How To-sday - The Jane Austen Vintage Brass Necklace

I made this necklace as part of a tutorial exchange on Totally Tutorials. If you've never seen this site, it's a must-read! All supplies were provided to me by Weekend Jewelry 1 on Etsy in exchange for a tutorial of my finished product, who I cannot recommend enough for the super fast shipping and incredibly friendly demeanor! {Apologies in advance for a few of the pictures; I was having lighting issues...} Here we go:

Materials:
{Thanks a million to Weekend Jewelry 1 for all these supplies!!!}

1. Needle-Nose and Round Pliers
2. Brass Chain {3-5 feet}
3. 5 Brass Headpins
4. 12 Brass Jump Rings
5. 12 Brass Decorative Connectors
6. 5 Glass Beads
7. Vintage Brass Pendant

Open your jump rings and attach one to each connector and one to each side of the brass pendant. Be sure to always open your jump rings side to side {like a swirl}, not out {like a pac-man or the letter C} or you'll lose their shape and compromise the ability to close.

Cut the end off each headpin and then make a small loop using your round pliers. Slide one bead onto the loop. I used amethyst-colored Czech glass beads to complement the deep blue of the pendant.

Trim the headpin a bit and then form another loop on the other side of the bead. Slide a connector onto each loop and then squeeze the loops tightly shut.

Continue this process until you have five bead units complete with connectors and jump rings.

Cut your chain into six equal pieces. My chain was three feet long, so I cut six six-inch pieces. Make sure that you remove any snipped ends from the chain pieces.

Thread the jump rings through the last link on the chain pieces. The first picture shows the end of a piece of chain, but you can't see it very well {Sorry!}. Connect each ring to a piece of chain until you have a long strand, and finally attach the pendant to connect the whole thing together. You don't need to use a clasp for this necklace because it's long enough to fit over your head.

You can wear it long or double it over your head for a layered look. You could wear the pendant in the middle, but I rather like the asymmetrical look. Et voila - go show off your fantastic new bling from vintage pieces and parts!