cupcake liner necklace

What can you do with a few cupcake liners and a couple feet of brass chain from the hardware store?  Why, make a necklace, of course!

This super easy, inexpensive, and surprising D-I-Y fashion craft is one I wanted to post over the summer before I got sidetracked by summer.  But it’s not too late!  So long as it’s not a rainy fall day, there is still lots of sunshine to be flaunting this fun, feminine, flirty necklace!

Yes!  It is what I wore in my D-I-Y engagement photos in August.  I wore it then with two flowers and wish now, in hindsight, that I wore three.

You will need cupcake liners (waxed is best), brass chain in your preferred length (they are typically around 45 cents per foot; for this project I used exactly 4 feet and paid $1.80), scissors, and ribbon.

1. Trim off about 1/8″ of one cupcake liner.

2. For each cupcake liner, trim off an additional 1/8″ than the previous size.  You will have cupcake liners that descend in size.  I suggest 5 for large flowers; smaller flowers can be made with 3 or 4 cupcake liners.

3. Stack all cupcake liners and align so that they are centered.  Fold the stack in half, with all cupcake liners facing out.  Cut two very small slits, about 1/2″ apart, ensuring the slits are just wide enough to carefully slide the chain through.  Large cuts will cause the flowers to loosely slide along the chain.

4. Carefully slide the chain through one slit of each cupcake liner, starting from largest to smallest.  It is best to keep the cupcake liners 1/2″ to 1″ apart at this stage.

5. Slide the chain through the second slit of each cupcake liner, similar to sewing a two-holed button.  Gather the cupcake liners to form a stack.

6. Fold the stack in half.

7. Pinch and fold towards the center.

8. Unfold to reveal a flower.

9. Layer as many flowers and chains as you please.

10. Thread a ribbon through the ends of the chain.

11. Tie a bow to close the chain(s).

Flaunt it.  Feel fun, feminine, and flirty!

 

faux metal bib necklace

Yesterday’s faux metal flowers have been crafted into a statement bib necklace!

I think people might find it pretty hard to believe that this beautiful accessory is made out of a piece of Con-Tact vinyl shelf liner (brushed nickel finish), brads, and ribbon.  The process was so simple, but the result has so much impact.    The Con-Tact paper proved perfect for this purpose.  Because it is vinyl, the product is soft, flexible, and very light.  A real metal bib necklace of this scale would be so much more cumbersome to wear, no matter how thin the metal sheet would be, not to mention the bothersome sounds of clanging.

You will need faux metal flowers (if you’re just tuning in, you can find yesterday’s tutorial here), black brads, black satin ribbon, 1/8″ hole punch, and a pair of scissors.

1. Cut small, random lengths of ribbon between 4″ to 6″ in length.  For each length, fold in half.  With a 1/8″ hole punch, punch a hole right through both layers of ribbon.  Feed the flower through the hole and close the brad.   The flowers are now attached to loops.

2. Feed each loop of flower through a 36″ length of ribbon.  Along the center of the ribbon, arrange the loops 1-1/2″ apart.  Punch a hole at the top center of the loops and secure to the main ribbon with a brad.

3. To close the gaps between the loops, weave through two additional rows of ribbon and attach at each end with a brad.

You have the option to stop at step 2 if you want to let the flowers simply hang.  Or you may proceed to step 3 to create a woven bib.

I am now imagining an endless line of accessories to create using these faux metal flowers.  They can be attached to headbands, barrettes, hair ties, pins (for brooches), even purses.  I think I will apply the same techniques on copper and wood grain Con-Tact paper for a much different look.  Faux bois flowers?  I’m loving the thought!