DIY Chain and Stone Necklace

This is a project I had bouncing around in my mind for a while, but I just hadn't had the motivation to actually sit down and do it until a couple of weeks ago, when I was watching Grimm with my dad. It doesn't take many materials, and it's another project you can totally make your own!

For the steps, materials, and other nonsense, look after the break!

You'll need:

• Chain
• Eyepins
• One large and two small jump rings
• Jewelry pliers
• Semi-precious stone chips, preferably bought in strand form so they have holes!
• (Optional) Small charms w/associated jump rings

You want to make sure you have plenty of chain, because you're going to need one piece that's about 35 inches long, and another around 30. I'm just estimating, because I measured after everything was done. I just held the chain up to my neck to estimate where the necklace would hang, and then cut another piece a few inches shorter. After that you're going to link the opposite ends of the chain with the small jump rings, making one big loop. Once you've done that, connect these two smaller jump rings with the large one-alternatively, you can use a clasp here, but mine turned out long enough to easily slip over my head.

Now here comes the fun part: about 6 inches down from the large jump ring (or however far you want: once again, I'm estimating), you're going to want to cut through the chain. This is where you'll be attaching your first group of stones. Thread as many gemstone chips (in this case, turquoise) as you can onto one of the eyepins, allowing about a quarter of an inch on the end, or as much as you want. You're going to curl the straight end with the jewelry pliers, through the chain link, and then close it. Do the exact same thing to the other end, only as it already has a loop, you just have to open and close it again. Repeat as desired, on both chains. I ended up with 5 (total, on both chains) on the turquoise and silver necklace, and since I felt it was a little empty, I added a few leaf charms as well. The black and gold: 6 gemstone links, no charms. Oh, and you might have to bend them a little, if they're not exactly in the right place towards the bottom they can hang awkwardly.

I bought the chain at Michael's, the turquoise at Hobby Lobby, and the findings are from Wal-Mart. The charms I found on Etsy, right here.