NDAY, JULY 19, 2010
Retro Button Necklace Tutorial
Somewhat recently I was at my mother-in-laws house browsing magazines. I was looking through O Magazine and saw this necklace from Lenora Dame featured. I about fell off the couch when I saw how much it cost. Look at the picture and take a guess at the price.
Did you guess $70?!? If yes, then you were correct. I couldn't believe how expensive it was! I knew that I could make my own for much, much less! Doesn't my necklace look just as good? : )
Here is the how-to:
Materials:
Variety of buttons
Tiger-tail wire
2 crimp beads
2 Jump rings
Clasp
Chain or ribbon
Gather your buttons. I used a variety of vintage buttons given to me by my grandma.
Cut a piece of wire the desired length of the button portion of your necklace, plus about 4 inches.
Put on a crimp bead, then a jump ring, then loop the wire back through the crimp bead. Pull it tight and squish the bead with jewelry pliers.
Hint: If you use beads on the end that have really big openings you will have a hard time keeping the crimp bead from slipping in to the hole. Add another bead with a small hole on the end before you put on the crimp beads.
Did you guess $70?!? If yes, then you were correct. I couldn't believe how expensive it was! I knew that I could make my own for much, much less! Doesn't my necklace look just as good? : )
Here is the how-to:
Materials:
Variety of buttons
Tiger-tail wire
2 crimp beads
2 Jump rings
Clasp
Chain or ribbon
Gather your buttons. I used a variety of vintage buttons given to me by my grandma.
Cut a piece of wire the desired length of the button portion of your necklace, plus about 4 inches.
Put on a crimp bead, then a jump ring, then loop the wire back through the crimp bead. Pull it tight and squish the bead with jewelry pliers.
I decided to start with two wooden beads. They help with the retro look.
String the buttons along the wire until there is only about 2 inches of wire left. Be sure to end with the beads!
Add a crimp bead and jump ring to the wire. Just like before, loop the wire back through the crimp bead. Pull it tight, thread the extra wire down through the wooden beads, and smash the crimp bead.
Hint: If you use beads on the end that have really big openings you will have a hard time keeping the crimp bead from slipping in to the hole. Add another bead with a small hole on the end before you put on the crimp beads.
