Wednesday, April 24, 2013

String art thread and milk jug necklace

Spring is here!

I love feeling the warmer temperatures and seeing the trees bursting with delicate pink and white blooms.  And I don't know about you, but I can't wait to exchange my dark, winter wardrobe for a lighter, more colorful one.

Inspired by the warmer weather and this gorgeous necklace from Modcloth, I welcomed the new season by crapting a wearable, string art necklace out of two materials:  a milk jug and embroidery thread. 

Materials:
- empty milk jug, cleaned and dried
- scissors
- hole puncher
- 2 colors of embroidery thread
- Sharpie marker





Directions:
Step 1:  Cut up your milk jug so that you have a flat surface to draw on.

Step 2:  Trace four circles onto your milk jug.  Cut those circles out.  Then, cut out tiny slits around the circle's edge.

Step 3:  Use your hole punch and punch out two holes in your circles, one across from the other.  You'll use these holes to tie your disks together.

Step 4:  Take your embroidery thread and wrap it around a disk, sliding the string into the different slits to create whatever design you choose.  (I went with a messy look.)  Make sure to leave a bit of thread hanging out in the beginning, so you can tie off the thread when you're done with your design. Snip off any excess thread when you're done. Repeat this with four disks.

Step 5:  Use the holes you punched to tie the disks together with embroidery thread.

Step 6:  Tie a cobra braid (remember those from summer camp lanyard classes?) on each side to create a necklace chain.


Welcome Spring!


Interested in seeing other necklaces made out of unconventional materials?  Check out my shrinky dink charmseggshell mosaic pendantssalt dough necklace, or bean mosaic pendant.