How To: Paperclip Necklace

As said before in this post, I am always intrigued by items in fashion that I have never seen before. So when I found the picture below floating around the internet the other day, I immediately saved it and thought, "I wonder if I could make that." I did find a place to buy that exact necklace here, if you'd like. However, if you like a challenge and have some extra paperclips laying around, I would give it a shot!

Here is my final product:

How to make this paperclip necklace:

1. Start by stringing together about 18 paper clips. This will serve as your shortest necklace chain out of the ultimate 3. I used 18 paper clips, but you can change this if it does not flatter you as well. I judged mine by hanging it around my neck and having it fall about a two inches below my collar bones.

TIP: If you are using multi colored paper clips like me, use the same color at each end of the necklace that will work as a clasp to avoid confusion.

TIP: For the next few steps, I simply taped the necklace on my wall to work with it.

2. Make another string of paperclips for your medium length chain of the necklace but use the same number of paper clips in this chain as your short one. I used 18 paper clips again.

3. Connect the second chain onto the first one by sliding its end paper clips onto the second paperclip of the original one.

4. Now, make sixteen sets of two paper clips and attach them between the two chains starting from the center and working outwards. Once you finish connecting these double paper clips, use two single paper clips on each outer edge since the space to fill is smaller than that in the center.

5. Make a third, longest, chain of paper clips with FOUR more paper clips than the original two. So, in my necklace I used 22 paper clips for the third chain, since the first was 18. Connect it the same way as you did the second.

6. Repeat the same steps as above by connecting sixteen pairs of double paper clips from the center outwards followed by four single paper clips.

7. Style it! Try it on and arrange paper clips that lay awkwardly or add paper clips to where there may be an empty spot. You may have to add or subtract some paper clips from the chains to have it lay best on you.

Of course this necklace would look much higher fashion with all silver paper clips, or at least one solid color of paper clips, but I had to work with what I had! Also, add a few personal touches. If you have some cool beads laying around, string them onto some of the paper clips. If you can find some ribbon, run it through the chains of the paper clips. Necklace cost from the online store where it was found: $15 plus shipping and handling. Necklace home-made and just as cool: $1 from the dollar store and about 20 minutes of your day.