Like many of you, I too have Pinterest boards of inspiration waiting to be tried out. I also have a folder with pictures on my computer which is my offline stash of inspiration. One idea that is in both place is a fabric – bag like pendant-necklace. Ofcourse I did not know what it was called until recently. I came across the phrase “Blessing bag necklaces” along with a video by Heidi Kummli on Facebook. As working from home offers time to spare, I tried out her tutorial. I feel that these bags in happy colours are the perfect antidote for the times that we live in.
What are Blessing bags
Blessings bags are small hand sewn felt bags that are wearable as jewellery. They are embellished in layers and are ornate in nature. They are used to pass on positivity and blessings from one person to another. These bags are not religious jewellery but they are amuletic. The bags are meant to bring hope, happiness and luck to the wearer. The bags that I have made are open at the top allowing you to add small herbs, amulets, charms, talismans or even a note that spreads cheer. In the video at the end of the post, you can see how Heidi fills them up. As a necklace, each bag can be worn as is as a fashion accessory as well. With that said, I offer the following three Blessing bag necklaces for sale.
Crystal gaze
While my brief (to myself) was to make happy necklaces, I wanted one that was a bit subtle. Looking through my bead box, I found an old cover of crystal beads that I bought in Bangkok in 2015. Along with beads bought from all over India, this necklace came together rather charmingly. The ribbon pattern gives off a certain Central Asian vibe making it quaint and rustic as well. It is my favourite of the lot.
Pink floral bag
I have been hoarding this ribbon forever, wanting to make something beautiful with it. It goes so wonderfully well with the yellow felt and pink cord, doesn’t it? The ribbon is embellished with a resin cab. I have used colourful beads in pink, yellow and green to create this happy Pink floral bag necklace. the bag is about 2.25 inches in length. the necklaces falls slightly above the chest, but the length can be adjusted due ot the nature of the cord closure.
Turmeric coin amuletic bag
The third bag is quite the summer combination of yellow and teal green with an accent of orange. It seems to be my favourite colour combination these days. Looking out from the terrace to the temple tank opposite my house and seeing bright yellows and greenish water maybe has something to do with ti. After all, it is the only “outing” that I have allowed myself lately. I have added a metal coin as well as danglers to this pouch so it is heavier than the other two. This is also the smallest of the three in terms of bag length, the necklace itself is much longer than the other two.
One of the first questions that I had when I saw the video was if the bags could hold anything inside them, without objects falling out through the sides. So I wrote to Heidi who confirmed that the contents will stay put unless you “dance up a riot.” Even though I have not beaded the edges, my pouches are quite study and can contain small trinkets, charms or notes. I can sew/glue the bags shut if required as well.
Tutorial
These blessing bag necklaces are based on the Tiny Blessing bag video by Heidi Kummli. The video is long as Heidi takes you through every step of making the bags. As you can see it is a labourious process to make it beautiful.
As I mentioned above, all the Blessing bag necklaces are for sale. I can whip up simple bead earrings to match them, if you would like during purchase. Thank you for all the positive remarks on Instagram where I uploaded a video showing how the bags open. Please do share your feedback in this post as well. Should I make more bags? What other colour combinations should I look at?
I hope you find it interesting
Cheers
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