(Original post from my Blogger; visit http://megeletto.blogspot.com/2011/08/diy-yellow-cluster-necklace.html to view it. And please also excuse my poor-quality iPhone pictures.)
I loved this necklace, but couldn’t find it anywhere online to buy–according to a Marie Claire webpage the original price was $190. So I decided to DIY it instead.
Time: about 2 hours
Cost: $15.27 (metal necklace supplies: $9.97; beads: $5.30)
Here’s what I bought (everything from Michaels Craft store, except the beads. The beads were from www.usbeadery.com):
*Chain
*Clasp set
*Eye Pins
*Beads (2 sizes) from www.usbeadery.com
Acrylic opaque yellow round 18mm
Acrylic opaque yellow round 12mm
You’ll also need some wire cutters & pliers. Here are all of my supplies
First, cut your chain to the desired length, then attach your clasp set to the ends. Remember that the beads will make the chain a little bulky in the end.
Then, start with your larger beads. Take an eye pin and string it through the bead. Then use your pliers to bend the eyelet of the pin over so it lays flat against the bead (I liked this look better in the end, and I was unable to find pins like in the inspiration pictures–flat head–that were big enough to hold the beads on).
Then string your eye pin onto the chain
Cut off some of the excess eye pin with your wire cutters
Then use your pliers to bend the eye pin around to secure the bead to the chain. Loop the loose end around like you’re trying to insert it into the hole of the bead. You’re essentially creating a loop with the eye pin.
Continue beading the large beads, then move on to the small ones, filling in the holes as you like. I held the necklace up each time to see where I wanted to add more to.
And then you’re done. Super easy.
Here’s a side by side picture for comparison:
