For the young at heart

In my last post, I had fun making a photo frame out of my October Eco Emi box and some of the items found inside it. Hayden's photo is now on display, all dressed up like a little ragdoll.

After completing that crafty DIY, I decided to make something more fashionable with the leftover glitter stars and the silky black pouch. The black fabric immediately had me thinking about that mock Urban Lace bracelet I DIY'd  back in December of last year, and the masks the company also sells.

Since Halloween is over (and I don't have another reason to wear an Urban Lace mask), I decided to create a necklace, using the same technique. Then, I remembered my Peter Pan collar necklace and was inspired to make a mock Urban Lace version of it.

To start, I gathered my supplies: the silky black pouch and leftover glitter stars from my October Eco Emi box, a pair of scissors, some clear contact paper and a couple jump rings for jewelry making. 

Next, I ripped the seams out of the silky black pouch and removed the black ribbons. 

Then, I sprinkled some gold glitter stars on top of the fabric and placed a small rectangle piece of clear contact paper on top to hold them in place/laminate the fabric to look like the Urban Lace designs, which are made out of recycled bicycle inner tubes. I also attached a piece of contact paper to the other side of the fabric to reduce fraying.

I used my Peter Pan collar necklace as a guide, tracing one side of the collar onto the contact paper-covered fabric.

I cut out the first collar piece, and then, repeated the process with the other collar piece. 

After I cut out both pieces, I drew a lace-like pattern onto each one, similar to the Urban Lace designs. 

Then, I carefully cut out the lace pattern, removing the teardrop shapes from both of the collars.

Next, I attached two collars together in the center by poking a small hole through the inside point of each collar. I had planned on attaching them with a jump ring, but opted instead to link them with a thin black ribbon from my sewing box. The center bow was a nice touch. 

To finish the necklace, I added the ribbons from the silky black pouch to the outside corners of the collar. I poked a small hole in each corner, attached a jump ring and tied the end of the ribbon to the jump ring. A simple bow tied around my neck was all that was needed to keep the necklace in place. The result was exactly what I imagined, perfect for the young at heart :-)