Happy Mothers' Day

To all you wonderful moms out there, happy mothers' day! This world would not be so beautiful if we didn't have so many loving moms. I know I wouldn't be the person I am without all the love, support and sacrifice my mom has given me. She is truly amazing. This year I wanted to make her something special. And, knowing that purple is her favourite colour, I found the right materials to make her something she would love, that's just her style. I gave it to her yesterday, on mothers day, and she loved it!

DIY Woven Chain Necklace Tutorial

Well here it is! The tutorial for the woven chain necklace. This statement necklace is a perfect addition to your summer wardrobe, to add that extra splash of colour!

Materials

• 3 curb chains. One 17 inches in length, the other two 14 inches in length.
• Two different colours of embroidery floss.
• 1 needle (large enough to thread the embroidery floss through)
• Pliers, round nose and flat nose
• Beads
• Head pins
• Jump rings
• Clasp

The Steps

1) String the first colour of embroidery thread through the needle and secure it with a knot. Make sure the length is at least 34 inches. 

2) Lay out the 17 inch chain and a 14 inch chain on the table, with the longer chain above the shorter. Then, centre the 14 inch chain to the middle of the 17 inch chain. There should between 1-1.5 inches of extra chain on each side of the 17 inch chain, if the 14 inch chain is centered properly.  This is how the chains should be positioned when they are woven together.

3) Using the embroidery floss, tie a knot to link both chain links from each chain. Make sure you use the first chain link on the 14 inch chain when you do this.

4) Weave the thread through the beginning of the 14 inch chain, then continue to weave diagonally through the chains, from bottom to top.

5) Once you’ve finished weaving through the first two chains, tie a knot at the end to secure them.

6) Take your second colour of embroidery thread and thread it through the needle, securing it with a knot at the end. Again, make sure your floss is at least 34 inches in length. 

7) Line up the loose 14 inch chain with the woven 14 inch chain, setting both ends side by side.

8) Repeat steps three through five. 

9) Once you have completed weaving your chains, prepare your beads using the head pins to add rosary loops onto the beads. If you have never done rosary loops, follow this video here for simple instructions.

10) When the rosary loops are complete, take your chain and fold it in half to locate the centre of the chain. 

11) Once you have determined the centre of the chain, hook a jump ring through the centre chain link and slide your first bead onto the jump ring. Close the jump ring. Work down the necklace from the centre and add all the beads accordingly. Link one bead to each side of the centre bead as you go, so the beads are distributed equally on the necklace.

12) Add the clasp to the necklace.

13) Enjoy your new statement necklace!  

Woven Chain Necklace

After trying a few different techniques, I was able to perfect this lovely woven chain necklace. I've been seeing these statement necklaces everywhere, but I find they can be very expensive. I was able to make this one with under $7 in material! I will post a tutorial on how you can make your own woven chain necklace soon. But first I need to get some more material! My apartment flooded this past week and some of the required materials for this necklace where lost in the mess. Whoops! In the mean time, here's a preview of what you will learn to make.

Braided Seed-Bead Statement Necklace

As a person that really enjoys having lots of options in at my disposal for jewelry, I am always keeping my eyes open for something new to add to my collection. However, like most people, my budget doesn't allow me for too much room to add variety to my collection. Therefore, I've been looking to DIY statement necklace projects to mix up my every day wardrobe. For those that are looking for a budget-friendly project, I recommend trying the braided seed-bead statement necklace. I bought seed beads at my local dollar store and was able to make this. It's a beautiful statement for an everyday look.

This is a simple necklace to create. It's also a fantastic homemade gift you can make for someone. I've made several of these for friends' birthdays in the past couple of months, and they love them! There's a great blog, ECAB, where you can follow step-by-step instructions on how to make your own. It's where I was inspired to try this! And I'm certainly happy with mine. Check out ECAB here to make your own.

Statement Necklace Wish List - Etsy

Statement necklaces are pretty big right now, and I'm discovering it's for a good reason. As a girl living in forever-raining West Coast BC, what better way to add a pop of colour to my life than through a fantastic statement necklace? If you're having a day where you're not sure how to spice up your outfit, just add a colourful statement necklace to your ensemble.

Though everyone loves to have a unique piece that is their own, it's been a little challenging to find this when all the stores are selling the same style of statement necklace where I'm from. That's why I've looked to Etsy - a place you can find something uniquely yours! Here are some amazing finds I wanted to share.

These necklaces come from the following boutiques on Etsy: 99CARAT, BellaJewelry4u, Blueoceanjeweller, elinacreations, JewelryByJessicaT, and TheVelvetBumble.