peace & love,
kaylee
Showing posts with label diy by kaylee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diy by kaylee. Show all posts
11.14.2012
DIY: Fall Leaf Garland & Polka Dot Infinity Scarf
I have some very exciting news to share - I'm now a contributor over at After Nine To Five! I'm going to be popping in throughout each month to share some brand-new DIY projects I've created. I'll be sharing simple tutorials in style, jewelry, and home decor. In fact, I've already shared two projects; the Fall Leaf Garland and the Polka Dot Infinity Scarf. (Click below to check out both tutorials!)
I'm so happy to have an opportunity to do what I love and teach crafty projects to all of you beautiful people. Head over to After Nine To Five and check out my projects, I'd love to hear what you think of them. (And watch out for more new tutorials every month!)
3.25.2012
DIY Week: Braided Watch Bracelet
(In honor of International Earth Day & The Vernal Equinox on March 20th, I'm hosting a DIY Week on my blog. You can anticipate the normal programmed blog schedule, but from the 19th to the 25th of March 2012, I'll be sharing one new DIY tutorial each day. All of these projects are inspired by the re-purposing and re-cycling materials for the benefits of the Earth and preventing more things from ending up in the garbage. Click here to see more DIY tutorials by Kaylee.)
Welcome to Day Seven of DIY Week! This is a project I've been wanting to do for years. I picked up this little watch piece at a a thrift store years ago, wanted to make a bracelet piece for it. Originally, I wanted to do a Hemp bracelet attachment, but as I was searching my scrap bins, I found a piece of this beautiful fabric and inspiration struck! I'm so pleased to share this project with you, and I hope you enjoy!
Scissors.
Pliers.
A Watch Piece. As I mentioned above, I got mine at a thrift store years and years ago. I really loved the Roman Numerals and Brass color with Filigree edges. The batteries are dead and I've never been able to replace them. (It is forever stopped at 3:35 and 56 seconds.)
Jump Rings. (Not completely neccessary.) I used them because the bars where the chain/bracelet attaches is too small for me to pass the fabric through. You may not need to use jump rings.
Fabrics. I'm using a sheer fabric with yellow embroidered rectangles. (I adore this fabric so much, it's ridiculous.) I decided to use just one type of fabric for this project. But you can use a huge variety of fabrics, or make an alternating pattern instead, if you like.
I cut three 20" strips from this fabric. Then, I folded those three strips in half and cut them right down the middle. This left me with six 10" strips, which was more than enough for this project.
Don't worry about cutting them perfectly straight, you won't notice their irregularities after they have been braided together.
Take the watch piece and attach the jump rings (if you need them.)
Simply tie the strips onto the jump rings, or onto the watch piece itself (3). Three strips of fabric for each side of the watch. Make sure to tie the knots as tight as possible, but don't rip the fabric.
Lay the bracelet out flat, and begin to braid each side.
(*If you don't know how to braid, do a simple search on the internet for " How To 3 String Braid". You can find videos, pictures, examples, and numerous tutorials for simple to advanced braids and plaiting.)
I wanted my braid loose and ruffled so I don't pull the strips too tightly while braiding. Try to keep the braid side consistent on both sides. Put it on your wrist occasionally to see how much you need to braid. Once it's long enough, Tie a knot at the end of the braid. But be careful not to mess up the pretty pattern.
Be sure to leave two long strips at the end for tying the bracelet around your wrist. You can snip off the excess around the watch face and the ends. I prefer to leave mine ruffled and long.
You can also trim the stray threads if you desire.
And it's complete! I really love how my bracelet turned out. It's so perfect! I'm so happy to have found a use for this watch piece that I've been keeping with me for years.
If you have any questions about this tutorial, I'm more than happy to help you out! Just comment here, message me on facebook, or shoot me an e-mail. If you make your own Braided Watch Bracelet, please share some photos with me!
Have a lovely & crafty day!
