DIY Tribal Necklace
Last week we dealt with the issue of whether or not tribal jewelry is politically incorrect. The short answer is no, but if you care to delve into the reasoning, you can read it here. Riding on the rush from that post, I decided to embark on an adventure to see whether I could create a DIY tribal necklace project. So, with 1 hour to spare before a charity event I was throwing, I headed out to man heaven (a.k.a. Home Depot) decked in floor-length black taffeta skirt, a crisp white collared shirt and tons of jewelry. In an effort to blend with my surroundings, I threw on a denim shirt for good measure but I doubt I was fooling anyone. I would have stopped to take pictures for posterity but didn’t want to cause a “Silvia dancing in Trevi Fountain” scene and get carted off to the loony bin an hour before my event. Anyway, mission accomplished. Here is what you will need:
5/8-Inch Compression Brass Nuts, 2-Piece
3/8-Inch Compression Brass Sleeves
1/2-Inch Compression Brass Sleeves
50′ x 1/2″ Braided Poly Utility Rope
Embroidery floss, multicolored
Lighter
Scissors
Cut 3 pieces of rope, mine were 14, 16, and 18 inches. Burn each of the cut ends quickly with a lighter and carefully press the frayed edges together tightly so that the rope doesn’t fray as you’re working.
Double knot your first color of embroidery floss onto the rope, put one drop of rubber cement on the knot, tuck and hold the short end down against the rope.
Begin wrapping floss tightly and evenly around the rope to create color block sections. Interchange colors of floss if you want different colored sections or use two different colors of floss in one section to create a striped effect like I did below. Make sure to double knot the end of every color section and secure it with a drop of rubber cement. In my necklace I used 5 different colors of floss and left 2 sections of bare rope showing because I liked the pattern.
If you are using the 1/2 inch brass sleeves, you will want to slide one onto the rope after you finish each color section of floss, make sure you double knot the floss and put a drop of rubber cement onto the knot to secure it and the brass sleeve in place. I am using 1/2 inch brass sleeves so they fit over 2 pieces of rope; this creates less gap in between the 3 different lengths.
Line the inside of the compression nut with rubber cement and slide a magnet inside each nut making sure (before you glue them in) that your magnets are facing the right way so they attract each other rather than repel when the nuts are held facing each other.
Line the inside of the compression nut with more rubber cement and secure 3 ends ropes into each nut.
The nuts are magnetic and will serve as clasps. Trim away any loose ends and knots. Your finished necklace should look something like this.
Alternatively, if you don’t feel like making your own DIY tribal necklace, you can buy them pret-a-porter from Holst + Lee here.
Big Kiss and Bigger Diamonds,
JZP
