It’s Summertime, which means beach parties, bbqs…and bohemian baubles! Flip through this season’s catalogues — for places like Free People, House of Harlow, and Anthropologie — and you’ll find oodles of odes to gypsy-chic style.It’s hard not to get lured into the easy-breezy look of the bejeweled beatnik, and thanks to the raw stone charm trend at craft stores and the Handy Thread Twister (necklace strands have never been so easy to make!) you can stop trying. With just a few supplies and about 15 minutes of time, you can create a personalized piece thats fit for anywhere from Burning Man to brunch. Here’s how:
Materials
Clover Handy Thread Twister
Large stone charm
Thin strands of leather, cotton and/or metallic thread
8″/20.5 cm piece of chain
Jewelry findings (o-rings, endcaps, and clasps)
Jewelry Pliers
Finished Length
15″/38 cm (from clasp to bottom of chain)
Directions
Make Necklace Strands:
- Cut 2, 12″/30.5 cm lengths of leather, cotton and/or thread to desired necklace length.
- Create twisted cord as follows:
Tie thread piece to each hook on Handy Thread Twister, taking care that knot ends are short so they don’t tangle.
Lay the Handy Thread Twister on a table; pull threads perpendicularly and know ends together so the two pieces are even.
With the index and middle finger of your non-dominant hand, stretch the thread so it’s taught.
With your dominant hand, turn gear from top to bottom, 40-50 times, ending with the hooks facing down.
Pinch the knot at the end of the two threads; gently release hand holding the Handy Thread Twister; let spin. Thread will be twisted once spinning is complete.
Remove threads from the hooks; tie loose knot to hold in place for later. Necklace Strand made.
Repeat this process to make two more Necklace Strands.
And now for a break for an old-timey, tool-in-action flicker!
Assemble Necklace:
- Gently unknot ends of Necklace Strands. Lay pieces with one end off all strands so they’re even.
- Using jewelry pliers, attach endcap finding to one end. Loosely braid Necklace Strands; attach endcap to opposite end.
- Attach o-rings and clasp to endcaps.
- Attach stone pendant by folding strands in half, sliding loop through pendant ring, and feeding strand ends through loop; pull taught.
- Attach chain to onto Necklace Strands on either side of pendant.Wear it!
