Retired - Vintage Wedding Necklace

Note: Components and tools listed within this INSTRUCTIONS box and the printer-friendly PDF, if available, may have been discontinued since this project was published. Refer to the PURCHASE COMPONENTS and TOOLS AND OTHER SUPPLIES sections for current availability.

1. To begin, take all of your Vintaj filigree pieces and Vintaj fastenables and gently rub them using the Vintaj relief block. Sand and buff them to bring out the detail of the stamping to your desired brightness. Set aside.
2. Take your Vintaj gerbera petal filigree and using just the pressure of your fingers, bend up each of the 4 sides so that you are creating a lid or box like shape. See the photo as to how much to bend. The middle has a slight dip in it, try to flatted that gently with your fingers so that your box lays flat.
3. Take a brass head pin and thread onto it 1 Austrian crystal rondelle and 1 10mm pearl. Make a total of 4 of these. Twist the wires of two of them together. Do the same for the other two. Snip the wires so that there is about 1/4 inch of twisted wire remaining. Place a dab of E6000 glue into the interior bottom of the filigree "box" you made in the previous step. Place the two twisted bead sections into the filigree "box" so that the rondelles are sticking out the corners. Push their twisted wire ends into the glue.
4. Thread onto a head pin 1 rondelle and 1 Czech fire polished 4mm round bead. Make a total of 4 of these. Twist all their wires together and then snip off all but 1/8" of wire. Place a dab of E6000 glue into the center of your filigree "box" ontop of the wires from your pearls. Place your headpin cluster, wires first, into the glue in the center of your box. Let dry.
5. Take your Vintaj diamond trellis filigree and using your fingers, bend it in half creating a soft arch way in the middle. You do not want both sides to be laying flat upon each other but instead make a horseshoe shape with the width of the interior arch being around 1/2 inch. About an inch from one tip of the filigree, curve the end down towards the other side of the filigree until it's tip touches the side below it (the two tips will not touch). This again should be a soft gradual curve, not sharp. See the photo.
6. For a 1/2 inch along the top of the tip of the filigree from the previous step, the side that remained flat and not curved, place a dab of E6000. Now set your filigree box filled with pearls and crystals into the glue. You have just made your pendant, let dry.
7. Take your bird connector and cut off the loop close to the beak, be careful to not cut off the beak. Cut a 3 inch piece of 24 gauge wire and place onto one end of the wire your bird connector through the remaining loop. Create a wrapped wire loop with the bird's loop within the wrapped wire loop. Thread onto the wire 3 Czech fire polished 4mm round beads. Create a wrapped wire loop at the end and cut off excess wire with flush cutters.
8. Take a headpin and thread onto it 1 Austrian crystal 4mm rondelle, 1 Austrian crystal 8mm pearl, and 1 Czech fire polished 4mm round. Create a wrapped wire loop at the top with the loop being between 1/8" and 1/4" in diameter. Create 3 more of these.
9. Cut a 15" length of your silk ribbon. Thread onto the silk your Vintaj fastenable floret flower. and one of the pearl dangles you made in the previous step. Slide them so that they are 2 1/2 inches from one end. Tie a simple knot with them "inside" the knot. Now from the end of the silk which is not knotted, thread another pearl dangle. Slide it so that it rests about an inch from your other knot. Tie a simple knot again, making sure to keep that 1" space between knots. Now thread onto the silk the bird charm dangle and another pearl dangle. Space them 3 inches from your last knot and tie another simple knot to secure them. Thread onto the silk your last pearl dangle. Slide it 1 inch from your last knot and tie another knot to secure the dangle. Measure 2 1/2 inches from your last knot and cut off any ribbon in excess to that.
10. Cut an 8 inch length of 24 gauge wire. On one end of your silk ribbon from above, fold over 1 inch so that you have created a loop. 1/2 inch from the tip of the silk loop you created, start to wrap your wire around the silk. Keep wrapping for 1/3 of an inch, wrap tightly and evenly, you might want to even go over the same space several times so that no white ribbon shows through. Just before you finish your wire wrapping, cut off any rough ends of the ribbon near the wrapping. Then finish your wrapping by going over the ribbon end. If you have some wire left off and are happy with your wrapping, just cut off excess wire. Repeat this entire step on the other side of your ribbon.
11. Carefully slide onto you ribbon the pendant you made earlier, gently easing it over the knots with dangles until it rests in the middle section of your silk.
12. Open a 15mm jump ring and slide it through one of your ribbon loops, close the jump ring. Repeat on the other side of your ribbon. Set aside.
13. Cut your 1' of chain in half so that you have equal number of links on each side. Your chain consists of many links which have a cut area, just like an open jump ring. Open and remove the last 5 links on each chain length. Leave each of the links you removed open at this time. Set aside.
14. Cut 6 lengths of 24 gauge wire, 3 inches long each. Create a wrapped wire loop (LINK) at one end. Thread onto the wire 3 Czech fire polished 4mm round beads. Create a wrapped wire loop at the end of the last bead and cut off excess wire with flush cutters. Repeat with your remaining 5 lengths of wire.
15. Now cut 2 lengths of 24 gauge wire, 3 inches long each. Create a wrapped wire loop (LINK) at one end. Thread onto the wire 2 Czech fire polished 4mm round beads, 1 Austrian crystal 8mm pearl, and 2 more Czech fire polished 4mm round beads. Create a wrapped wire loop at the end of the last bead and cut off excess wire with flush cutters. Repeat with your other length of cut wire.
16. Find the links you removed from your chain ends that you will be using as jump rings, they all should still be open. Link 1 of the chain link/jump rings to one of the 15mm jump rings attached to your ribbon. Also attach to that link/jump ring 1 of your 3 Czech bead strands you made 2 steps ago. Close the link/jump ring. Now go to the other side of that 3 bead strand you just attached and attach another link/jump ring and one of the pearl /Czech strands you made in the previous step. Close the link/jump ring. Continuing on, go to the end of the strand you just attached and using another link/jump ring to attach another 3 Czech bead strand Close link/jump ring. Do the same on the other side of the strand you just attached, attaching another 3 bead strand. When you get to the end, attach one last link/jump ring and attach it to the end link of one of your chain lengths. Repeat this entire step on the other side of your necklace.
17. At this point, you should have the top part of your necklace half connected, the parts with the wrapped wire loop strands should be attached to the large 15mm jump rings which are attached to the ribbon and on the opposite end, they should each be linked to the end part of a chain length. Now grab the other end of the chain that is not attached to anything, and open the link at that end the same way you would open a jump ring. Attach this link to the 15mm jump ring on the same side of the necklace that the beaded strand it is connected to is attached to. Close the link. Repeat this step on the other side of your necklace.
18. Cut 6 inches of 24 gauge wire and string onto it 3 Czech glass fire polished 4mm beads. Place them in the center of the 6 inches and fold your wire in half. Cross your wire ends under the beads and pull snug, forcing the beads into a triangle shape. With your two tails of wire, twist them together using your fingers, making a nice long single twisted wire. If the two wires do not evenly meet up at the end, go ahead cut them at the place where they diverge using your flush cutters. Thread the now twisted wire through the center hole of your VIntaj violet spring flower fastenable. Pull so that your Czech glass beads are in the middle and tightly pressed against your fastenable. Begin wrapping your wire around the stem of the fastenable. Wrap 3 times. Cut off excess wire with flush cutters, and if there are any rough wire ends, use your chain nose pliers to press them into the wire wrapping so they do not itch or scratch the skin.
19. On one side of your necklace, open the last link of the chain, it should already have the end of one of your beaded strands attached (make sure this stays on) and attach the Vintaj beaded fastenable you just made in the previous step and the eye part of your hook and eye clasp. Close the link.
20. On the other side of your necklace, open the last link of the chain and attach the hook part of your necklace. Close the link.
21. Enjoy!

