diy: map pendant necklace

I picked up these pretty silver pendant backings and plastic cabachon covers at a local craft shop, and they've been sitting in my craft drawer just waiting to be used.  I decided to scroll through etsy for inspiration, and found several variations of map necklaces!  I'm a sucker for any kind of map (I'm a geography major.. it comes with the territory!), so I knew that it would be perfect.

(this picture is of the back of my calendar...showing all the different maps included!)

At first I tried printing off maps, but that was a nightmare.  Then I remembered that I had an old Ancient Maps calendar stashed away in my room!  I knew it would come in handy one day (hoarding for the win! thanks dad...).

The hardest part of this project was trying to decide which map and what part of it to use!  Now I'm on the lookout for more map diys so I can use up the rest of my calendar! hehe.

Supplies:

-silver pendant setting

-plastic cabachon covers

-white glue

-E6000 glue

-old map scraps

-chain

-jump rings

Directions:

1) Take your plastic cabachon covers and move them over your map scraps until you find somewhere that will work well in a pendant.  

2)  Then, place a tiny bit of white glue over the back of the cover, and firmly press down over your chosen spot.  It may want to slide around a bit, so press firmly and then release and don't touch it again until it's dry!

3)  Once all traces of glue are dried, cut around the cover as close to the edges as possible.

4)  Now, place a dab of E6000 glue onto your silver pendant setting, and firmly press the plastic cover onto it.  Make sure the map is centered before the glue starts to set!

5)  While the pendant dries, measure out your chain to whatever length you'd like.  I chose to make mine nice and long, and added a jump ring instead of a clasp since it will fit right over my head. (jump rings are cheaper, so I like using them in place of clasps when I can!)

6)  Finally, use another jump ring to attach the pendant onto your necklace!

So, you should probably make these, and then go on an adventure!

p.s. ♥ kelsey

diy: birdcage necklace

I'm not sure if this really counts as a diy...haha.  It kind of feels like I'm cheating!  I suppose I'm just drawn to simple projects, especially when making my own jewellery.  It doesn't have to be super complicated or expensive, and it feels nice to put stuff together yourself.

I found this darling birdcage pendant on sale at Michaels, and I just couldn't pass it up.  If you haven't noticed, I go to Michaels a lot.  Definitely a bit obsessed!  Their prices are a bit ridiculous, but if you have a coupon, or can spot a good sale, then you're good to go!

Materials:

-pendant

-chain

-jump ring
-pliers (or just very strong fingers!)

Directions:

First loop your jump ring through your pendant, and hold.  Then find the exact middle of your chain, and loop that chain through the jump ring as well.  Finally, use pliers (or strong fingers!) to close the jump ring.  Voila!  That's all!

Now I always make sure that my pendant, chain and jump rings all match since I'm a bit ocd.  There are so many variations of golds, coppers, and silvers that it can be a bit tricky!  I've found that sticking with the same brand makes matching much easier!  

Also, you may want to buy a longer length of chain, and then have the option to cut it into lengths.  You'll then need to purchase clasps as well, but those are super easy to attach to your chain...so experiment with whatever works best for you!

I love that this piece of jewellery is nearly one of a kind, and it always feels nice to work with your hands a bit!

And thanks goes to my gorgeous roomie for putting up with all my crazy blog stuff...and for modelling the necklace!  I am so blessed to have such patient and supportive friends!

p.s. ♥ kelsey

diy: peter pan collar necklace

I've been obsessed with peter pan collars for a looong time, and am SO HAPPY that stores finally carry an abundance of shirts and dresses with them.  They're so sweet and feminine, and I love the extra detail they add to an outfit.

Peter Pan collar necklaces have also been popping up everywhere, however they tend to cost a bit more than I'd like to shell out at the moment....sooo, I decided to do it myself!

[This diy video from missglamorazzi  was super helpful, so check it out for a more thorough explanation!]

Although I absolutely LOVED the way the pearl collar turned out, I have to say that it ended up being quite heavy and very delicate.  Even with a good glue, the beads will still end up getting knocked off...so just be warned!

Materials:

-felt (I just picked up a pack at the dollar store)

-scissors

-Aleene's tacky glue AND modpodge

-wax paper

-ribbon

[optional]: 

-chalk (for drawing an outline on the felt before you cut)

-an assortment of beads, pearls, glitter, etc.

Instructions:

I chose to draw and cut out a few different templates to try out with various shirts and dresses in my closet.  Once I found one that I loved, I placed the template over the felt, traced around it with chalk, and cut it out.

Plain collar:

I realized that I loved the simplicity of a plain black collar, so I didn't add any further embellishments!  Once you have your collar cut out, glue a piece of ribbon to each side (see photo below).   Make sure that your ribbon pieces will easily tie into a bow/knot when attached to the collar!

Pearl collar:

For the pearl collar I chose to use an assortment of pearls that I found at Michaels!  They had strands on for 99 cents, so I chose a few different off-whites, greys and light pinks.

First, I glued larger pearls around the outside edge of the collar to create a border.  Then, I used an old paintbrush to brush glue on the rest of the collar, poured smaller pearls onto it, and pressed them down into the glue.  I love the random arrangement of colour that happened, and it saved a lot of time compared to laying each one down separately.  Let your collar dry overnight before attaching ribbon!

Glitter collar:

I had some gold glitter lying around, and just couldn't help myself.  Again, I used an old paintbrush to brush the glue over the entire collar, and then went crazy sprinkling it with glitter.  I gently shook off the excess, and retouched any areas that didn't quite get covered.  Let this dry overnight on wax paper, and brush a coat of modpodge over top to keep the glitter from getting everywhere!  Let this dry before attaching the ribbon.

And voila!  You're done!

Now these collars don't stay in place as well as one that's sewn to your shirt (duh..), so we ended up using a teeny bit of double-sided tape under the front of the collar to help it stay put!

"The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it."

-J.M. Barrie (Peter Pan)

p.s. ♥ kelsey