DIY Turquoise Pearl Necklace

As I've delved deeper into my experiences with crafting (jewelry, sewing, etc.) some of you expressed an interest in sharing tutorials of the projects I post photos of. Well, I've answered your prayers! I've really been working hard to deliver some brief tutorials on some of my most favored projects, so I hope you guys have as much fun with this new journey as I will. I also hope you'll share any of your tips or projects with me, too. Don't hesitate to message/comment for better detail/instruction. I always answer quickly. So, here I'm going to do a very brief show and tutorial of one of my favorite hand-made necklaces -- my turquoise pearls. This necklace is so easy that you guys probably don't even need directions, but I still have a few really helpful tips for you in the mix.

 Items used to make the Turquoise Pearl necklace:

- Fishing wire. I used probably 10" (just a guesstimate) for a long necklace, which I thought was so fitting for these beads. Use the length you desire.

*I've said this before, but can't say it enough: fishing wire is the cheapest, most reliable way to go if you're someone who beads a lot. It's sturdy, clear (in case the string shows or your beads are clear, there's no weird color sticking out taking the spotlight from your lovely beads). You can get a ton of fishing wire in the fishing dept. at Wal-Mart for like $3 whereas the craft section sells a very small amount of the clear stuff for far higher.

- 28 -ish Turquoise pearl beads. These are obviously not real pearls, but who cares when the color is this beautiful? These were actually my very first ever bead buy! My lovie and I stopped in Hobby Lobby and by chance, they were having a close-out sale, so we racked the F up! I bought these first, went back the next day and got tons of others. Lucky for you, even if your local HL doesn't carry these, you can still find them. Try here.

 If you aren't as madly in love with this color as I am, a strand of regular pearls is just as classy and gorgeous, so feel free to tweak it.

- 2 Crimp beads I've said before, I got a cheap pack of like 30 crimp beads at Joann for around $2.

- One black or color of your choice bead. You may not be able to tell, but the one black, round, but crinkly shaped bead I used on only one side of this necklace has little bits of turquoise in it -- matching the pearls perfectly. I just liked giving the one side this bead because it makes it unique and just fun to me. You can skip it or do as you like. I got this bead in a pack of various shaped, lovely turquoise-colored beads from Joann. It was one of the little clear plastic packs with an assortment of very eye-catching beads. Trying to explain here... Seems like the brand was "Bobbi Brown" or something.

- Clasp is optional if your necklace will be as long as mine. It fits over my head without the clasp, so I never even use the clasp I wasted on this necklace.

                 Instructions (if you need em')

I realize this is a very easy beading project, so most people won't need a tutorial. I'll be brief, just in case you guys want to know how to construct this baby.

1. Cut your fishing wire to desired length. As I said, mine was probably around 10". Long enough to slip over my neck and hang at my chest.

2. Start stringin' on the beads. 

Tip: I use one of those clips... I call them "purse clips" as I don't know the actual name for em', but there found in most any store, especially Staples, if that helps you understand what type of clamp I'm talking about. To hold the end of my strand so I don't have to knot it immediately. I just loop it under the clamp real good.

3. Add crimp beads to each end of string.

4. Add an O-ring to each end of string, allowing a good inch for knotting and tucking into crimp bead. 

5. Knot string around O-rings. Fishing wire doesn't hold knots well, so do a couple of tight ones or use the fisherman's knot. Your crimp bead will secure the knot, so it's no big deal if it isn't perfect.

6. Slide crimp beads up and squeeze em' down over (or right under) the knot. 

7. Open one of the O-rings and attach the other O-ring into it, if this makes sense. Diagram below may be more helpful. It shows one "ring" opened and the other ring being slipped into it. Forgive me. I'm no artist. 

Then using pliers, adjust the opened ring back into place so they're securely held together. This will hold the necklace together.

** If you want to use a clasp, just do that and clasp it rather than attaching the O-rings to each other. If I'm confusing you, let me know & I will clarify.


Well, folks, that's all. If you need extra help, have a suggestion, tip or want to ask me about doing a tutorial on something in particular, do get in touch!

