Alright, so I had this itch, you know? Been wanting to make something with my hands for a bit. And then it hit me – a Leo necklace. My sister’s birthday is coming up, and she’s a classic Leo, fiery and all that. Plus, store-bought stuff can be so generic, right?
Getting the Idea Rolling
First thing, I doodled a bit. Was I going for the lion symbol? The glyph? Or maybe the constellation? Decided the constellation would be kinda cool, a bit more subtle. I figured a simple pendant, nothing too flashy. She’s not really into chunky jewelry anyway. The main thing was getting that Leo vibe across without it screaming “ASTROLOGY NERD,” if you catch my drift.
The Great Material Hunt
Okay, this part was… an adventure. You’d think finding basic jewelry supplies would be easy. Nope.
First, I needed a decent chain. Not too thick, not too flimsy. Went to a couple of craft stores. One had chains that looked like they’d snap if you sneezed. The other had stuff priced like it was solid gold, which, believe me, it wasn’t.
Ended up finding a simple silver-plated one online that looked alright. Fingers crossed on that one.
Then, the pendant itself. I thought about making one from scratch, like with clay or resin. But honestly, I didn’t have the patience for that whole curing and baking process this time around. I found these blank, flat circular pendants. Perfect base. The plan was to try and etch the Leo constellation onto it. Or, if I chickened out, maybe use tiny rhinestones to mark the stars.
And the tools:
- My trusty needle-nose pliers – couldn’t live without ’em.
- Some jump rings. Always need more jump rings.
- A clasp, obviously.
I already had these lying around from other projects, thankfully. Saved me a bit of hassle.
Putting It All Together – The Nitty Gritty
So, the blank pendant arrived. I decided against etching. My hands aren’t steady enough for that kind of delicate work, especially on metal. Rhinestones it was! I got some super tiny sparkly ones. Very fiddly.
First, I lightly sketched the Leo constellation onto the pendant with a pencil. Barely visible, just a guide for me. Then, one by one, I started gluing the tiny rhinestones on with a strong craft adhesive. Used a toothpick to apply the glue and place the stones. This took forever. My back was aching, and I probably squinted so hard I’ll need new glasses.
Let that dry completely. Seriously, walk away. Don’t poke it. I learned that the hard way many times before.
Once the pendant was ready and the rhinestones weren’t going anywhere, it was time for assembly. This is the easy part, usually.
I opened a jump ring with my pliers – always twist open, never pull apart, you know the drill. Slipped the pendant onto it. Then slipped the jump ring onto the chain. Closed the jump ring nice and tight.
Next, attached the clasp to one end of the chain with another jump ring. And a slightly larger jump ring to the other end of the chain for the clasp to hook into. Easy peasy.
The Grand Finale (Sort Of)
And there it was. A Leo constellation necklace. It actually didn’t look half bad! The rhinestones caught the light pretty well. It’s simple, like I wanted, but still has that personal touch. I just hope my sister likes it. If not, well, more jewelry for me, I guess. That’s the good thing about DIY, isn’t it?
Took a bit of fumbling, especially with those tiny stones, but totally doable. Way better than just buying something off a shelf, I reckon. Plus, it kept me busy for an afternoon, which is always a bonus.