No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920s Headband (Tutorial)

by Rena Klingenberg. © 2003-Present Rena Klingenberg. All Rights Reserved

No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920s Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

In this easy mixed media project we’ll make a versatile accessory with big, bold style!

It’s a statement piece that can be worn as a necklace:

Necklace from No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920s Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

. . . or as a 1920s style headband:

Headband from No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Although the necklace is very striking, it’s also soft and comfortable:

Necklace from No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

And worn as a headband, it can be either dressy or casual:

Headband from No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Also, wearing this chic accessory as a headband can be the perfect fix for a bad hair day.

It provides instant style, and the band is wide enough to cover up a variety of hair issues. 🙂

Supplies:

  • Wide stretchy fabric headbands.
    Look for them in the barrettes & ponytail elastics aisle of stores.
    My headbands are 2.5″ (63.5mm) wide x 18″ (457mm) around, and came in a package of 5:

    Wide fabric headbands for No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

  • Large pendants – a minimum of 1.75″ (45mm) and up.
    This is an occasion for big, bold focal pieces!
    Anything smaller than that will look tiny and insignificant hanging from the wide fabric band.
  • Large, sturdy jump rings.
    I used 15mm heavy gauge jump rings:

    Large jump rings for No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

  • Chain nose and round nose pliers – for opening and closing jump rings.

How I Came Up with
This Jewelry Idea:

The manufacturer intended the headbands to be worn like this:

Wide fabric headbands for No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

But it occurred to me that they could also be interesting to wear like this:

Wearing wide fabric headband around the neck - No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

And that a pendant would make it even better:

No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

So in addition to being a fabulous statement necklace to slip on over your head:

No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

It can also still be a headband – but better, now that it has a dramatic focal element:

No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

How to Make a
No-Sew Stretchy Necklace
or 1920s Headband:

IMPORTANT:

To wear this design as a necklace, make sure the fabric band hangs LOOSELY around the wearer’s neck.

There should be plenty of open space between the fabric band and the neck.

If the band does not fit loosely around the wearer’s neck, she/he should NOT wear it as a necklace.

This accessory is NOT recommended for children under the age of 18.

If you get a multi-pack of fabric headbands, you can make a nice little wardrobe of accessories:

Assortment of wide fabric headbands for No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Here are the pendants I used for the finished pieces in this tutorial.

On the ruler beside them, you can get a good idea of their sizes:

Pendants for No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

The green rectangular pendant is wooden.

The brass faux coin and key pendants are ones I purchased at a craft store awhile back.

The beige pendant is a seashell cut into a go-go donut shape.

Your stretchy necklace / headband needs only three components – the fabric band, a bold pendant, and a big jump ring:

Supplies for No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Use your chain nose and flat nose pliers to twist open your jump ring:

Twisting open a jump ring for No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Then string the opened jump ring through the hole at the top of your pendant:

Threading jump ring through pendant for No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Now find the center front of the fabric band (directly across from the seam in the band).

Gather the fabric in the center front enough so that it will fit into the opened jump ring:

Attaching jump ring to fabric band for No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Use your chain nose and flat nose pliers to twist your jump ring shut again:

Jump ring twisted shut - No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

And your necklace / headband is finished!

Necklace from No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Headband from No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

Necklace from No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

No-Sew Stretchy Necklace or 1920's Headband - Tutorial by Rena Klingenberg

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