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Craft Ideas· DIY· Jewelry

Jewelry Making, Update Your Wardrobe On A Budget

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Making a few new pieces of jewelry always gets me excited about the next season around the corner.  Working retail for years may have very well helped rob me of enjoying a full summer.  By the time that mid to late July arrives, I am shopping for new boots online, and designing a few new scarves for the cooler months.  Am I the only one doing this while my air conditioning is going and I apply sunscreen to the kids faces in liberal amounts?

While I am looking forward to baked apples, pumpkin patches, and fall decor galore, I am not quite ready to jump yet.  So while incorporating some yellows, greens and topaz, I looked for the balance of more earthy colors for late summer and early fall, while still keeping them light enough to wear now.  Nothing can update your wardrobe faster on a budget than a few new accessories.  I love how a fun necklace can make me feel, and pull existing pieces together in a fresh way.  Let’s get beading:

I found these great light-weight carved shell findings recently while bead shopping.  I loved the pretty caramel color.  I gathered the following to put these together:

  1. Earring hooks and two long earring pins.
  2. Complimentary Beads to use on the top section of the earrings.
  3. Needle-nosed pliers with wire-snip base or a pair of wire snips too.
Since the carved rose already had a hole when I found them, I opened the ring on the bottom of the earring pin, hung the carved rose on each, and closed the ring with my pliers.  Next I strung the remaining beads on, snipped a bit of wire off so I left myself with about 1/4″ above the top green bead, and using my pliers again, formed a circle at the top of the wire.  I inserted the base of my earring hook and closed the circle, attaching the earring hook to the top of the earring.
And that is how easy it is to make a super cute new pair of earrings.  Staying current and keeping up with trends in fashion doesn’t need to break your budget or take a ton of your time.  The reason most of us love crafting is because we can make something beautiful and enjoy using it without remembering how much we shouldn’t have spent on it.  Plus, this way you can afford more than one, maybe like six!

I have been wanting to make an owl pendant for a while now.  A pendant is the fastest thing to make EVER.  You find the center piece for your focal point and after that, decide what kind of chain to use, and complementing beads.   I used a 30″ pewter-toned chain that was already connected, saved a step!  Next I used an earring pin that had a loop on the end, connecting a pewter linking bead and a jump ring to the owl.  Above the linking bead, I connected the earring pin,  and added my yellow and orange beads.  I trimmed the wire back to just a bit more than 1/4″, using needle nosed pliers turned the top of the wire into a loop connecting pendant to the chain. 

And it’s that easy.  You could take a very basic pattern like this and add beads onto the chain, more charms on the bottom like keys or feathers, or instead of a cute owl what about a large stone or agate with a pre-drilled hole? You could get crazy with these, and sit in your craft room until the wee hours making gorgeous little pretties that everyone will want.  But you should go to bed, because I want you to have enough energy to have a healthy breakfast and time to check your email for awesome blog posts.   There are so many good ideas out there, so much crafty creativity you don’t want to miss. 
So, get some rest, try and figure out what color beads you want tomorrow, and don’t forget to check your email.  It makes us crazy crafty bloggers so happy. 
Happy saving, thrifting, creating, and being fabulous!
xoxo, Tanya :)
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Comments

  3. Claire @ a little something in the meantime . . . says

    I love the owl pendant necklace, Tanya! I was on the hunt for an owl charm or pendant last year and will continue my hunt this year. Where did you find yours?

    I love making new pieces of jewelry even though I don't know all the fancy techniques.

    I taught a class last year that was always fascinated by my newest jewelry projects (especially the boys!) so I made a point

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  13. Cody Stephens says

    “I love how a fun necklace can make me feel, and pull existing pieces together in a fresh way.” You’re right. There is always a way to make a change and innovate out of the ordinary and the old. Anyway, where do you put all these creations? It is a good idea to place them in a DIY storage coupled with beautiful lighting. I’m sure you will be able to better see and appreciate the beauty of the

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