I made this necklace the other day because I wanted something pretty to wear to my new seasonal job, but didn't want to spend more than $5. I decided this in the middle of Wal-Mart, so I didn't have my computer to look up patterns and lists of materials, but I knew from the beaded socks that I've made that you can easily incorporate beads into crocheted designs. This necklace was fast (took me about 30 minutes total) and extremely simple, using only slip stitch and chains. I was happy with the way it turned out. Not too fancy, but fast and cheap, and (in my humble opinion) pretty! If you'd like to make your own, here are the basic instructions:
Materials:
- Beads (duh!)
- Very fine gauge wire (I think mine was 35?)
- A small shank button
- A small crochet hook (Mine was a size 8/1.5MM, which was a teensy bit too big, but I worked it out.)
- Make a slipknot with your wire and place it on your hook as if you're about to start crocheting.
- Chain 10 and join with a slip stitch to the first chain to form a loop. This loop will eventually go around your button to secure the necklace in lieu of a clasp.
- Chain 10 more.
- *bead chain (see below), chain 5* Repeat that bit between the asterisks until your necklace is about an inch to an inch-and-a-half shorter than you'd like it to be.
- Chain 10, then attach the button in the same way you did the bead chains.
Place a bead on your crochet hook. Yarn over as if you're doing a regular chain stitch, but instead of just pulling your loop of yarn through the last chain, pull it through the bead and then the last chain. This will enclose the bead! After this stitch, follow the pattern with normal chain stitch.
If Your Crochet Hook is Too Large:
Of course it would be very nice to make sure that your crochet hook will fit into the holes in your beads, but since my crochet hook was at home and my goal was to spend as little money as possible, I had to make do with a larger hook than I really needed. How? Instead of leaving my wire attached to the spool, I cut off as much as I'd need to make the necklace (seriously, that's at LEAST four times the amount you'd think!). Then when it came time for a bead chain, I slipped my bead onto the free end of the wire, then chained around it as normal. More time-consuming than it would've been with the correct size hook, but it worked just fine!
Total Cost of This Project: $4.75, with plenty of wire left over for future necklaces!!
If anyone makes this necklace, I'd love to see pics!! And, of course, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them to the best of my ability!
