a small circle of felt – about 3/8″ – enough to cover the inside of the butterfly.
Glue the center of the butterfly to the felt circle.

Begin gluing the ribbon around the edges of the beaded wires. Start at the bottom.
Run a line of glue along a section of the ribbon and start with the center and wrap it along the bottom right side.

Tuck the ribbon between the wires as far as it will go without distorting the alignment.

Depending on your glue, you might need to set this aside and let it dry between steps so you don’t pull the ribbon back out as you go.

Continue wrapping the ribbon around the beaded wires on the right side.

Glue the ribbon onto the left side now. Try and make the ribbon layout match the right side.

Once this is all dried, (and yes. I was terrible about waiting for everything to dry so learn from my mistakes.
Let. It. Dry. :) glue a bead in the center of the butterfly.

Add a bead above the ribbon. I think that’s the butterfly’s little head. Cute.
Hi little butterfly.

Glue a bail to the back of the felt piece.

Set your butterfly aside for now. We’ll add it later.

Cut two pieces of cording – 6″ and 7″.
Add both of these pieces of cording to a crimp bead. Loop the cording around a jump ring and then feed both pieces back through the crimp bead, about 1″.
Crimp the bead closed. Get to love this process. You’ll be doing it a lot.

Thread a small bead onto both cording pieces and push it up against the crimp bead.

Begin threading beads onto the shorter cord piece. Add enough to measure about 3 3/4″.

Choose a largish bead. Place the bead on an eye pin.

Make a loop on the other end of your bead, just like you did with the butterfly wires.
You will then have loops at each end of the bead.

Add a crimp bead to the cord and then feed the cord through one of the loops of the bead. Feed the cord back through the crimp bead and then through several of the beads closest.
Crimp the bead and trim the end of the cording.

Add beads to the second, longer piece of cording, until the strand measures about 4 3/4″.
Add another largish bead to an eye pin, make the other loop, and add it to the bottom of the strand.

Cut another piece of cording 6″ long.
Add the cording with a crimp bead to the loop on the other end of the large bead on the longer strand.
Add beads on this strand to measure 4″.

Add a large bead at the end of this strand, just as you did before.

Cut another piece of cording, 8″ long. Add this cording to the large bead on the shorter strand.

Add beads to this cord measuring 6″. Use two different types of beads in this strand.
Add a large bead at the end of this strand.

Add a 6 1/2″ piece of cording to the strand that is shortest now. Add 4 1/2″ of beads to the cord.
Finish this cord strand with another large bead.

Cut a 7 1/2″ strand and add it to the cording section that is shortest now. Add 5 1/2″ of beads.
Finish this with a large bead that has decorative end caps at each end.

Cut a 6 1/2″ piece of cording and add that to the shorter strand. Add 4 1/2″ of beads and finish with another large bead.

Cut a 9 1/2″ piece of cording and add it to the shortest strand. Add beads (2 different types) to measure 7 1/2″.
Cut a 4 1/2″ piece of cording and add it to the other strand. Add beads to measure 2 1/2″.

Hold up your strands by the unfinished cording ends. One strand should be a little shorter than the other.
Get happy that all your stringing is done!

Feed both loose ends of cording through a small bead.

Finish the cording ends with a jump ring and crimp bead, just like the ring you started with.

Add closure findings to the beads. I used a toggle closure and added the pieces to the existing jump rings.

How’s your butterfly. All dry? Sweet.

Choose where you’d like it to sit. Mine is on the outside strand 8′s down from the top.
Attach the butterfly with jump rings at the top and bottom of the bail. Loop these rings between beads.

All done!!

You could wear this with so many different colors and styles!
Isn’t it fun?? I love all the bead combinations and the pretty little butterfly!

No picture of me today. It’s pretty rainy here. If it clears up, I’ll take one and update the post.
But so you have an idea – the finished length is 26″.

Are you having fun this week?? Do you have any favorites yet? :)

I’m linking to Today’s Creative Blog, Met Monday, Skip to my Lou, Tutorials & Tips Tuesday,
and the other fabulous parties on the sidebar – make sure you check them out!

