Dramatic Necklace from Jewelry Links and Chain Scraps (Tutorial)
by Rena Klingenberg. © 2003-Present Rena Klingenberg. All Rights Reserved
This chain necklace is easy to make from a handful of large jewelry links and small pieces of leftover chain.
It makes a bold statement, yet it’s so lightweight you can hardly feel that you’re wearing it.
I made this necklace choker length, but longer lengths – even as long as waist-length – would also be stunning.
You may even want to make this project into a super-necklace.
Supplies:
- Large jewelry links or soldered rings.
I recommend using an odd number of large links, so that when you wear the necklace one of the links will be in the center of the front.
For a choker-length necklace, I used 9 round links that are 3 cm diameter.
They are a dark antiqued brass color: - Scraps of leftover chain (or you can cut pieces from longer chain).
I made each chain scrap 2.2 cm long.
I used this shiny brass chain with links that open like jump rings: - Optional: Jump rings, if your chain links are soldered and don’t open like jump rings.
- Necklace clasp.
I used this shiny brass lobster clasp that matched my chain scraps: - Chain nose pliers.
- Flat nose pliers.
How to Make a
Necklace from Links and Chain Scraps:
Cut your pieces of chain that will go in between your large jewelry links.
Each piece of chain should have an odd number of chain-links.
That will enable all of your large jewelry links to lie flat nicely when the finished necklace is worn.
(My chain pieces all have five chain-links.)
Now open the end link on one of your chain scraps, and attach one of your large jewelry links to it (or use a jump ring if your chain-links don’t open).
Add another large jewelry link to the opposite end of the chain scrap:
Now add another chain scrap to the second large jewelry link – and then attach a third large jewelry link to the other end of that chain scrap:
Keep building like this until your necklace reaches your desired length.
Then attach your clasp to one end of your necklace.
Attach a jump ring to the other end of your necklace for fastening your your clasp onto:
The finished necklace is wonderfully light and has a slinky, almost liquid motion:
You can even pile it up into a very small space:
Who would think such a sophisticated look was created from scraps?