"There is no doubt these were the most special and sentimental bridesmaid's gifts I've ever made for a client."
I once had a bridal client who brought to me her grandmother's crystal necklace she had inherited after her grandma had passed away. She told me she wanted to create jewelry pieces as bridesmaids gifts for all of her sisters who were standing up for her at her wedding and an additional jewelry piece for her mother. Together we designed custom pieces and when she brought her sisters to my studio they oooh'ed and ahhhh'ed at their sparkling gifts. Then she told them where the crystals had come from, that she was now sharing their grandma's necklace with all of them. You can imagine how the tears flowed freely and they and their mother wept from the pure emotion of it all.
So if you have an old necklace that was given to you a gift that you never wear, or if you want to go out antiquing there are necklaces like this to be found and given a fresh breath of life to when you take them apart and use them to create something special and new. Whether it's 10 pairs of earrings, a couple of bracelets or some hair pins or rings this is a great idea not only for bridesmaid gifts but for holiday gifts as well.
You should be able to find a crystal necklace similar to this one for around $30 to $40.
The beads used here with the wire links were to make the necklace adjustable giving the wearer the opportunity to create a choker or looser effect. The beads with the wire links are glass rather then crystal.
1. I like to use nail clippers to cut thin wire and monofiliment with.
2. Separate all of the cyrstal and glass beads.
3. Use a headpin avaialble at craffting supply and bead stores to pleace one large crytal onto.
3b. It should lookd like this.
4. Next I added a smaller flat crystal that was part of the original necklace. This thin bead was used as a spacer between each of the larger beads.
5. Then I added a new crystal that I purchased at the bead store I shop at.
6. These are all of the beads I will use to make this particular pair of earrings with. Holding the headpin wire firmly I bend it over my thumbnail to create a 90 degree angle.
6b. It should look like this. You should probably use pliers to bend the wire with. Especially if you have nice fingernails that are freshly manicured.
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