Inspired by Anthropologie: DIY Plume Necklace

I was browsing around Pinterest (90% of my day, really) when I saw this adorable necklace from Anthropologie.  I immediately thought, "hey, I could make that!"  And so... I did!  And you can too :)

To make your own (non $38) plume necklace, you will need:

• Pink embroidery floss (a full skein)
• Blue, clear, and white beads
• 1 flat turquoise bead (or make your own- I'll show you how)
• Optional, but helpful: beading or embroidery needle

First, make your tassel.  To do this, simply wrap the embroidery floss around your fingers over and over and over again until it is to your desired thickness.  Then, simply trim the embroidery floss at what will be the bottom of your tassel.

Take up the embroidery floss again and wrap it repeatedly and tightly around the top of the tassel.  Be sure to leave enough room to thread the tassel onto your necklace later.  If you want (I did), use a toothpick at the top to ensure you can tie it up later.  Tie in a knot, and trim the excess.

Next, if you don't have a nice flat turquoise bead, you'll want to get starting making one.  Find any color stone or clay bead in a flat shape.  Then, mix up some paint until you get a bluish color you like, and paint your bead.  Let it dry completely.

While your bead dries, start threading the beads onto your necklace.  Get as long of a piece of embroidery floss as you can.  Seriously, go much longer than you think you'll need.  One, you'll want this necklace to hang down low, and two, you will eat up a lot of length tying little knots.  I'd say mine was maybe four feet long to begin with.

Leave a few inches at the end and tie a single knot in the floss.  Then, thread on one blue bead and tie another knot directly above it.  Repeat the process over and over again.  To get the identical look as the Anthro necklace, you'll follow this pattern: 12 blue, 12 clear, 12 white, 12 clear, 12 blue, 12 clear, 24 white, 12 clear, 12 blue, 12 clear, 12 white, 12 clear, 12 blue.  Phew!

Well, by now, your painted bead should be dry.  The next step in making it look like turquoise is using black paint and saran wrap.  Pour a small amount of black paint onto a paper plate.  Bunch up the saran wrap and dip it in the paint.  Dab off the excess until you start to see the effect you like.  Then, just dab it on the stone sparingly.  This creates the look of the black ripples in natural turquoise stones.

Next, thread the two ends of your necklace through the top of the turquoise bead.

Then, thread one end through the top of your tassel, tie, and trim the excess.

Finally, cut the bottom of your tassel loops and fray the pieces of floss.

Now, wear it and revel in the fact that you made it yourself!