Welcome to Day Seven of DIY Week! This is a project I've been wanting to do for years. I picked up this little watch piece at a a thrift store years ago, wanted to make a bracelet piece for it. Originally, I wanted to do a Hemp bracelet attachment, but as I was searching my scrap bins, I found a piece of this beautiful fabric and inspiration struck! I'm so pleased to share this project with you, and I hope you enjoy!
Scissors.
Pliers.
A Watch Piece. As I mentioned above, I got mine at a thrift store years and years ago. I really loved the Roman Numerals and Brass color with Filigree edges. The batteries are dead and I've never been able to replace them. (It is forever stopped at 3:35 and 56 seconds.)
Jump Rings. (Not completely neccessary.) I used them because the bars where the chain/bracelet attaches is too small for me to pass the fabric through. You may not need to use jump rings.
Fabrics. I'm using a sheer fabric with yellow embroidered rectangles. (I adore this fabric so much, it's ridiculous.) I decided to use just one type of fabric for this project. But you can use a huge variety of fabrics, or make an alternating pattern instead, if you like.
I cut three 20" strips from this fabric. Then, I folded those three strips in half and cut them right down the middle. This left me with six 10" strips, which was more than enough for this project.
Don't worry about cutting them perfectly straight, you won't notice their irregularities after they have been braided together.
Take the watch piece and attach the jump rings (if you need them.)
Simply tie the strips onto the jump rings, or onto the watch piece itself (3). Three strips of fabric for each side of the watch. Make sure to tie the knots as tight as possible, but don't rip the fabric.
Lay the bracelet out flat, and begin to braid each side.
(*If you don't know how to braid, do a simple search on the internet for " How To 3 String Braid". You can find videos, pictures, examples, and numerous tutorials for simple to advanced braids and plaiting.)
I wanted my braid loose and ruffled so I don't pull the strips too tightly while braiding. Try to keep the braid side consistent on both sides. Put it on your wrist occasionally to see how much you need to braid. Once it's long enough, Tie a knot at the end of the braid. But be careful not to mess up the pretty pattern.
Be sure to leave two long strips at the end for tying the bracelet around your wrist. You can snip off the excess around the watch face and the ends. I prefer to leave mine ruffled and long.
You can also trim the stray threads if you desire.
And it's complete! I really love how my bracelet turned out. It's so perfect! I'm so happy to have found a use for this watch piece that I've been keeping with me for years.
If you have any questions about this tutorial, I'm more than happy to help you out! Just comment here, message me on facebook, or shoot me an e-mail. If you make your own Braided Watch Bracelet, please share some photos with me!
Have a lovely & crafty day!
peace & love,
kaylee
3.24.2012
DIY Week: Stone Photo Display
(In honor of International Earth Day & The Vernal Equinox on March 20th, I'm hosting a DIY Week on my blog. You can anticipate the normal programmed blog schedule, but from the 19th to the 25th of March 2012, I'll be sharing one new DIY tutorial each day. All of these projects are inspired by the re-purposing and re-cycling materials for the benefits of the Earth and preventing more things from ending up in the garbage. Click here to see more DIY tutorials by Kaylee.)
Today is Day Six of DIY Week, and I have another simple project to share with you! I adore this project because you can use any kind of materials you have. Any rocks, any wires, any photos. It's incredibly versatile, and you probably already have some of these materials lying around! Enjoy!
Pliers. For shaping the wire and cutting.
A Stone. I used a pretty river rock. You could use any rock, but it should be somewhat heavy.
A Photo or Drawing. I used a little polaroid collage artwork that my friend created a few years ago. It's on a thicker cardstock, so it stands upright in the photo display.
Wire. I used Steel. You could use Brass or Copper in a thick gauge.
First, bend the wire around the stone (1). Try to make the wire adjust to all the curves of the rock. Make sure to leave a bit of wire sticking straight up.
The wire should create a loop around the rock. Twist the longer wire around the short wire that is sticking straight up. (2)
Continue wrapping the wire around the back of the rock to create another loop in the opposite direction of the first. It should look like an X on the bottom (3).
