My 1st tutorial!

Eeek here we go my first proper tutorial, been putting off writing one of these for so long coz I just didn't want someone to say 'oh well that just makes no sense at all?!?'. After browsing my way throught the anthropologie website last night I found so many things I wanted and like so many of you i thought I won't pay that much when I can make it for miles cheaper myself!

So here's what Anthro's version of the Bauble Bow necklace looks like...

Well there was no way I'd pay the £34 price tag when I had everything it's made from sitting next to me in my crafty bookcase. So i took to attacking my stash immediately...

Here's what you need:

• 42 x 6mm glass pearl beads
• 1 large decorative spacer bead
• 2 medium decorative spacer beads
• 2 decorative flat spacers
• 4 small plain spacer beads
• A silver/gold necklace chain
• 2 headpins
• 2 large jumprings
• 2ft wire
• wire cutters and good ol' needle pliers

Lets get started....

1. Thread the medium spacers onto a headpin each, cut then form a loop.

2.Take the length of wire and form a loop at one end and connect it to the loop for the medium spacer.

3. Thread a flat spacer followed by 9 pearls onto the wire.

4. Then add a plain spacer, the large spacer and another plain spacer, this is the tail for one side of the bow done :)

5.Thread 14 pearls onto the wire and then add a small spacer.

6. Gently feed the wire through the hole of the large spacer bead to form on loop of the bow.

7. Now add a small spacer, 14 more pearls and another small spacer.

8. Feed the wire through the large spacer again and repeat step 7.

Now for the tricky bit, don't tug too hard or your wire will break like mine did 3 times...

9. Feed the wire back through the large spacer bead to complete the bow loop (you may at this point realise like i did that you need to widen the hole in the spacer and have to take the whole thing apart again d'oh!)


10. Thread the last 9 pearls onto the wire and add a flat spacer, gently pull the wire to tighten it, then for a closing loop and attach the other medium spacer on headpin. now you have a finished bow hooray!

11. Count in 5 pearls from the centre of the bow loop and attach a large jumpring for each side of the bow.

12. Attach the necklace chain to the jumpring and voila one finsihed bauble bow necklace for a fraction of the price!

Happy days! :)

Here's my finished version that cost me nothing as I recycled old broken bits of jewellery and used some leftovers from other projects...

I'm linking this lovely to:

• The shabby nest- frugal friday
• Fireflies & jellybeans - show your stuff
• A little lovely - saturday soiree
• be different... act normal - show and tell
• blue cricket design - show & tell
• CHIC ON A SHOESTRING - FLAUNT IT FRIDAY
• Bobbypin's Boardwalk - Bragfest
• craftycierra - wild wednesday