DIY Gemstone Statement Necklace

These last few days at work have been crazy and stressful. After a particularly trying day, I headed to Michael's to find a project. In the past I would deal with my stress by a good junk food binge. Since I can't do that anymore I've starting finding projects to relax me. (Along with buying a new pair of heels. That ALWAYS helps too!!)

I have seen several different versions of this statement necklace project on Pinterest and ended up using a idea from each one to create my own.

Materials:

• Felt
• Plastic Canvas
• Gemstones
• Ribbon
• Craft Glue

First, I cut the plastic canvas into a crescent-style shape. (You can create any shape you like, the possibilities are endless here)

I ended up changing the shape of the necklace at the end...

Next, I cut the felt to match and glued them together.

The next step was to determine what pattern I wanted to create with the gemstones. As I mentioned above, I changed the shape of necklace at this point. I didn't like the full crescent shape so I trimmed it to a semi-circle. I experimented with a few designs and finally decided on covering the entire area with the gems.

Next, I glued the stones to the backing by applying a drop of craft glue to the back of each gem and placing it back in position on the felt. (This was a fairly tedious process but thankfully, I had a good episode of NCIS to watch while I worked.)

The last step was to attach a length of ribbon to the outer corners of the backing after the gems had dried overnight. I attached with craft glue but also added a couples stitches to make sure everything was secure.

I really love how this turned out. And you get such bang for your buck! Excluding the craft glue, I only spent $5 for all the materials. I used half of the gems and have enough felt and backing to make at least four more necklaces.

I want to try this project again with jewel-colored stones of varied sizes. Maybe this weekend!!

DIY Jeweled Belts

 

Thursdays on the blog are going to be devoted to being thrifty. Money saving DIYs, crafts, tips, etc.

To start the series off I decided to create 2 DIY jeweled belts. We all need a little something sparkly and special to pump up an outfit for the holidays. It's even better when you have everything you need to make it!!

I am a bit of a jewelry freak. I have tons of it and that is not an exaggeration! A year or so ago I bought some gemstone brooches from a local boutique. I wasn't quite sure how I would wear them but figured they would come in handy. Well I have worn them exactly 0 times... until now!

Supplies:

• Belts - I used a wide, stretchy one for version 1 and a skinny one for version 2
• Brooch Pins -  any type will work.

Version 1: A wide stretch belt

I chose to create a cluster with 4 brooches but the options are endless really. You could line multiple ones up in a row, use one big brooch, create a square "buckle" shape, or cluster different shapes and sizes... Just use your imagination and you can have a different look every time.

My belt has a metal clasp so I twisted it around to be in the back instead of the front. I simply pinned the brooches in a cluster in the middle of the belt.

 

Version 2: A narrow skinny belt

For this version I decided to use 3 of the brooches lined up in a row. I again turned the belt so the buckle would be at my back, then pinned each brooch around the belt as shown below.

 

 

 

What I love about this project is that it doesn't ruin the belts or pins. I can take them apart and wear them separately or change them up any way I want. And it only takes minutes!!