A Fabric Bib Necklace

So lately I have been drooling over this new bib necklace phenomenon. I love big jewelry! Especially on the summer when you want to show off those sun kissed shoulders (or when your shoulders are burnt to the point of such discomfort where you HAVE to rock a sleeveless.) A nice voluminous necklace just brings your outfit to life! I wanted to give Narine one of such pieces for her birthday that just passed, but I had a bit of a time crunch because I'm one of those people who decide what they want to get you about 24 hours before your special day. So I had to make it. I will show you how I did it, in case you want to craft yourself into oblivion for the next five or six hours. (or later when you get home from work lol). These will be available in our Etsy Shoppe by the end of the month so look out for one if you decide not to make it!

This is a typical bib necklace:

First step to making Nar's necklace was to gather all of the findings and fabric that I could find in my art studio. I wanted it to be black so that she could wear it with anything:

Then, I of course drew out the exact size and layout of the "bib" part of my necklace on paper, so I could figure out how much fabric I would need. I used two silk shirts that I had in my closet for no apparent reason, a pair of earrings that were made out of fabric, jewelry odds and ends from Michaels, and swarovski elements. I even dissected these old sandals that had some quality rhinestones on them, because the better quality the stones, the more polished it will look.

Next: I cut the fabric into several long strips , folded those strips in half. and stitched a loose seam along the edge. This gives you a smooth edge for the 'petals' of your flower. This is the easiest flower I can show you right now, although I used about three techniques to make her necklace. This is a starter flower so try this one first, but email me if you feel you are ready to learn a few more. (I do plan on posting them in the nearby future.)

When you have sewn the fabric along the edge, pull on the thread at one end while holding the other, in order to bunch the fabric up, and then shape it into the flower. You will want to sew the back of it together so that it stays put. You can add a gem in the center as I did here if you like.

After I was finished creating my flowers, this is how the necklace looked. You can leave some thread hanging for a grunge look, or keep it completely clean by cutting all of the excess thread. Then you will want to use a touch of clear nail polish to seal the threads where they fray. Just a dab ( like you do when you get a run in your pantyhose). You will arrange the flowers and then one by one, sew them together from the back. Add the two pieces that will connect around your neck to either side (OR you can use high quality ribbon as well)

Happy Bib-Necklace making! I think I'm going to make about 100 of these in various colors! lol. If you do one, please send me the pics!!