Some days I just feel like pulling my hair out. There is no time to focus on anything.
Luckily there are simple projects for days just like this.
I've had a simple necklace of wooden beads for some 25 years now. It is nothing fancy, very basic, but a summer favorite. I picked it up from a street vendor somewhere.
A couple of weeks ago the string broke. I managed to find all the beads, and since I really love this thing, went to a local bead store to get the items necessary to fix it. This is the first time I've ever fixed a broken necklace myself, but it is just stringing material, beads and a clasp. It seemed like it was about time.
The coral beads were not originally part of the necklace. Although I love this simple necklace, I somehow have been wearing it less frequently in recent years because it always seemed either too short or too long. It was too long to wear with a tee and a little too short to wear outside the neckline on a shirt. The broken string created the perfect opportunity to turn this into a necklace I would use, and to learn a new skill without much sacrifice. Again, it is really the most basic of necklaces, no knots, just string, beads and a clasp.
The coral beads were what I found in my stash that worked with the wood. These too are very cheap beads, purchased from another street vendor, this one somewhere in the British Virgin Islands. The string on this strand broke long ago, but I saved the beads, not because they were precious, they aren't, but because they intrigued me.
Inexpensive stained wood beads meet coarse dyed coral. I am very happy with the result.
Comments
14 responses to “Two broken necklaces become a new summer favorite”
Mardel
That’s a really neat story and great save!
Mardel
That’s a really neat story and great save!
It looks great Mardel!
It looks great Mardel!
Wow, Mardel! You should consider making more jewelry. Martha
Wow, Mardel! You should consider making more jewelry. Martha
You should be happy with the results – this is a great necklace! And I’m impressed that you used two broken ones to get one awesome new one!
You should be happy with the results – this is a great necklace! And I’m impressed that you used two broken ones to get one awesome new one!
That is so pretty, Mardel! I’ve been wanting to get into jewelry-making for awhile but, for some reason, I’m a little intimidated by it all.
That is so pretty, Mardel! I’ve been wanting to get into jewelry-making for awhile but, for some reason, I’m a little intimidated by it all.
Well done! The necklace looks terrific!
Well done! The necklace looks terrific!
Great textures. I really like necklaces which use natural materials. That’s worked very well and is a good contrast with th shirt.
Great textures. I really like necklaces which use natural materials. That’s worked very well and is a good contrast with th shirt.