DIY

by Erica in D.I.Y. A couple of months ago, while visiting New York, we met the lovely Gretchen Jones and were fortunate enough to spend an entire day crafting in her über charming Brooklyn apartment. Not only is she amazingly talented and fascinatingly storied, Gretchen is one of the most humorous and genuine people we’ve gotten to know. After raiding a local hardware store for supplies and hardware, we spread out over her workspace, and whipped up several pieces of jewelry while sharing anecdotes. One of our favorite pieces was a necklace inspired by the honeycomb Universe necklace from Gretchen’s collection. With some brass rings, neon cording and a clever trick courtesy of Ms. Jones, this bold statement necklace is a cinch to DIY! (PS scroll down for the giveaway details!)     You’ll need:    various sized brass rings    neon nylon mason line cord    scissors    lighter      Start by laying out a pattern. Even tho...

"During this special time of year, a DIY project can not only yield a thoughtful gift, but can be a great opportunity to gather your friends and family together for a fun "crafternoon." By Madeline Trait of By Madeline Trait PHOTOGRAPHY BY: LISA ANDERSON SHAFFER With our love of vibrant prints, a similar design aesthetic, and lots of laughter leading the way, we created this fun DIY statement necklace that you can do in just 90 minutes. Give it a try and you will be looking like a fashion-forward femme fatale in no time. PHOTOGRAPHY BY: LISA ANDERSON SHAFFER MATERIALS :   90 minutes At least 1 yard of fabric Scissors Iron Wood beads -- we used 1-inch and 3/4-inch beads but you can choose any size you like Embroidery thread Sewing needle  PHOTOGRAPHY BY: LISA ANDERSON SHAFFER STEP 1: Cut your fabric into strips. For 1-inch beads the fabric needs to be 2.5 inches wide. For the 3/4-inch beads the fabric needs to be 2 inches wide. All strips should be no shorter than 30 i...

by Kristin Appenbrink. They’re easy to create and they add color and cheer anywhere you hang them. You will need: a 1/4″ diameter or 1/2″ diameter wooden dowel of any length. We used 36″ and 48″ long dowels, inexpensive yarn in various weights and colors, neon masonry line (found at the hardware store), glue and scissors. You’ll also need a place to hang your dowel while working, either on the backs of two chairs, or stool or on a ladder.   Begin by preparing your yarn. Cut groups of strings in varying lengths and colors. The smallest grouping I made was created by wrapping around my arm. This yields strings about 24 inches long when cut which will hang down about 12″ from the dowel when doubled up and glued. You can use anything to wrap around to create consistent strings. You could wrap from one doorknob to another, or cut each strings individually against a ruler. I even wrapped from my hand to my shoe and back to create longer lengths. Prepare groups of strings by color as you ...

by Erica I suppose we can call this week’s tutorial somewhat of a refresher course on how to master the perfect sliding knot. But the real reason why I had to recreate this familiar DIY with you is to share a little thing I recently discovered called a crimp end, that’s especially made for rhinestone chain. It’s a nifty finding that attaches to the ends, allowing you to finally put some use to all those few leftover inches of sparkle. Pay close attention and I’ll show you how to add to your growing and ever changing stack!   You’ll need:         a few inches of 2.5mm rhinestone chain         a pair of brass crimp ends         10-12 inches of 0.8mm chinese knotting cord         wire clippers         flat nose pliers         scissors         lighter Start by cutting the rhinestone chain to any length. Place the last link of the chain into the cr...

By Erica Karl Lagerfeld turned up the ol’ pearl game about 100 notches with ginormous pearl necklaces, bracelets and rings for Chanel‘s spring collection. Costumey, over-the-top and DIYable . . . I was sold. Next came the painstakingly long search for the largest pearls I could find and in my hunt for pearls, came the inspiration to make rings inspired by Russian designer Maria Stern‘s super chic double pearl rings. It’s a pearl party and everyone is invited! You’ll need (for the pearl choker):     2 30mm pearl beads     12 gauge gold wire choker     2 ball end headpins     2 bead caps     E6000     a toothpick     heavy duty wire cutters You’ll need (for the pearl rings):     10mm & 12mm half drilled Swarovski pearls     8mm & 6mm half drilled Swarovski pearls     ultra thin gold rings     super glue     wire cutters Use a pair of heavy duty wire clippers and ...

By Janet Crowther of (For the Makers) Contributor This St. Patrick's Day, skip the same old green T-shirt and make a real statement -- a statement necklace, actually. It's perfect for St. Patrick's Day (or any day) and only takes a few easy-to-find materials. Avoid a couple pinches this St. Patrick's Day by making this shamrock pattern necklace in the perfect shade of green. Master a few key techniques below and you'll be making statement jewelry in no time -- all the time! Materials: 20 headpins 13 (10x12mm) faceted glass teardrop beads round-nose pliers wire cutters 7 (16x12mm) faceted glass rectangle beads chain-nose pliers 20 small jump rings 2 large jump rings 21" curb chain cut into 5 sections: two sections of 2", two sections of 4.75", and one section of 7.5" lobster clasp Step 1: Start threading a headpin through each of the teardrop beads. Using round-nose pliers, create a loop at the top of each bead. Snip off any excess wire with wire ...