Feed the free end of the wire under the loop (4a). Pull it tightly until it's secure and snug. (4b) This is very similar to wrapping a present with string or ribbon.
With the excess wire, begin to coil it around the piece of wire that is left sticking out the top (5a).
Finish it off with a small coil on the top to hold the photo/drawing (5b).
Pull the coil apart a bit so that your photo will fit inside comfortably and not be pinched too tightly or too softly.
If the stand is a little lop-sided, use your pliers to make the wire stick straight up.
And it's finished! The best part about this project is that you can do anything you like. The wire-wrapping doesn't have to be just like mine. You can just follow your gut and wrap it around the stone a bunch of times until it's snug and tightly secured.
I can't wait to get some photos printed and arrange them in a bunch of these wire-wrapped stones. They would look great in varying heights, different shapes and colors of rocks and metals. You could also replace the photo with an array of pretty feathers! There are a ton of possibilities!
If you have any questions about this tutorial, I'm more than happy to help you out! Just comment here, message me on facebook, or shoot me an e-mail. If you make your own Wire-Wrapped Stone Photo Display, please share some photos with me!
Today is Day Six of DIY Week, and I have another simple project to share with you! I adore this project because you can use any kind of materials you have. Any rocks, any wires, any photos. It's incredibly versatile, and you probably already have some of these materials lying around! Enjoy!
Pliers. For shaping the wire and cutting.
A Stone. I used a pretty river rock. You could use any rock, but it should be somewhat heavy.
A Photo or Drawing. I used a little polaroid collage artwork that my friend created a few years ago. It's on a thicker cardstock, so it stands upright in the photo display.
Wire. I used Steel. You could use Brass or Copper in a thick gauge.
First, bend the wire around the stone (1). Try to make the wire adjust to all the curves of the rock. Make sure to leave a bit of wire sticking straight up.
The wire should create a loop around the rock. Twist the longer wire around the short wire that is sticking straight up. (2)
Continue wrapping the wire around the back of the rock to create another loop in the opposite direction of the first. It should look like an X on the bottom (3).
Feed the free end of the wire under the loop (4a). Pull it tightly until it's secure and snug. (4b) This is very similar to wrapping a present with string or ribbon.
With the excess wire, begin to coil it around the piece of wire that is left sticking out the top (5a).
Finish it off with a small coil on the top to hold the photo/drawing (5b).
Pull the coil apart a bit so that your photo will fit inside comfortably and not be pinched too tightly or too softly.
If the stand is a little lop-sided, use your pliers to make the wire stick straight up.
And it's finished! The best part about this project is that you can do anything you like. The wire-wrapping doesn't have to be just like mine. You can just follow your gut and wrap it around the stone a bunch of times until it's snug and tightly secured.
I can't wait to get some photos printed and arrange them in a bunch of these wire-wrapped stones. They would look great in varying heights, different shapes and colors of rocks and metals. You could also replace the photo with an array of pretty feathers! There are a ton of possibilities!
If you have any questions about this tutorial, I'm more than happy to help you out! Just comment here, message me on facebook, or shoot me an e-mail. If you make your own Wire-Wrapped Stone Photo Display, please share some photos with me!
peace & love,
kaylee
3.23.2012
DIY Week: Feather & Shell Wall Hanging
(In honor of International Earth Day & The Vernal Equinox on March 20th, I'm hosting a DIY Week on my blog. You can anticipate the normal programmed blog schedule, but from the 19th to the 25th of March 2012, I'll be sharing one new DIY tutorial each day. All of these projects are inspired by the re-purposing and re-cycling materials for the benefits of the Earth and preventing more things from ending up in the garbage. Click here to see more DIY tutorials by Kaylee.)
Welcome to Day Five of DIY Week, and I'm happy to bring you this easy project. It took me less than half an hour to make and I love the way it turned out! This wall hanging uses many found objects to make a simple piece of sculptural wall art. Mine is now hanging right above me while I sleep, it brings me so much happiness! I hope you enjoy this simple project!
