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Silk is a very beautiful craft material that epitomizes luxury. When you create a design with silk—whether it is in the form of yarn or fabric—it elevates the status of the product making it unique, exclusive and worthy of the person using the product. That’s why silk crafts are a classic design.

But Silk is expensive, hence materials that look like silk—for instance Acetate and Viscose—can be used by beginners to practice a craft before trying it out with real silk. This project uses a viscose -polyester blended thread commercially known as “silk thread” to create a beautiful statement necklace. The same design can be created with real silk thread too.  This Silk Cord Necklace is interchangeable and can be customized to particular outfits by adding or subtracting rings from the cord. Being a bold, tribal style statement necklace, it goes very well with simple solid colored shirts, tunics or dresses.

Silk Cord Necklace

by Divya N

Materials

1. 1″ wooden rings – 5
2. 3/4″ wooden rings – 2
3. 5/8” wooden rings -3
4. Silk thread (Viscose – polyester thread) in pink, red, maroon, golden yellow, light green, dark green, dark blue and light yellow
5. 5mm round braided cord – 20”
6. 5mm pewter end caps
7. Fabric glue (clear fabric glue)
8. 5mm faux pearl – 1
9. Extension chain – 1
10. Silver tone eyepin – 1
11. Silver tone lobster clasp – 1
12. Silver tone jump rings – 2
13. Tools – Nose pliers, wire cutter and Scissors

 Method

1. Measure 10 strands of half a meter long red silk thread. Cut and glue the strands together on one end. Apply tiny droplets of fabric glue along the circumference of one 1″ wooden ring and wind the thread on the ring making sure that the thread remains smooth and untangled. This procedure is the same as the one followed in my Tango Earrings here.
2. Repeat the process to create 1 more red ring, 1 blue ring, 2 pink rings using 1″ rings. Repeat step 1 with 3/4″ rings to create 1 golden yellow ring, 1 half light green/half dark green ring.
3. Repeat step 1 with 5/8″ rings to create 1 light green ring, 1 dark green ring.
4. Decorate one pink ring by wrapping strands of golden yellow around it (in one direction only) as in the above picture. Similarly decorate one red ring with green thread and dark blue ring with pink thread. You can combine white thread along with other color thread to produce a double color effect while wrapping.
5. Cut 20″ inches length (or longer as required) of a braided cord. Applying glue on one end, wrap thread around it as you did for the discs. Trim and secure the ends with a dab of glue.
6. Glue the end caps to the ends of the cord. Let dry for 1-2 hours. Using jump rings add a clasp to one end and an extension chain to the other.
7. String the discs to the cord. Their center holes are big enough to remove them and change the order whenever you want, even with the end caps on.
8. Add a pearl drop to the end of the extension chain, if interested bu looping the pearl on a headpin. Alternatively you can add you favorite charm to the chain.

What colors will you choose for you necklace and what will you pair it with?