DIY Skull Necklace

As everyone may know, I love to craft pretty things. This week, I'm showing you how to make this gorgeous skull necklace! I purchased these beautiful handcrafted skulls from a local gem shop in the small, mountain town where me and the hubby had our honeymoon. I had this great idea to make the skulls into necklace pendants, and the results were great! This is honestly, one of the easiest DIYs I have ever done!

How we found the skulls for our DIY necklace.

We bought a pair that came with a story. The man who owns the shop swears that the pair of skulls always fell facing each other, like they were talking. Actually, as most great purchases go, we weren't expecting to purchase the skulls. But, they just caught our eye, and the story was just too cute. If you don't have a gemstone skull, don't worry! This tutorial can be used for a number of other gemstones! Just get creative and discover what you can come up with.

How to Make the Necklace:

What I Used:
-length of chain with clasp
-skull gemstone
-resin
-small silver finding

Tutorial

Step One 

Mix the resin according to the directions on the package.

Step Two 

Apply a small amount of resin and connect the small silver finding to the gemstone.

Step Three

Let the resin cure. For the particular type of resin that I used, I had to wait about 13 hours. To find out the cure time for your resin, check on the package.

Step Four

Slip the gemstone on the chain.

Step Five 

Enjoy your new necklace!

Try it out for yourself and let me know how your's turns out! Leave your stories and comments below!

Have a great weekend!

DIY Statement Necklace

Make a Statement with this DIY Necklace

Image C/O Lara Kern

Since I do a lot of my work online, I don't really put too much thought into what I wear on a daily basis. Most days, I'm pretty focused on this blog, my art, or my (hopefully) soon to be open Etsy shop. So, I spend a good majority of my time in baggy clothes. I do however occasionally get the urge to make something pretty to wear around as a treat.

The hubster and I went in together to make this necklace that definitely makes a statement. It really is only a one woman (or man) job, but it was nice to spend time creating this beautiful statement necklace together. Plus, he's better with wire wrapping than I am. I just can't seem to get the right shapes or the wire just ends up breaking. Sometimes, I can create beautiful things out of wire, but my skills in this department are sporadic at best.

What you'll need: - Needle nose pliers - One piece of quartz - Wire - 1 shell case (I used a 9mm shell case) -Resin -A length of chain -Metal File -Hook and clasp

Step 1: Make sure that your quartz fits into the shell casing snugly. If your piece of quartz is too big you can sand it down to a more suitable size with a metal file. Remember that the quartz should fit snugly and securely in the shell casing.

Step 2: Mix the resin by carefully following the instructions on the box or container. Read all of the instructions that came with your resin. Be sure to get the correct curing time. I waited for about 13 hours before my pendant was fully cured.

Step 3: Carefully, fill the shell casing about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full. The amount you will use is based on what caliber of the shell casing you choose to use. We filled our shell casing up to about 1/2 with resin. Be careful not to get any resin on you, your clothes, or any place else that is not part of this tutorial.

Step 4: Push the quartz down into the resin. Sit your soon-to-be statement necklace with the quartz point up so that none of the resin will leak out. I used clothes pins to hold the pendant in place. Make sure that your pendant is safely secured in a place where it will not be knocked over or disturbed for at least 13 hours. For a more accurate curing time for your specific type of resin, check the container or box it came in.

Step 5: (this is where the hubby stepped in.) He simply used a spare piece of wire that was about 5-6 inches long. He began by wrapping each side of the wire evenly around the shell casing a few times. Then, he made a loop, and finished it all off by tucking the ends of the wire securely to either side of the shell casing.

Step 6: Connect the hook and clasp to your length of chain. Then, add your now fully cured pendant.

Step 7: Enjoy your new DIY statement necklace and bask in the compliments you receive.

Image C/O Lara Kern

If anyone has any comments or questions on to make this necklace, feel free to email me (here) or leave a comment below!