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Today we’re going to knock out a some gorgeous DIY Chanel for a fraction of the price!
Apparently I have expensive taste. Always have and probably always will. You know how when you’re flipping through your newest fashion mag and you see this thing, be it a purse, belt, pair of earrings, whatever that are to die for and rather than a price, there is an 800 number with “price upon request”.
That’s what happened when I saw inside of my Marie Claire. I was quickly flipping through the pages to get an idea of what was going down this issue and I saw this bracelet in the upper left hand corner of my book that made me stop. I saw it and I knew I had seen it, but I had to go through page after page after page to find this darn thing. It almost felt like a dangum mirage after a while. But the page was found and I saw that it was Chanel and so incredibly expensive, that it just isn’t decent for them to publish the price for the likes of riffraff like me.
Check out that gorgeously blinged out closure! I’d been saving it for the perfect project!!
I was out buying glass pearls the very next day. Not a week later, not in a bit, the very next day. Oh, and the store I would normally go to that is about a 45 minute drive is and was no more, so I had to tack another 40 minutes onto my travel round trip and with the price of gas, that is something I don’t take lightly. But I did it and I am so happy I did!!!
What you’ll need to knock off your own:
- jewelry chain
- rhinestone magnetic clasp
- 2 strands – 6mm glass pearl beads
- 2 strands – 8mm glass pearl beads
- 1 strand – 12-mm glass pearl beads
- head pins, about 200
- Jump Rings (6mm worked well for me), about 50
Take your first bead and string it onto a head pin. Use wire cutters to trim the head pin so that you have approximately half an inch after the top of the bead.
Take the wire and wrap it around some rounded jewelry pliers to form a loop. It doesn’t have to be pretty or perfect because we are going to jam pack these suckers together. It is great practice for future jewelry projects!
Just to make things easier on myself, I went ahead and did up all of my beads like this before I moved on. It’s totally okay if all of your beads aren’t on head pins that are exactly the same length, in fact I think it works out best if they’re not.
Starting with the smallest beads, take four and put them onto an open jump ring.
Attach the jump ring onto one of your links. Skip every other chain and add four on a jump ring. Continue for as many links as you need to make a bracelet to fit your wrist. I latched onto 18 chains.
This is the point where I got sick and was supposed to be in bed. I wasn’t told that I couldn’t make a bracelet in bed, so the backdrop is my blanket.
Take your middle sized beads and put four to a jump ring and attach to each link that is empty (in between the links holding the smallest beads. This sucker is getting pretty full so you’ll have to be really patient.
I have a jump ring tool that I think may have been a godsend for me on this project. Check them out here, Beadalon Jump Ring Open/Close Tool
, I use it every time I’m opening or closing rings anymore so mine gets crazy use!
Attach your biggest beads randomly, or wherever they look best.
Finish with jump rings and the closure of your choice. Because I wanted a little extra bling, I went with this rhinestoned super magnetic closure. Now, this bracelet is heavy and I wouldn’t recommend a normal magnetic closure by any means. But this is a crazy strong thing I got and it means bidness and even with me crazily whipping my arm around like a madwoman, that sucker stayed firmly in place. You can get one just like it here.
Now, if I had brought my magazine page with me, I probably would have gotten the beads that were a more of a champagne beige than white-white to be more true to the original. But honestly, this thing would be awesome no matter what color it is!
So, what do you think? You willing to put down a tenner (and a few hours) to have your own Chanel inspired awesomeness? Happy Monday!
Thank you Allison, that clarifies it for me! I thought that was what you meant but did not want to assume since no one else had questioned it. Now I understand. I bought a 65 in. strand of cult. pearls for a song. Not the best grade, but still real pearls, I want to use them for this project since I have a lot of pearls and will never wear the necklace as is, too long and heavy and makes too many strands around the neck. Perfect for projects though!
If it is successful I will send a picture. Thank you again,
Sharon
I love this bracelet and would like to try to make it but am totally new at this! I don’t understand the instructions where it says you “latched onto 18 chains”. Does this mean the bracelet has 18 strands? I see how you hook the beads onto the nail head and then attach 4 onto a jump ring to be attached to the chain. Do you have 18 lengths of chain cut to fit your wrist? this is where I get confused. any help would be so appreciated. Thanks
I didn’t word that incredibly well did I? :) I actually attached beads to 18 LINKS of the chain, skipping every other one. So my bracelet was about 36 links of chain long. Sorry :)
instead of pearls – I’m thinking multi-colored glass beads–bicones, rounds, etc. for the summer–or maybe opaque black & white –faceted or smooth –great design – endless possibilities!
