DIY Blingy Silk Tassel Necklace

Evergreen is a word that is used to describe a classic – a style, a product, a song or even an act that is always fresh and current. In Botany it refers to a plant or a tree that remains green throughout the year. In my Navratri Golu this year on the colour Green, I had explained how this tree (fir) is a symbol of prosperity, immortality and came to become the Christmas tree. While Red is a winter colour and is worn fashionably at Christmas and New year parties, I hardly see green being worn. While wearing an entire green ensemble with matching accessories might make you look like a mini Christmas tree, it would be truly fun to add a dose of this beautiful colour with this Blingy Silk Tassel Necklace.

DIY Blingy Silk Tassel Necklace

This Silk Tassel necklace is not for the faint hearted. It is for a woman who is confident, has a bold personality and likes to flaunt it. Its got a tribal vibe to it with its 25 tassels and it is quite blingy. If I have to make a variation, I would loose the tassels and retain the bling. Though the design looks labour intensive, it moves along quickly. It is a easy project to do on hot (or cold) days perched in front of the TV.

Materials

• Silk thread emerald green – 1 spool
• Velvet ribbon 3/8th wide – 3 meters
• Matching green embroidery floss
• big link chain – 15″
• 4mm clear rhinestone chain – 20″
• 1″ Emerald green rhinestone teardrops with center shank- 5
• Brown rectangular rhinestone focals with center shank – 2
• Fabric glue (clear)
• Green sewing thread and Needle
• Scissors

Confession time – I made this necklace two years back for a Client Post wedding party with a wont to write a tutorial then. I took step wise pictures but never wrote the post until now. To be honest, I am just eyeballing measurements in this post so they might be more than what is actually required. Hence, decide on what size of necklace you would like to create and base your measurements on that.

Method

1. Choose a chain with big links. Each of the links on my chain are about 1.25″ long
2. Cut 24″ of velvet ribbon (less if you want a shorter tie up) and keep it aside.
3. Start winding the ribbon through either side of the chain links.
4. Create a bridge in the middle by threading the ribbon up and down the gaps

5. Adhere a row of rhinestones using fabric glue and let it dry.
6. In the meanwhile make 25 tassels.

Make the tassels

Follow this link to my Tassel Choker from the 4th of July post to see how to make a tassel.  I made both 3″ long tassels Here are the steps if you want a quick refresher.

• Wind thread around a business card about 40 times (more if you want it to be thicker)
• Pass a piece of embroidery thread through one end and tie up. Slide the wrapped threads from the card
• Wind more thread around the top end of the tassel and make a knot
• Cut the bottom end to required length and fluff the tassel up.
• Make 25 or more tassels – I cut a few at 3.5″ length, some at 3 ” and some others 2.25″ length

Assemble the Blingy Silk Tassel Necklace

7. Connect seven short tassels to a rhinestone focal each
8. Thread a needle with the embroidery thread and whip stitch the tassels to the chain base. I added the longer tassels to the back of the base, the shorter in the middle and the shortest in the front connected to the rhinestone focals. Without cutting the thread, sew the focals to the chain base as well criss crossing as you go. Finish and knot behind a focal. In the beginning the stitching will look messy but the focals will cover them up nicely. I picked an embroidery thread to match my silk thread so it was visible on the dark base. On hindsight, I suggest that you pick the colour that is closer to the base to do the stitching.

9. Add two equal lengths of ribbon to the end of the chain by wrapping and sewing them to the existing ribbon on the chain.
10. Glue another length of rhinestones to further glam up the piece.

Wear it and Flaunt it my dearies!!

Styling tips

The necklace though very blingly by itself would help you style a boring office wear – collared white shirt and black trousers into a party wear outfit. I would personally wear small gold hoops or emerald studs to go with it and finish with dull gold sandals. But the “flaunt it” way would be to wear it with a beige or a black formal or party wear dress and dark green metallic heels. You could also wear it with a dull turquoise green or a dull gold saree for an indo-western look.

Blingy Tasseled necklaces are one of the hot trends for SS18. So why don’t you be ahead of the trend by wearing one at your New Year party. Do tell me in the comments how you like it and what variations you would do? I checked out different hues for the silk thread on Photoshop and found that burgundy, navy, and black are killer color options for this design. So Glam up and enjoy your festivities.