A Branch/Twig/Stick. Make sure it's strong enough and big enough for the wall space you want to fill. (Also, if you live somewhere wet/humid, I would let the stick air out before crafting with it.)
Decorations. I decided to use feathers and shells that I've found. You can use whatever materials you like! Tassels, lace, anything you like. (My pieces are wire-wrapped, but you can do this project without the wire-wrapping.)
Strings. I'm using Hemp Threads in Natural, Brown, and Multi-Colored Shades.
Scissors.
Lay everything out and play with the alignment. I moved my decorations around almost a dozen times before settling on something.
Tie a simple knot onto the stick. If you're familiar with Macrame techniques, the knot I'm using is a "Lark's Head". I used this knot because it's super simple to un-do and re-attach.
You can use a more permanent knot if you like.
Tie on all of your dangling objects. Try to vary the length and arrangment of the objects to create more visual interest. Hang the stick on a nail in the wall and you're done!
I've been looking forward to making this project for a long time. It's even one of the Projects in my 18 Projects Book! (But I'm making another one for the 18 Projects series soon.)
I eventually decided to hang it above my bed, so I can admire it all the time. I'm so happy to see my beautiful shells and feathers serving a better purpose than sitting in boxes in my studio.
If you have any questions or comments about this tutorial, feel free to comment here, message me on facebook, or shoot me an e-mail. If you make your own Feather Wall Hanging, please share some photos with me!
Welcome to Day Five of DIY Week, and I'm happy to bring you this easy project. It took me less than half an hour to make and I love the way it turned out! This wall hanging uses many found objects to make a simple piece of sculptural wall art. Mine is now hanging right above me while I sleep, it brings me so much happiness! I hope you enjoy this simple project!
A Branch/Twig/Stick. Make sure it's strong enough and big enough for the wall space you want to fill. (Also, if you live somewhere wet/humid, I would let the stick air out before crafting with it.)
Decorations. I decided to use feathers and shells that I've found. You can use whatever materials you like! Tassels, lace, anything you like. (My pieces are wire-wrapped, but you can do this project without the wire-wrapping.)
Strings. I'm using Hemp Threads in Natural, Brown, and Multi-Colored Shades.
Scissors.
Lay everything out and play with the alignment. I moved my decorations around almost a dozen times before settling on something.
Tie a simple knot onto the stick. If you're familiar with Macrame techniques, the knot I'm using is a "Lark's Head". I used this knot because it's super simple to un-do and re-attach.
You can use a more permanent knot if you like.
Tie on all of your dangling objects. Try to vary the length and arrangment of the objects to create more visual interest. Hang the stick on a nail in the wall and you're done!
I've been looking forward to making this project for a long time. It's even one of the Projects in my 18 Projects Book! (But I'm making another one for the 18 Projects series soon.)
I eventually decided to hang it above my bed, so I can admire it all the time. I'm so happy to see my beautiful shells and feathers serving a better purpose than sitting in boxes in my studio.
If you have any questions or comments about this tutorial, feel free to comment here, message me on facebook, or shoot me an e-mail. If you make your own Feather Wall Hanging, please share some photos with me!
peace & love,
kaylee
3.22.2012
DIY Week: Simple Scrap Scarf
(In honor of International Earth Day & The Vernal Equinox on March 20th, I'm hosting a DIY Week on my blog. You can anticipate the normal programmed blog schedule, but from the 19th to the 25th of March 2012, I'll be sharing one new DIY tutorial each day. All of these projects are inspired by the re-purposing and re-cycling materials for the benefits of the Earth and preventing more things from ending up in the garbage. Click here to see more DIY tutorials by Kaylee.)