I totally agree with Maxermoo’s comment. Made it the original way and it didn’t look good because of the head pins showing. Will adjust them now. so my daughter can wear it to a wedding. Thanks for the tutorial.
Allison, this is a great tutorial! My mom wanted one so she bought the supplies. I started it while she was here yesterday and it goes together really fast. I worked on it while we sat and talked. She loves it!
One comment about the head pins, if you don’t wrap the wire all the way down to the pearls, the head pins “pop” when you move the bracelet around (meaning you see a lot of pin heads sticking up from the pearls like porcupine quills). I didn’t like the way that looked, so I took them back off and wrapped the loops all the way to the pearls so there was no space for the head pins to move up and down. Hope that makes sense. It sure looks way better that way!
I’m going to make one of these for myself and probably one for my mom-in-law, too. Thanks for sharing your bling idea. Good stuff!
I love your bracelet it look better than the Chanel one. Your clasp made it more beautiful. Thanks for the tutorial, I have a bunch of glass pears in all sorts of colors and sizes and I’m going to make me one or two (or more). LOL
Made one in various colours for my granddaughter’s 25th and she loved it. (In fact I used up a lot of odd pearls and crystals). It really did take one evening – a long one, mind!
Thanks
Judith
This bracelet ROCKS!!! I have been looking for something like this for a while and all of a sudden here it is!!! I can not wait to give this the old Joe College try. I think I have found a few holiday gifts for people!! You are beyond kind in sharing such a lovely pattern with us!! Thumbs up big time!!!
Smiles!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this. You did a great job for it being the first time!
It’s a beautiful bracelet!! I want one, too.
This is absolutely beautiful! Thank you soo much for the tutorial! I actually started it then said, “Why not make it a necklace?!” So I did! I personally think it looks great but a bit heavy so I might need to get a hook instead of a magnetic clasp that can hold all these pearls! Thanks!
Oh, I bet that is one pretty necklace, but definitely heavy! I’ve had good luck with S hooks with heavy jewelry but I’m sure you’ll find an outstanding option. Would LOVE if you’d post to my Facebook page when finished. I’m dying to see it as a full necklace :)
Great project! And i am in LOVE with that clasp!
I love that clasp, too – it’s probably my favorite thing about that bracelet. Thanks so much for the sweet comment… coming from you it’s quite a compliment, indeed!
Hi,
You go girl, first project I’ve seen that is truly awesome and inspiring. Thank-you very much for sharing…..can’t wait to make as a present for my daughter. Thanks again :-)
Thanks so much! I hope your daughter loves it!
Gorgeous bracelet! This really would look great in any color. Now, off to find foxy charms like the one you used. :)
Thanks so much – very glad you like it! If you need help finding anything, you can always use the product links in the ‘for this project you will need’ list. :)
Very pretty bracelet. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m going to attempt one. I hope mine turns out half as pretty as yours.
I’m sure yours will be every bit as pretty. Thanks so much for reading :)
Hi this braclet is amaizing and I am desprate for this snd matching necklace for my wedding plx coukd u help me with this and make me 1 please get back to me soon as possible xxx
Oh, Savannah – I’m so humbled that you’d want to wear this to something as important as your wedding! Unfortunately I’m so swamped right now that I don’t think I could help. Perhaps the tutorial could help you make one? So sorry but very happy for you and your bright future!
Send me a pic if you get the chance Arahbella. I'd love to see it!
lovely bracelet! will try to make one too :)
I never would have thought of Oriental Trading Co.! Thanks so much, I think mine is prettier too, just because of the blinged out closure, though :)
Actually, I think yours is prettier . ( I got my jump-ring openers at Oriental Trading Co. set of three, very reasonable and invaluable.)
Best of luck finding the tool, Nina – it really is a godsend – and thanks, Magda!
great work:) Invite to me…http://handmadeowo.blogspot.com/
Totally agree, beautiful bracelet. Thanks for making that tutorial. Just gotta find that jump ring tool here in Sweden, and then I'm making myself a bracelet too.