It’s Anthro Necklace Week!!!

Have you missed a tutorial?
If you click on the button, it will take you to the Anthro Necklace Week Category. Then you can scroll through and see all the tutorials for this week!

Today we have something really light and fun -
the Anthro Momentary Flutter Necklace!
Doesn’t that sound like Spring?

I just love this one – it’s so customizable for color and it was quick to put together!

Here’s mine:

And here’s Anthro’s:

Here’s what you’ll need to make one of your very own!!

• Assorted pieces of chiffon or very lightweight fabric
• Chain – approx. 33″
• 5 adjustable end caps
• 4 cording crimp beads with loops
• cording (small amounts)
• embroidery floss
• 2 crystal beads and headpins
• closure pieces (lobster clasp and jump ring)
• 5 jump rings

Start by making a flower pattern. Mine has 5 petals and is about 1 1/2″ wide.
Cut out 15 flowers. I cut out 5 from each of my three fabrics.

Layer three of the flowers together, alternating where the petals go.

Holding the three pieces together, fold the flower group in half.

Fold in half twice more. You should have a folded point at the top of the flower.

Open up the points of the end cap a little with your pliers.

Add a drop of glue in the center, then put the point of your flower into the end cap.
Close the prongs of the cap around the fabric.

Repeat this 4 more times for the other flowers. Alternate what order you layer the fabrics to make it a little more interesting.

Cut your chain into 2 – 12″ pieces. Connect the two pieces with a jump ring.

Cut another 2″ piece of chain. Add it to the jump ring in the center of the chain.

Add one of your flower petals to the end of the short chain with a jump ring.

Tie a little bow with embroidery floss or some cording in the jump ring.

Cut another piece of chain 1″ long.
Add another flower to the end of the chain with a jump ring.

Thread a coordinating piece of embroidery floss through the links of the chain starting with the top and going all the way to the jump ring.
Pull extra floss through and tie a bow at the end of the chain in the jump ring.

Knot the floss at the other end around the last link of the chain.

Add a dab of glue on the knot and bow to keep them from unraveling.

Measure to the left of the center of the necklace 2 1/2″ and add this piece with a jump ring.

Cut a 1 1/4″ piece of narrow cording. Add a crimp bead with loop at each end. Crimp the bead around the cording.

Add another flower petal to one end of this with another jump ring.

Add this piece to your necklace 2″ to the left of the last piece.

Cut three more pieces of chain – 1″, 2″, and 2 1/2″.

For the two smaller pieces we’re going to add a sparkly bead.

Add a crystal bead to a head pin. (a wire with a flat side, to hold the bead on)

Hold the wire with round nose pliers just above the bead. Wrap the wire around one side of the pliers to form a loop.

Cut the wire with wire cutters at the point that it meets itself at the top of the bead. You should have a loop.

I just love these little beads. I think they’re so cute. Weird. I know.

Make one more of these and add them to the bottoms of the 1″ and 2″ chains.
Add a flower piece to the bottom of the 2 1/2″ chain.

Add all three chains to a jump ring.

Measure to the right of the center jump ring on the necklace 2 1/2″ and add this piece.

Make another 1″ piece with cording or similar material. Add the loop crimp beads to the cording, and a flower piece with a jump ring on the end.
(I have pictured here a yarn piece for this section. I ended up changing this out later because it frayed too much. So you’ll see the yarn in the next few pictures but not the final product.)

Finish the two loose ends of the necklace with a lobster clasp and jump ring.

We’re all done!! Not too bad right?

I love the different elements of the chains and the fabric.

 

 

What do you think?? I’d love to know. :)

Don’t forget that alllllllllll of the necklaces from this week will be given away!
All the giveaway posts will go up Saturday morning. So exciting!! :)

I’m linking to Today’s Creative Blog, Met Monday, Skip to my Lou, Tutorials & Tips Tuesday,
and the other fabulous parties on the sidebar – make sure you check them out!