Welcome to Day Four of DIY Week! I'm back with another simple DIY project to share with you! This project is another sewing-based project, but it could easily be hand-sewn. The pretty blue fabric was one that I was using to make a dress which I botched. (Fail.) So I made the dress into a bag. (Success.) And realized I still had a long piece of the fabric leftover. Luckily, inspiration struck and I decided to make a new scarf! I hope you enjoy this project!
-Scissors.
-Pins.
-Sewing Machine/Thread & Needle. This project is really quick to do with a sewing machine, but it can also be done by hand-sewing.
-Fabric Scraps. I'm using a long rectangle and two squarish pieces. These are some scraps I've had leftover from other sewing projects. Unlike the fabric scraps in my Boho Bunting DIY, these pieces are bigger.
You can use whatever scraps you having laying around, by trimming them all to fit together before sewing.
First, lay the squares/rectangles all together in a line. Match up all the seams (1).
My black pieces of fabric are wider than my rectangle. When I pinned my black fabric, I added a few pleats to make them the same width (1b). You can do this as well, or just trim the fabric pieces to be the same width.
If you decided to include pleats, then I would sew those first. Take the pieces of fabric that need to be pleated, and sew them individually (2).
(If you don't need/want pleats, continue to Step 3.)
Line up the edges of the fabric again, they should match up perfectly (3). Keeping a 1/4" allowance on both pieces of fabric, put pins into the seam. (The image below shows what the scarf should look like on the inside and outside.)
Once you have the seams pinned, then sew them together!
And it's finished! Now you can sew on lace, do some screen-printing, or style your new scarf. You could also fold the scarf inside out, sew it along the width, and turn it right side out. This will create a "Tube Scarf"!
This is an incredibly simple and versatile project. There are so many different things you can do with it!
If you have any questions or comments about this tutorial, feel free to comment here, message me on facebook, or shoot me an e-mail. If you make your own Scrap Scarf, please share some photos with me!
Welcome to Day Four of DIY Week! I'm back with another simple DIY project to share with you! This project is another sewing-based project, but it could easily be hand-sewn. The pretty blue fabric was one that I was using to make a dress which I botched. (Fail.) So I made the dress into a bag. (Success.) And realized I still had a long piece of the fabric leftover. Luckily, inspiration struck and I decided to make a new scarf! I hope you enjoy this project!
-Scissors.
-Pins.
-Sewing Machine/Thread & Needle. This project is really quick to do with a sewing machine, but it can also be done by hand-sewing.
-Fabric Scraps. I'm using a long rectangle and two squarish pieces. These are some scraps I've had leftover from other sewing projects. Unlike the fabric scraps in my Boho Bunting DIY, these pieces are bigger.
You can use whatever scraps you having laying around, by trimming them all to fit together before sewing.
First, lay the squares/rectangles all together in a line. Match up all the seams (1).
My black pieces of fabric are wider than my rectangle. When I pinned my black fabric, I added a few pleats to make them the same width (1b). You can do this as well, or just trim the fabric pieces to be the same width.
If you decided to include pleats, then I would sew those first. Take the pieces of fabric that need to be pleated, and sew them individually (2).
(If you don't need/want pleats, continue to Step 3.)
Line up the edges of the fabric again, they should match up perfectly (3). Keeping a 1/4" allowance on both pieces of fabric, put pins into the seam. (The image below shows what the scarf should look like on the inside and outside.)
Once you have the seams pinned, then sew them together!
And it's finished! Now you can sew on lace, do some screen-printing, or style your new scarf. You could also fold the scarf inside out, sew it along the width, and turn it right side out. This will create a "Tube Scarf"!
This is an incredibly simple and versatile project. There are so many different things you can do with it!
If you have any questions or comments about this tutorial, feel free to comment here, message me on facebook, or shoot me an e-mail. If you make your own Scrap Scarf, please share some photos with me!
peace & love,
kaylee
3.21.2012
DIY Week: Bottled Necklace
(In honor of International Earth Day & The Vernal Equinox on March 20th, I'm hosting a DIY Week on my blog. You can anticipate the normal programmed blog schedule, but from the 19th to the 25th of March 2012, I'll be sharing one new DIY tutorial each day. All of these projects are inspired by the re-purposing and re-cycling materials for the benefits of the Earth and preventing more things from ending up in the garbage. Click here to see more DIY tutorials by Kaylee.)
