Let’s take a look at how to make a homemade necklace, it’s an inexpensive homemade gift compared to buying jewelry and enables you to exercise your imagination to create something truly original.
You can choose from a myriad of beads and pendants to create a very personal and unique piece of homemade jewelry.
But before you try to make one of my homemade necklaces take some time to run through the basics of how to make a necklace below and use it as a reference guide for any necklace project to take on.
Some jewelry findings can be quite small and it’s sometimes difficult to see how a technique has been created. For this reason, I’ve given a mixture of real photos along with some drawings to make the technique more visible.
Hanging a Pendant
Jewelry making pendants may be fixed on your threads in several ways. Many pendants have a loop at the top and some contain a hole going through them either front to back or side to side. Some even have a hole running through from top to bottom and they’re know as drops.
There’s a variety of ways for fixing your pendant to threads of any thickness. With large holed pendants the thread itself can be looped in such a way that the pendant hangs correctly without needing a finding.
On pendants with small holes or loops running from front to back, use either a jump ring or a bail and loop. The thread can pass through this, leaving the pendant hanging properly so that it rests flat upon the neck.
Using Jump Rings
If the hole is fairly deep set or runs from side to side, 2 jump rings may be used for the pendant to hang properly.
Use This Method To Open And Close Jump Rings
To open a jump ring it’s advisable to use two pairs of jewelry pliers. Don’t attempt to open a jump ring by pulling the ends apart, because this may distort the shape and it’ll become hard to get it back into a perfect circle.
- Hold a pair of pliers on both sides of the slit and twist the pliers slightly in opposite directions, opening up a gap.
- To close the ring, repeat the twisting motion in reverse to get the ends back together again.
Bail and Loop
If using a ‘bail and loop’ on your homemade necklace, make sure that the size of the loop is large enough for the thread. Squeeze the bail firmly shut with the prongs through each side of the hole on the pendant.
Hanging Drops
To hang drops you will have to create a loop for the thread to run through. To get this done you will have to make use of a headpin.
In the event that the opening through the drop (from top to bottom) is too big for the pinhead to hold it, you will need a cup or small bead at the bottom to prevent the pin from falling through.
- Position the cup or bead at the bottom of the pinhead and add the drop.
- Using your wire cutters, cut a generous ½ inch above the top of the drop.
- Bend the pin immediately above the bead at a right angle then curl the top up and around its self into a loop using the round nosed pliers. Ensure there’s no gap in the loop.
With large holed pendants the thread itself can be looped in such a way that the pendant hangs correctly without needing a finding.
Using A Crimp Bead
A crimp bead can be used to attach a finding – Often as a jump ring to the end of a length of bead stringing wire, and also to hold individual beads in position and stop them moving around.
- Thread the crimp to the beading wire.
- Press the crimp shut using the hole close to the pliers handle. This gives your crimp a fold in the center.
- Now flatten the crimp with the hole closest to the pliers tip for a neat finish.
- Add your bead and then a crimp again on the other side to hold it in place.
Featuring Beads On Your Homemade Necklace
- First consider the length you would like the necklace as well as whether or not you would like the thread or wire to be covered entirely.
- A smaller necklace or choker normally has a big bead or pendant as the center piece. A favorite style is usually to leave a percentage of the cord or leather thong on view.
- Should you be filling the thread with beads of the same dimension you can work out the number you’ll need after you have determined the length. Use a tape-measure around your neck to get an idea, after that divide the measurement by the length of a bead (hole to hole). So, for a filled choker of 40cm you will want 50 8mm round beads.
- Check out this info on the many different jewelry making threads and wires
- Experiment with various sized jewelry making beads. Probably the most typical strategy is to use smaller beads at the back where the necklace must be comfortable to wear, and bigger beads in front, on prominent display.
Think about using spacer beads between bigger beads. select a color to tone or contrast, or simply neutral such as gold or silver.
You may knot the thread in between each and every bead. It can be quite effective to knot groups of beads along the thread.
For more info How To String A Necklace With Thread is an ideal project to familiarize yourself with traditional stringing using a needle and thread.
Finishing Your Homemade Necklace
Based on the thread you’ve selected (see our which jewelry making thread guide) and on individual taste there are many ways to complete your homemade necklace.
Points to consider will be the thickness of the thread, the length of the actual item you’re making as well as the ease with which you’ll want to put on and take off your jewelry.
Waxed Thread
Waxed thread is a great combination with a clasp with loops, a bolt and ring or trigger clasp are amongst the most widely used. A calotte is then used to attach the thread to the clasp. The calotte covers unsightly knots and incorporates a loop onto which you may attach your clasp. To give your knot some extra body simply pass the end of the thread back through the knot another time.
Lay the knot inside the hollow of the calotte and squeeze it tightly closed. Trim the loose strands that stick out at the very top. Open the loop on the calotte and fix it to the clasp.
Beading Wire
Beading wire can be unhappy when knotted. Use a small crimp, squeezed firmly with the half-round/flat nosed pliers. A crimp cover will improve the finish (see using a crimp bead above).
Leather or Cotton Thong
A leather cord necklace can be finished in many ways. Leather crimps combined with a hook are the most typical. There’s two basic kinds of leather crimp, round and flat.
For round crimps ensure a tight fit, double the cord if needed. Grip the end coil and squeeze gently but firmly with the half-round/flat- nosed pliers until the spring has tightened on the cord and is secure. It can help if you keep the end of the spring facing you. Squeeze the end coil only.
Attach a hook to one loop. This will attach to the loop on the opposite crimp.
For flat crimps fold the end of the cord double if it won’t fit comfortably and place it inside the crimp. Fold each side down in turn and squeeze tight with the half-round/ flat nosed pliers.
Add a hook to one crimp loop and a jump ring (split ring) to the other. A clasp can be substituted for the hook.
You might prefer to join the ends with a simple knot, a hook can be knotted to one side of the cord, catching on to a knotted loop or jump ring on the other.
Tying a slip knot
A leather or cotton thong necklace can be finished using simple slip knots, enabling the necklace to be worn at various lengths.
- With the necklace laying flat curve the length of leather on the right over to the left then curve the leather on the left on top of it and over to the right.
- Take the end of the leather that’s been curved to the right and pass it over then under the other piece of leather, loop it around and over itself then back through the loop you have just created.
- Pull the leather on both sides of the knot to tighten.
- Repeat the process on the other side.
The Next Step
Let’s take a look at how to make this silver pendant necklace
Such a nice necklace. Will give it a try.
My favorite pearl necklace came un-threaded the other day, and I am looking to find a way to repair it. It is good to know that one should first, consider the length you would like the necklace. I also like what was mentioned about deciding whether or not you would like the thread or wire to be covered entirely. I will have to think about this before re-threading my pearls, thanks.