This is just another simple and quick DIY project (YAY! My favorite!) that can be completed in less than a couple hours. I've been on the hunt for a nice long pearl strand, but my budget was...ahem...modest. Needless to say, there was nothing out there. So then I turned to glass pearls, which to my (novice) eye look the same as real pearls as far as color and luster go.I was inspired by the first Sex and the City movie in which the ever-amazing Carrie Bradshaw sports a beautiful long strand of pearls in several outfits throughout the film. Depending on the outfit she wore them with, they could be classic, contemporary, and (as seen in the photo to the left) downright edgy. I'd never seen pearls worn this way! I was hooked and knew I HAD to have a strand just like it. Unfortunately, even long strands made of glass pearls were incredibly pricey. Finally, I said to myself, "why not just make it?" It's straight forward, just simple beading, it will be easy. This was mostly true, haha!
I'll take you step by step in my first comprehensive DIY project so you can look fabulous and classy too!
First, here is the stuff you'll need:
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| Glass pearls (I got mine from Michael's) Clear beading line (from Ben Franklin's) Crimping beads (from Ben Franklin's) Some kind of clasp (I got a magnetic one from Michael's - LOVE it!) Crimper (for crimping beads...I'm cheap, so I just used a regular pair of pliers :D) |
Okay, first step: Measure and cut your beading line to the desired length of your necklace. I would also strongly suggest that you leave quite a bit of spare line - trust me, you'll thank me when you get to the last step.
Second: Thread the beading line through one end of the necklace clasp. Then, take one crimping bead and thread it on the line. Take the free end of the line that has been threaded through the necklace clasp and thread it back through the crimping bead to make a loop. (See photo below if this is confusing.)
Third: Take your pliers (or crimper) and smash the crimping bead as flat as you can make it. (The process is a little different if you have a crimper - so be sure to read an instructions!). You want the bead smashed flat because it's the only thing keeping the line from just slipping out of the clasp and you get to be THAT person who's bead necklace goes flying everywhere!
Here is what it should look like at this point...:
Fourth: Next comes the super easy part! Thread all of your beads onto the line.
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| Halfway done... |
Fifth: Alright, here comes the tricky part. (I struggled with this for the better part of half an hour.) After all you beads have been strung, take another crimping bead and string it just after the last pearl. Then, take the loose end of the line and thread it through the free end of the necklace clasp. Here is where I struggled (and why I said to make sure to have plenty of extra line): Take the loose end of the line that has been threaded through the free end of the clasp and pull it tight (otherwise you'll have a bunch of empty line around the clasp...which looks awful). Then, take the loose line (still in your hand pulled tight) and thread it back through the crimping bead to make a loop. Here is another hard part: maneuver the pliers (or crimper) so you can smash the crimping bead as flat as possible (I kid you not - this is way harder than it sounds). In fact, I might suggest you have someone else hold the beading line tight as you crimp the bead - I wish I had!
And...voila! You are done! Admire your genius handiwork!
To make mine look a LITTLE fancier and not as "homemade," I added some spare pearl drops I had laying around from when I did my Dolce & Gabbana earring DIY. I like the effect. :D
The finished length (as you can see to the right) is quite a bit shorter than what I was hoping for (which was the same length as Carrie's), but it was my fault for not buying enough beads (they were on sale too!). But for all the times that I had beads falling off the line and struggling with the last step, I wasn't about to go buy some more pearls and start over...AGAIN. All in all, I'm very happy with it. The necklace has a very nice weight to it that somehow makes it feel more expensive.
If I had been a REAL jeweler, I would have knotted the beading line after each pearl to make sure that if the line should ever break, beads won't go flying every which way (I am sad to say I've been a victim to this unfortunate occurrence before...). However, I was too lazy to look up this method and I wasn't even sure if I could accomplish it anyway. If you want to be extra cautious, I would suggest Googling the aforementioned knotting method.
I've yet to wear it with an outfit. I need to find that perfect look that makes pearls look cool and modern instead of matronly.
Well - I think that's all folks! See you around!
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