In Bloom Day 3: DIY cardigan chains with Style Crush!

Hi there, my name is Amy and I am super-excited to be a guest blogger for Maria and Chantilly's In Bloom: Seven Day of Spring Style!

Cardigans are a staple in my Spring wardrobe. I own at least a dozen of them in all different colors. They are comfy, versatile, and perfect for making a sleeveless dress or tank more work-appropriate. I am going to show you how to make a sweater chain to dress up your favorite cardigan (plus it'll keep your sweater from slipping off your shoulders). This is such a fun and easy project that you'll want to make sweater chains for all of your cardigans.

Supplies:
sweater clips/ guards
*You can find a variety of these online at Jan's Jewelry Supplies (http://www.jansjewels.com/other/fcuff-1.html) or search Etsy and Ebay for deals. You can also use clip earrings but I found they don't grip onto your sweaters as well.
6-8" of chain, depending on desired look
*You can get chain from your local beading store but you might also try thrift stores -- or re-purpose a broken or unworn necklace of your own
2 or more jump rings in the same color as your chain
2 matching cabochons
jewelry pliers

Some ideas of what to use for your cabochons: buttons, old post or clip earrings  -- anything with a flat back that you have 2 of. To save money, look around your home for something that might work. Thrift stores are also a great resource. You can also search for "cabochon" on Etsy.



Here I've used a couple pairs of vintage clip earrings. I cut off the ear clip with pliers/wire cutters to leave a (mostly) flat back. I've also cut the shanks off plastic buttons using a button shank remover (http://www.amazon.com/Favorite-Findings-Button-Shank-Remover/dp/B001685UK0).

Glue your cabs onto the tops of the sweater clips to dress them up a bit. I use E-6000 (http://www.amazon.com/Eclectic-230021-E6000-Multi-Purpose-Adhesive-3-7/dp/B000Z68XRQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1299564811&sr=1-1) but any strong jewelry glue or epoxy will work. Follow the directions on your glue regarding drying time. I let mine dry overnight.

One your glue is dry, you are ready to attach your chain to the sweater clips using jump rings.

Open the jump ring using your jewelry pliers. Hook the loop on your sweater clip into the jump ring, along with one end of your chain. Close the jump ring securely with pliers. Repeat for the other side.


See what I mean? You'll want to make one in every color.

You can use two or more strands of chain if you wish. I love the look of beaded chain. If you are a more advanced jewelry maker, you might try adding beads to the chain, using eye or head pins.



See? I wasn't kidding about my collection of cardigans.



I hope you enjoyed my tutorial. Thanks for stopping by! And don't forget to visit my blog (http://www.peptogirl.blogspot.com)!

Amy Cluck

sweet-n-salty
sometimes sweet, sometimes salty, always stylish
http://www.sweet-n-saltyshop.com/

IndieSacramento
Sacramento's Indie Craft Collective
http://www.indiesacramento.com/

And don't forget to check out MyGirlThursday for some more awesome In Bloom videos today!