It's Day Three of DIY Week, and I'm so excited to share this super simple and fun DIY with you! I have always wanted a necklace holding a little bottle with some precious items inside. I thought it would be fun to put some special objects inside. As I was looking around my studio, I found an amazing assortment of tiny found objects to put inside! I love the way this necklace turned out and I hope you enjoy this project as much as I do!
-A Small Bottle. It could be any shape, size, or color. Just be sure that the opening of the bottle will fit the objects you want to put inside.
-String. I'm using black Hemp.
-A Bit of Wire. I'm using a thin gauge brass wire.
-Small Decorations. I decided to use natural materials to fill my bottle. I wanted to make this a very special necklace with my own personal meaning & symbolism. A feather, which I found when I was having a hard day. A tiny cocoon, which reminds me of re-birth, renewal, and growth. A tiny twig from my favorite tree. Some pebbles, from my turtles' pond, because I love my turtles. You can use whatever materials you like to fill your bottle.
-Beads. I decided to use some multi-color wood beads.
-Pliers. (Not completely neccessary.)
-Tweezers.
-Scissors.
-A Button. (Optional.)
The first step is to open your little bottle, clean it inside and outside. It's probably going to be tricky to clean the inside unless you have a tiny toothbrush or high-pressure hot water. Just do your best to get it as clean as possible. Once it's clean, carefully dry it off or wait for it to air-dry.
Next, evaluate all of your materials. If you're using hard and soft materials, as I am, then I would suggest putting the heavier/stronger/stiffer materials in first.
I put in my twig first, because I needed to make sure that my bottle would be tall enough.
After sliding the twig inside the little bottle, I chose 6 or 7 tiny pebbles to add. I chose my favorite colors, textures, and shapes. (Even some tiny quartz pebbles went into my bottle.)
This method worked perfectly for me. After the twig is placed, the rocks fall in all around it and kind of "lock it" into place.
Next, I decided to add the feather. After I added the feather inside the bottle, I moved it around gently with the tweezers until it sat exactly where I wanted it.
I've had this little cocoon for such a long time that it is very fragile, and is the last thing to be added to the bottle.
(*If I were doing this project again, I would probably re-think the pairing of the small stones and the super fragile cocoon. I'm afraid that the stones will break the cocoon someday.)
Make sure everything is placed just how you want it, and close the bottle tightly.
Next, make a small hoop in the center of a piece of wire. Place the hoop on the top of the bottle-cap, and bend the ends of the wire down-wards (7a).
With the ends of the wire bent downwards, hold onto the sides of the cap. Pull the wires in opposite directions beneath the cap. One wire crossing over the front, and one crossing the back.
Slip the ends of the wires through the loops that sit on the sides of the cap. (7b) Then, take the ends of the wires and pull them in the opposite directions (7c). Finally, continue wrapping the wires together up to the top of the hoop, until all of the wire is used (7d).
*Some Advice: It isn't important to do this part exactly as I did. As long as the wire hoop is strong, and holds the bottle tightly (right beneath the cap), then everything should be fine. Also, you can use a longer piece of wire and doing extra wrapping to make sure the bottle is secure.
Here is an example of my finished hoop (below).
Slip your bottle onto the string, and decide where you would like your beads. Tie knots in the string and slip the beads on.
If your necklace is short, then you can tie a loop and button onto the ends of the string (9).
My wire hoop was too wide for my string, so I used pliers to flatten the hoop a bit (10).
And that's how you can make your own bottled necklace! I enjoyed making this necklace so much that I want to make a few others. I thought it would be fun to put small seashells, stones, and little messages into the bottles.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! If you have any questions about this tutorial, I'm more than happy to help you out! Just comment here, message me on facebook, or shoot me an e-mail. If you make your own Bottled Necklace, please share some photos with me!