Much love,
Kendra

Charm Factory Beaded Bracelet

    

March Aquamarine Bracelet from Charm Factory

  Any of you lovelies ever purchased or heard of Charm Factory? I'd love to hear about it! Here I have the Aquamarine Charm Bracelet. Aquamarine is March's birthstone. Guess what month my B-day is in? You did guess March, right? Wrong! Ha Ha. It's actually in February. I just happened to like the Aquamarine color better than my birthstone which is Amethyst or purple. Lol. 

I love purple, it's my second favorite color. Guess what my first favorite color is? You did guess Aquamarine, right? Wrong again! Ha. Ha. This is too fun. OK, my first favorite is actually pink. I just had to tease for a second. Now, let me get on track.

A close up of the beads and chain.

Charm Factory carries the most beautiful charms, beads and bracelets! If you were nice enough to actually look at the photo, you can see that the Aquamarine Charm Bracelet comes with 3 aquamarine glass beads and 4 other silver beads. Each silver bead is different and beautiful. One looks sort of like a spring, I happen to love that one. One has a heart looking design, the other has a striped like design and the 4th one is a funny textured bead shaped in an oval... kind of. Just look closely at the photos, they'll explain a heck of a lot better than I do! Lol. All the beads have a gorgeous look to them.

 The chain is Silver Plated Brass. It is gorgeous! It's not like a regular, plain old chain, but very pretty. Again, you'll have to look at the photos to know what I'm saying. The Charm Bracelet is lead & nickel free with pewter glass. I don't know if you can see this or not, but the holes where the glass aquamarine beads are slid onto the chain are silver. This adds a beautiful, elegant look to the charms. Beads are stamped with 9.25 sterling silver. They come in a box like most jewelry making this even more perfect for gifting.

You'll also notice that the bracelet isn't totally full. There's good reason for that. Charm Factory offers many different jewelry options, but the charm bracelets come with these few beads shown that way you can select other beads from the site and add your own personal touch to your bracelet. I must say, these make stunning gifts! I've not yet purchased more beads to add to mine, but I plan to. You can always just purchase the charm bracelets and leave them as is since they are still gorgeous that way, but for the great prices, you can decide to add more any time. Another idea is to select several different colors and styles that way you can switch out the beads and have a 2-in-1 kind of deal. You could select aqua and silver and another color, say clear. Then one day you could wear only the aqua and silver and the next you could add the other color. You get what I'm saying? Neat idea!

I really fell for the Aqua Marine Charm Bracelet. I love the bold color of these beads. I'm a sucker for this color when it comes to jewelry and my clothing. When I make my own jewelry I somehow always manage to add this color. It's also a color that goes well with almost any clothing you're wearing. The Charm  Bracelets can be bought in any birthstone color. This also makes me think birthday gift!  

The ends of the chain have a little... doo-dad? I know, I'm terrible with explanations. It's a pretty little thing (just look at the photo) and on the opposite end of the clasp, this doo-dad screws off. This makes adding more charms to your bracelet easier. 

This particular charm bracelet is 7 1/2. My wrist is super tiny though so it is a little loose. It doesn't actually fall off of my wrist though and fits better than most bracelets I find do. Charm Factory offers different sizes. I know they at least off up to a 9. If you want to order, but have trouble you can always ask the super friendly customer service for help. If you are unsure of your wrist size, simply grab a measuring tape and measure it. 

It fasten with a lobster style clasp and an O-ring type of closure. It stays on well and looks SO nice. I can't stop admiring it when I wear it. I'm constantly staring at the different beads. It's been noticed each time I've worn it. These are very unique  bracelets and so far, mine's held up very well. I'm sure it will be around for a very long time. The charm bracelets look far more expensive than they are. They have a very expensive feel and look to them. Sorry QVC! Ha. Ha. I don't actually order from QVC, but I had to add that. The Charm Bracelets are priced at only  $10.99 at the moment. It's a great time to go ahead and grab one as a Christmas gift. 

Be sure to check out their huge selection of different beads, charms, chains, etc. They're all so gorgeous it's hard to choose! They also have pendants, lockets and jewelry tools and supplies. I love that they offer everything you could need right there in one place.

 

*I recieved no monetary compensation for the review. The review is my honest, unbiased opinion and was in no way persuaded. The review was written in exchange for an honest, and as always, complete review! See my honesty pledge at the top of the page for more info.*