Anthropologie Accordian Strands Necklace Knock-Off Tutorial

This is my version of the Anthropologie Accordion Strands Necklace:

Here is the Anthropologie original:

When I saw this necklace, I immediately thought, "I can make that!" I have been making similar things for as long as I can remember. We used plastic lace when I was a kid, but it's the same technique. This necklace is $278. It is real silk, I guess, but I made mine for just a few dollars using grosgrain instead.

Materials needed:


At least 18 feet of 3/8" wide ribbon

Chain to your desired length

Jeweled beads or buttons

Jump rings

Tools needed:


Scissors

Ruler

Jewelry pliers

Candle and lighter




If you want the ribbon section to be longer than mine, use more ribbon. 20-22 feet would probably be good.



Begin by unraveling all of the ribbon from the spool. Find the middle and cut it in half to make two 9 foot pieces. Find the middle of each piece.



Put one piece through the end of the chain. Make sure it is the middle of the ribbon.

Place the second ribbon perpendicular to the first over the chain.

Bring the bottom ribbon up...

the left ribbon across...

the top ribbon down...

and the left ribbon over too. It will cross the first ribbon and go under the second ribbon.

It should look like this.

Pull the ribbons really tight to make a knot.

Do the same process again, but this time do not pull it as tight.

Continue the same steps. It will start looking like this.


Here are the steps again, in case you need to see them one more time.

Be sure that each knot is pulled to the same tightness so that it looks even.

It may take about 20-30 minutes after you get the hang of it to finish the knotting.

When you get to the end and there is only a little ribbon left, slip the other end of the chain on to one of the ribbons. Make two other knots over the chain and pull them really tight.

Clip the ends of the ribbon off close to the last knot.

Very carefully, hold the ends of the ribbon near a candle to melt and seal the ends so they don't fray.

Now use the jewelry pliers to put jump rings through the jewels and connect them together.

Take the chain apart after the first link and attach the jewels with a jump ring. Attach the chain to the last jewel with another jump ring.

Repeat on the other side.

Make sure the chain is the length you want it to be. I attached the round part of a toggle clasp to the ends of the chain to make it look like the Anthropologie version. But I wanted mine to have an adjustable length so I put a lobster clasp on in the end.


And that's it! You now have your very own Anthropologie Accordion Strands Necklace, and didn't have to spend $278.

I also made one in royal blue.

It is a great statement necklace that goes with everything.

I wore the blue one to work twice this week (you can see my outfits next Tuesday night in my weekly outfit post) and it created quite a stir. Women were asking me to teach a class on how to make them. And my students were impressed. Who knew a group of 7th grade boys could get so excited about a necklace? They thought it was a Chinese finger trap. Then when they saw the picture of the original, the couldn't believe the price, or that I had actually made one myself. It was funny. And fun.

Be sure to let me know if you make one!

I will be linking up to these parties. Please check them out!