• XCR-48095 - Silk Fabric Flat Silky Ribbon, 2cm Wide, 42 Inches Long, 1 Strand, Cream White
  Project uses 15 inches. You will need 1 package.


• WCR-4207 - BeadSmith Non-Tarnish Antique Brass Color Craft Wire 24 Gauge - 20 Yards
  Project uses 16 inches. You will need 1 package.


• CHA-7120 - Vintaj Natural Brass Chain 8mm x 5.5mm Oval Links - Bulk By The Foot
  Project uses 1 foot. You will need 1 package.


• PND-7010 - Vintaj Natural Brass Lovely Gerbera Petal Filigree Stamping 38mm (1)
  Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.


• PND-7015 - Vintaj Natural Brass Diamond Trellis Filigree Stamping 64x21mm (1)
  Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.


• SWP-5180 -
  Project uses 4 pieces. You will need 1 package.


• SWC-54301 - Austrian crystal Crystal, 5040 Rondelle Beads 4mm, 12 Pieces, Crystal Bronze Shade
  Project uses 4 pieces. You will need 1 package.


• FHP-06303 - Antiqued Brass Head Pins - 21 Gauge 3 Inches (25)
  Project uses 5 pieces. You will need 1 package.


• BCP-3412 -
  Project uses 36 pieces. You will need 1 package.


• FJR-5335 - Vintaj Natural Brass Open Jump Rings 15mm Heavy 15 Gauge (10)
  Project uses 2 pieces. You will need 1 package.


• FCL-4641 - Vintaj Natural Brass Wire Spiral Swirl Hook & Eye Clasps (2 Sets)
  Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.


• PND-7242 - Vintaj Natural Brass Fastenables Violet Sprig Flower Charms 30mm (2)
  Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.


• PND-7243 - Vintaj Natural Brass Fastenables Floret Flower Charms 29x14mm (2)
  Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.


• FCO-4626 - Vintaj Natural Brass Flying West Sparrow Bird Connector Beads 19mm (2)
  Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.


• XTL-1054 - E6000 Industrial Strength Glue Adhesive (0.18 fl oz)
  Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.

• XTL-2222 - Vintaj Metal Relief Block For Filing, Buffing & Sanding
• XTL-5600 - Xuron Sharp Flush Cutter Pliers - Wire/Soft Flex
• XTL-5511 - Beadsmith Jeweller's Micro Pliers Chain Nose Flat Nose
• XTL-5514 - Beadsmith Jewelry Fine Round Nose Micro Pliers
• XTL-5700 - Fiskars 5 Precision Tip Scissors - Super Sharp