Crafting: Party Necklace

 

It's the party time of year, and so the question of what to wear... We went to a fundraising dinner that was preceded by a bargain hunt to find a new dress because I didn't have anything to wear. Or at least it seemed like that. I was excited about a pretty aqua find but it really needed some accessorizing, which is not my strong suit. Unless we're talking about crochet, I guess!

It's funny. I really don't shop much at all if it isn't online or at Target. It's got to be one-stop or open in the wee hours. I'm sure many of you would say the same, right? So I wasn't sure where to go for a necklace. I'm sure I could have found something great, and perhaps even inexpensive, at the mall, and I'm sure I could have found something really fabulous at Etsy, but I had two days and so I went to the fabric store for beads to make one instead!

Yet another example of doing things the hard way! The project turned into a bit of a nail-biter because I was finishing it after the babysitter arrived. There were a couple times when the beads slipped off the cord. Grrr... I am not really into beading so I was "winging" it without much in the way of technique or supplies. My husband was kind enough to lend his finger for knot tying and was patient enough not to remind me that we were running late. And eventually I had a new necklace to go with my new dress.

Given my fast and loose approach to this project I don't have a tutorial to share. I'm sure I could learn how to do this more easily from many of you. But here is a little summary of what I did if you want to make something similar.

• I purchased all the beads (some glass and some acrylic) at Joann
• I used stretchy cord because I had it, knew I could knot it, and because I couldn't see a better alternative that wasn't stiff wire (requiring crimping or something...)
• I strung three strands, created a knot around the beads at each end (by taking the end of the cord, wrapping it around the bead and then pushing it back through center hole a second time and knotting securely), and then formed a loop with the cord at the end of each strand and secured it with multiple square knots and a dot of glue.
• And finally, I laid out the three strands parallel to each other and using some satin ribbon, strung one set of three loops at one end of the strands, and then strung the opposite set of three loops and tied the ribbon in a bow. Another way to do with would be to use the two pieces of ribbon to tie the three loops together on either end and then tie the ribbon together, and there are probably other ways I didn't think of in my panic...!

So there you have it! It was fun to wear, and will be fun to wear again. And at the time it seemed easier than going shopping for a necklace or brooch. But I don't know... Do you have a go-to party accessory?