Parallel Line Balsa Wood Necklace

My wardrobe these days has mainly consisted of solid colored shirts, blouses, and sweaters, which leave me with a nice canvas for bold and colorful necklaces. I've been slowly purchasing more jewelry for my neck, but I also decided this would be a great opportunity for me to design some of my own! Creating the wood bead + copper necklace a while back, made me realize how much I enjoy making jewelry and lately I've had a desire to experiment with other textures and elements to construct different necklaces.

Have you ever made anything with balsa wood? It's an extremely lightweight wood that's perfect for crafting, model making, and creating jewelry. Next time you're at your local craft store, grab some and make this parallel line necklace. The necklace is light around your neck and makes a bold statement, even with soft tone colors like the ones I chose.

Balsa Wood Necklace
Balsa wood strips (0.5 in. width)
Exacto knife
Acrylic paint
Small paint brush
Super glue
Bead reamer (tool)

Jump ring
Chain necklace

Step One // Measure and cut the balsa wood strips with an exacto knife.

Step Two // Paint balsa with acrylic paint.
Step Three // Once the paint is dry, lay out the wood in a design you like and super glue the strips together.
Step Four // Using a bead reamer, punch a hole parallel on either side of the design. for were you will be attaching the chain.
Step Five // Put a jump ring through each hole and attach your jewelry chain to the rings. Your balsa wood necklace is ready to wear!


{Claire}

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MAKE // Wood Bead + Copper Necklace

Every couple of weeks I head to our local craft store just to browse. I won't have any specific project in mind, I just go to get inspired. Seeing all the different materials laid out makes my mind wander and I get excited about all the possible projects. Last week as I was walking down an isle, what did my eye spot: wood beads! In my basket they went immediately. I didn't know what I wanted to use them for, I just knew I had to have them. Last month, we shared with you our Keepsake Jar Necklace. After putting that project together, jewelry making has been on my mind. And it dawned on me, these wood beads would be perfect for a necklace!

This wood bead + copper necklace is extremely versatile and easy to make. Any color combinations caught your eye lately? Use those colors to create a super cute pattern for this adorable necklace.

Wood Bead + Copper Necklace
wood beads (any size you want to use)
acrylic paint
small paint brush
painters tape
copper piping (any size you want to use)
tubing cutter
chain necklace

Step One // Paint your beads. I chose two different colors (light and dark blue). Use as many colors as you want. Get creative! To paint half a bead, take painters tape and rap it around the area of the bead you do not want painted. Next, use a small paint brush to paint the part of the bead that is not covered with tape. Once dry, remove tape.

Step Two // Cut your copper pipes to desired length using your tubing cutter. I chose to incorporate four pieces of copper: two short (inside) and two a bit longer (outside)

Step Three // Create a layout for your necklace. When you figure out the pattern, string it on your chain necklace and you're done!

What I love about this necklace is that you can change the pattern at any time. Get bored of it one day? Switch around your beads and copper piping to make a different design.

{Claire}

MAKE / Keepsake Jar Necklaces

Going to Lake Michigan and spending the day at the beach is one of my favorite summer activities. First thing on my agenda when I get there: comb the beach for sea glass and unique rocks! At home the shelves in my office are full of these small mementos. One day I was looking at all the treasures I've collected and thought...why am I keeping these on a shelf that's out of sight and tucked away? These little pieces are beautiful and remind me of all the fun times I've had on different summer outings. After that, I decide to start making keepsake jar necklaces. Now whenever I wear these necklaces, I instantly think of the beach and all the great memories I've made there. 

Learn how to make these keepsake jar necklaces below. Fill the jars with anything! Get bored with what you put in them? They can easily be swapped out with something else or fill a couple different jars and rotate them whenever you feel like it. That's my favorite thing about this necklace, it's so versatile!

Supplies

Glass vials

Cork tops

Jewelry screw eyes

Jump ring

Jewelry clasp

Jewelry chain

Chain nose pliers

Step One // Find mementos that fit into the glass vial. I've chosen sea glass, pebbles, moss, and feathers. Play around with color schemes and textures.

Step Two // Twist a jewelry screw eye into the cork top. Next, attached a jump ring to the jewelry screw eye.

Step Three // Take the cork top (with the jewelry screw eye and jump right attached) and stick it into the glass vial. Make sure that the cork is pushed far into the bottle and won't come out.

Step Four // Cut jewelry chain to desired length using chain nose pliers.

Step Five // Put the chain through the jump ring that is attached to the cork and bottle.

Step Six // Attach a jewelry clasp to the chain and there you have it: a beautiful keepsake jar necklace!

{Claire}