Friday, June 27, 2014

Spiky Wrought Iron Necklace

Hi, everybody!  Take a peek at my new upcycled necklace.



It's actually a double upcycled design.  The oval wrought iron links came from a length of ornamental garden chain:



It's easy to harvest big chain links for jewelry making.  You  just need two pairs of pliers, and a bit of gentle force in a twisting motion.




But how about those dainty Gothic black spikes?  Look where they came from!


A plastic, super realistic "wrought iron" garden fence.  From the dollar store!  Specifically, the 99 Cents Only store.  Run out and get yourself a fabulous fake fence, because here comes the DIY.

Begin with the large oval chain links.  Use a jump ring to connect a little tassel to each link.


Use another jump ring to attach the link/tassel combo to the center of a necklace chain.  I chose a chain with a dark gunmetal finish.



Now on to the spikes!  Use wire cutters to snip the pointy bits from the garden fence.



If needed, take little snips to make them all the same length.



With a push pin, poke a starter hole near the top of the spike.  Then enlarge the hole a bit, using small scissors or a skewer.  It just needs to be wide enough to admit a jump ring.






Add the jump ring and connect your spike to the chain.




Now just continue building the necklace, with evenly spaced links and spikes.  I used a chain long enough to go over my head, so I didn't bother with a clasp.  (If you prefer a shorter look, add a clasp at the back.)

And that, my fiends, is that.



It is surprisingly light and fun to wear - heck, I'm wearing it right now.  And it's not even close to Halloween.





11 comments:

  1. This is super duper fun. I am so bummed that the 99 cent store isn't near me. Sad trombone. I would so rock this. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Oh, drat! No 99 cent stores? You would SO rock the spikes, Shannon. Maybe check the other dollar stores nearby, perhaps somebody else has the same thing.

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  2. You should used this one for the guessing game - nobody would have guessed it right. It looks fabulous btw

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  3. This is a real statement necklace! And it looks supercool! :)

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  4. Very smart dear Mich!! and I hardly believe that its not an iron piece.. totally interesting and beautiful :)

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  5. You'd never know they didn't come right off a real wrought iron fence. Clever girl!!

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  6. How creative to use the spikeys from the fence and cost effective !! I bet some of the teenagers and some adults will love it!!

    Thanks for sharing!

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  7. Wow! Who could have thought where the beads came from! This is an absolutely amazing necklace and a super-exciting tutorial too! Thank you for sharing it with us Michelle!

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  8. Wrought iron necklace. The name already make me excited! Love you and your creativity always.

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  9. I think you should wear a "GoPro" camera when you go out and about. As close to seeing how your brain works as we're gonna get I think. How freaking awesome is this? Featuring you when my link party opens up tonight.

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  10. Super clever. I will never get over how your mind works!!

    I agree with Carol about putting a GoPro on your head! :)

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