DIY Scrap Leather Necklace

I recently dis­cov­ered just how ver­sa­tile leather is. I started mak­ing bags, but quickly real­ized that leather jew­el­ery was some­thing I had to explore. With­out any expec­ta­tions, I jumped in and came up with a few designs.

This scrap leather neck­lace can eas­ily be cus­tomized using shapes and col­ors of your choice. Leather comes in a wide vari­ety of tex­tures and thick­ness, open­ing the door to an end­less vari­ety of combinations.

Can’t find a local source for leather? No prob­lem, an old leather jacket or bag from a thrift store will do the trick :)

What You Need:

- Scrap leather in color of your choice

- Paper to use for feather template

- Metal chain

- (5) Small jump rings, one for each feather

- Thick nee­dle or leather punch

- Scis­sors

1. Cut the shape of a feather from a piece of paper to use as a template.

2. Trace and cut five feath­ers from scrap leather using paper feather template.

3. Repeat five times.

4. Using a thick nee­dle or leather punch, make a hole at the base of each feather.

5. Cut small notches on the sides of each feather.

6. Mount each feather on a small jump ring.

7. Cut a 1/4-in. strip of leather 6 in. in length. Punch a hole on each end for attach­ing the chain. Next, slide each feather onto the strip of leather and attach the metal chain on each end of the leather step.

Voliá, your new neck­lace is ready to wear.

Plaited Jewellery with Silicone Cord, Jewellery Chain and Beads

A plaited bracelet and necklace from silicone cord, metal jewellery chains and drop beads threaded onto a piece of copper wire.

1. A bracelet with a braided fastening: Cut three 25-30cm long pieces of silicone cord, depending on the circumference of the wrist. Also cut a piece of bead chain same length as the silicone cords and a piece of macramé cord measuring approx. 40cm.

Place the four cords side by side (with the piece of bead chain close to the middle silicone cord). Also place the slightly longer piece of macramé cord in the middle.

2. Twist the piece of macramé cord which is placed the same length as the other four equally long cords four to six times tightly around the mentioned four cords – from left to right.

3. Thread the long end of the macramé cord onto a darning needle and secure the end by fastening it underneath the four to six twists made onto the other four cords.

4. Now plait with the three pieces of silicone cord, letting the piece of bead chain following one of the silicone cords.

5. When the plait is finished, secure the plait with the macramé cord, by twisting it around this end four to six times and secure following the same procedure as under point No. 3. Assemble the two ends of the macramé cord and place them parallel. Cut a new piece of macramé cord and make a braiding.

6. Trim the ends of the braided section and melt the ends with the flame from an ordinary lighter. Tie a knot onto the ends, secure the knots and secure them by melting them.

7. A necklace with a swivel clasp: Thread black rocaille seed beads onto a piece of copper wire measuring approx. 55cm and clear drop beads onto another piece of copper wire of the same length. Fasten with a knot.

8. Cut two 50cm long pieces of silicone cord and an approx. 75cm long piece of jewellery chain. Keep the cords and chains together with a piece of masking tape as illustrated. Use the same procedure as the one described under point No. 2 and 3.

Please note that the  macramé cord which must be secured before and after the plaiting, should not be more than approx. 20cm long.

9. Plait following the same procedure as the one used for making the bracelet (see point No. 4).

10. Use a pair of pliers for opening the chain. Attach a swivel clasp to the open link of the chain.

A Bracelet made from Leather Cords with Silicone Stop Rings

This leather bracelet is made from 2mm thick leather cords, using silicone rings to assemble the cords to form a pattern and then fastened with a crystal button.

1. Cut three pieces of 2mm leather cords in the following lengths: 95, 65 and 50cm. Double over the longest piece of leather cord, making it four pieces of leather cord at one end of the bracelet. A loop is created in the opposite end by double folding; i.e. this end consists of a loop and two cord ends.

2. At the end with a loop, twist the piece of leather cord which is 15cm longer than the three other pieces, four or five times around these from left to right. Pull the end through the loop and tighten.

3. You may dab a blob of glue inside the knot to secure it. Cut off the two ends.

4. Pick up the silicone stop rings individually with either nose pliers or long chain nose pliers.

5. Open the pliers and place the silicone stop ring over the two cords which you want to assemble.

6. Continue the plaiting by placing a silicone stop ring over two alternate cords. The pattern shown is made as follows:

1 and 2 + a silicone stop ring,

2 and 3 + a silicone stop ring,

3 and 4 + a silicone stop ring.

7. Thread a crystal button onto one of the four cords.

8. Tie the outer two cords together in a knot underneath the two middle cords.

9. Use the same outer cords to tie another knot over the two middle knots. Secure this double knot with a blob of glue. Cut off the two cord ends in each side. Shorten the two middle cords to 1.5cm.

Another variant

Another variant

A Leather Bracelet with a Heart made from Jewellery Clay

A heart made from Pardo jewellery clay attached to a bracelet.

1. Mix different colours of Pardo jewellery clay.

2. Roll out the jewellery clay flat.

3. Use shape cutters for cutting out a shape from the flat rolled out jewellery clay.

4. Attach the finished shape onto a pin which is inserted into the stainless steel mitre box. NB! Make an additional hole if you which to attach the shape with a piece of leather cord as shown in the picture (text No. 9). Please note that several shapes fit onto the same pin at the same time.

5. Place the stainless steel mitre box with the shapes in a 120°C warm oven and fix for 30 min.

6. Varnish the hardened and cooled shapes with the special varnish (Pardo Clay Varnish) to protect the surface.

7. Trim the leather bracelet. Make a hole in one end of the bracelet for the snap fastener using pliers. Insert the snap fastener at the opposite end, using the pliers for squeezing it in place.

8. Squeeze the snap fastener into the hole using the pliers.

9. Attach the finished heart shape onto the leather bracelet using a thin leather cord.

Jewellery made from Beads threaded onto Memory Wire

Rows of Memory Wire with Beads and Clay Roses.

1. Cut a suitable number of rows of the memory wire (the more the better). You can make bracelets, rings and necklaces from memory wire. Adjust the length of the memory wire accordingly.

2. Glue an end cap onto one end of the memory wire using super instant glue.

3. Thread beads onto several rows of memory wire. Make an exciting pattern by varying between metal beads, faceted beads and clay beads.

4. Finish the piece of jewellery with another end cap, glued on using super instant glue.

5. Decorate the delicate stud earrings with clay roses, attached with super instant glue.

Another example

Another example

Another example

Another example