Yesterday I coveted it, so today I’m going to show you how to make it. It’s DIY in 5 – minutes, that is. The easiest, quickest ways to take a piece from blah to fab and update it to current trends.
From left to right: Giambattista Valli, Alexis Bittar, Giorgio Armani, VPL Victoria Bartlett.
photo credits: Style.com, Wireimage.com; photo array by me.
With the coming of Spring, jewelry tends to go lighter, translucent, and more plastic-y…and the bib necklace is no exception. But finding just the right clear acrylic piece for a necklace is pretty tough; jewelry supply stores usually don’t sell large bib-style acrylic pieces, for one thing. You could always design it yourself and have it cut by Ponoko.com – but there’s a steep learning curve for the design software, usually multiple prototypes are necessary before you reach your final design, the service is pretty expensive for just once, and hiring out lasercutting seems a bit over-the-top for just a single piece for yourself. No, fast, cheap, and easy is the name of the game, so when I spied a set of acrylic purse handles at Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts store, I figured one would be perfect for a necklace.
Project Difficulty:
(Easy/Beginner)
You Need:
*1 acrylic purse-handle
*2 silvertone rectangle rings or D-rings (also found in purse-making section)
*1/2″ wide satin ribbon
*2 silvertone scrapbooking brads (not pictured)
And…
*pliers (optional: wirecutting pliers)
*scissors
*awl
*lighter/flame
How-To:
I love how it looks like the purse handle is smiling at you. Happy Handle!:-D
1. Use the pliers to remove the top rings from the handle – usually I find these rings, being sized for purses, are too big and bulky in relation to the size of the handle to use as-is for a necklace. (It literally looks like you’ve slung a purse handle around your neck…something I don’t want to be too obvious in the finished piece.)
2. Attach the rectangles or D-rings that you got separately to the ends of the handle with the pliers – twisting apart and then re-closing like a jump ring with 2 sets of pliers. (If you couldn’t find any rings or don’t like that look, you can always skip this step and just thread the ribbon ends through the holes in the ends of the handle instead.)
3. Cut two long pieces of ribbon and thread each through the rectangles/D-rings. (Make sure each ribbon piece when doubled-over, is still long enough to tie behind your neck.)
Cut the ends at an angle and heat-seal them with a lighter or open flame.
4. Use an awl or the scissors to poke a hole through the ribbon center near the rectangle/D-rings. Attach a scrapbooking brad through the hole and fold over the brad legs. (You can also trim them if they stick out beyond the width of the ribbon by using wirecutting pliers.)
The doubled ribbon ends you then tie behind your neck in a knot or a bow depending on your preference.
Wear paired with brighter-than-bright colors for a Spring 2011 feel, or over bare skin for a more upscale vibe.
Happy DIY’ing!
xoxox
Carly
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So awesome, Carly. You know I loved all that clear plastic from spring 2011 shows. If you don’t mind, I’m going to feature this this week at DIY Fashion Examiner.
Bromeliad recently posted…Fashion Week – Outfit to room
Thanks Bromeliad! Your Fashion Week DIY ideas is nothing short of spectacular…I’ll be linking in an upcoming Links of the Week!! (I can’t believe you have the fortitude to go through all those photos…yikes!!) Hats off to you:-D
xoxox
Carly
p.s. where did you get that bracelet?
Bromeliad recently posted…Fashion Week – Outfit to room
Claire’s!!! (a long time ago, though…:-(
Amazing! So clever.
Oh fun! that is super easy, I’ll have to add it to my list.
Lyddiegal recently posted…This is number five
Thanks Lyddiegal!! Too easy for words, right??! Have fun with it!;-)
Carly, this turned out stunning! Love it!
xx
maya
Soccer Mom Style recently posted…gray again
Thanks!! Those acrylic pieces are sure hard to find…thank goodness we now have purse handles available to the public that can easily be…rePURSEposed! Haha!;-)
xoxo
Carly
LOVE this! I’m going to make it and include it in my next Inspired DIYs by My Fave DIYers!! Problem…I cannot get the rectangle rings to budge! Did you have problems with that? Thanks!
xxooxoxo
Lia
Lia recently posted…Charmed- Im sure
Yes; they tend to be very difficult to pull apart. Have you used two pliers, twisting in opposite directions like opening a jumpring? (Not pulling to the left and the right of the rectangle, but *twisting* to the front and the back.) Usually this will open them, unless they’re so heavy-duty/low gauge that the metal just won’t bend…then you’d probably have to try some that are made of thinner metal. Hope that helps & good luck!
xoxox
Carly
Wow! I’m definitely going to keep this DIY idea in mind.