It's Day Three of DIY Week, and I'm so excited to share this super simple and fun DIY with you! I have always wanted a necklace holding a little bottle with some precious items inside. I thought it would be fun to put some special objects inside. As I was looking around my studio, I found an amazing assortment of tiny found objects to put inside! I love the way this necklace turned out and I hope you enjoy this project as much as I do!
-A Small Bottle. It could be any shape, size, or color. Just be sure that the opening of the bottle will fit the objects you want to put inside.
-String. I'm using black Hemp.
-A Bit of Wire. I'm using a thin gauge brass wire.
-Small Decorations. I decided to use natural materials to fill my bottle. I wanted to make this a very special necklace with my own personal meaning & symbolism. A feather, which I found when I was having a hard day. A tiny cocoon, which reminds me of re-birth, renewal, and growth. A tiny twig from my favorite tree. Some pebbles, from my turtles' pond, because I love my turtles. You can use whatever materials you like to fill your bottle.
-Beads. I decided to use some multi-color wood beads.
-Pliers. (Not completely neccessary.)
-Tweezers.
-Scissors.
-A Button. (Optional.)
The first step is to open your little bottle, clean it inside and outside. It's probably going to be tricky to clean the inside unless you have a tiny toothbrush or high-pressure hot water. Just do your best to get it as clean as possible. Once it's clean, carefully dry it off or wait for it to air-dry.
Next, evaluate all of your materials. If you're using hard and soft materials, as I am, then I would suggest putting the heavier/stronger/stiffer materials in first.
I put in my twig first, because I needed to make sure that my bottle would be tall enough.
After sliding the twig inside the little bottle, I chose 6 or 7 tiny pebbles to add. I chose my favorite colors, textures, and shapes. (Even some tiny quartz pebbles went into my bottle.)
This method worked perfectly for me. After the twig is placed, the rocks fall in all around it and kind of "lock it" into place.
Next, I decided to add the feather. After I added the feather inside the bottle, I moved it around gently with the tweezers until it sat exactly where I wanted it.
I've had this little cocoon for such a long time that it is very fragile, and is the last thing to be added to the bottle.
(*If I were doing this project again, I would probably re-think the pairing of the small stones and the super fragile cocoon. I'm afraid that the stones will break the cocoon someday.)
Make sure everything is placed just how you want it, and close the bottle tightly.
Next, make a small hoop in the center of a piece of wire. Place the hoop on the top of the bottle-cap, and bend the ends of the wire down-wards (7a).
With the ends of the wire bent downwards, hold onto the sides of the cap. Pull the wires in opposite directions beneath the cap. One wire crossing over the front, and one crossing the back.
Slip the ends of the wires through the loops that sit on the sides of the cap. (7b) Then, take the ends of the wires and pull them in the opposite directions (7c). Finally, continue wrapping the wires together up to the top of the hoop, until all of the wire is used (7d).
*Some Advice: It isn't important to do this part exactly as I did. As long as the wire hoop is strong, and holds the bottle tightly (right beneath the cap), then everything should be fine. Also, you can use a longer piece of wire and doing extra wrapping to make sure the bottle is secure.
Here is an example of my finished hoop (below).
Slip your bottle onto the string, and decide where you would like your beads. Tie knots in the string and slip the beads on.
If your necklace is short, then you can tie a loop and button onto the ends of the string (9).
My wire hoop was too wide for my string, so I used pliers to flatten the hoop a bit (10).
And that's how you can make your own bottled necklace! I enjoyed making this necklace so much that I want to make a few others. I thought it would be fun to put small seashells, stones, and little messages into the bottles.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! If you have any questions about this tutorial, I'm more than happy to help you out! Just comment here, message me on facebook, or shoot me an e-mail. If you make your own Bottled Necklace, please share some photos with me!
peace & love,
kaylee
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