When it comes to things I need to destash, costume jewelry is pretty high on the list.  I’ve been given a large quantity of it over the years, and I also keep an eye out for it at yard sales and estate sales.  I went surfing around the Anthropologie website looking for inspiration because their styles lend themselves well to reusing old jewelry bits.  One of the first things that caught my eye was their Oscillating Orbs necklace.   Here’s the original:

At $38.00 it’s actually not too terribly steep compared to most Anthro items, but I’d still rather make my own.  Even if I wasn’t stashbusting and  I went out and bought special beads and chain to use for the project, I could make it for well less than half of that!  Here is the knockoff I came up with:

Not bad, huh?

Project estimate:

  • Beads, on hand or $1 and up
  • Chain, on hand or $1 and up
  • Fishing line or beading wire/thread,  on hand or $1 and up
  • Crimp beads, on hand
  • Jump rings or split rings, on hand
  • Jewelry pliers, on hand
  • Necklace clasp, on hand

Total:  Free and up

I dug through my costume jewelry and found this great chain with square links that would give a similar effect to the chain in the Anthro necklace.   The beads I used were salvaged from an old necklace that just wasn’t my style.

Start by cutting a length of fishing line or beading wire (I used fishing line because I had it on hand) and use crimp beads to attach a jump ring at one end.

String the chain onto the fishing line through the first chain link, then add a bead.

Wrap the chain around the bead and string the fishing line through the next possible chain link.

Add another bead, then wrap the chain around it, forming an S-shape with the chain.  Keep adding beads and weaving the chain back and forth around them until you reach the end of the chain.

If needed, remove any extra chain links, then finish the end with another jump ring and more crimp beads.

Attach additional lengths of chain at the ends using the jump rings if needed, then add a closure.  I really want to try this with different chains and beads and see how many different looks I can get out of this same simple technique!