Hello!

Can anybody hear me? Ha ha. Sometimes I think I've lost all my readers when I take a long break like this last one (my last post was on November 7). Thank you to everyone still reading today.

Things tend to get busy this time of year, and I've opted to enjoy every minute of it. I had a lovely Thanksgiving with my family, celebrating brunch with at my parents' house and then dinner at Matthew's uncle's house (I was craving some warm food, so I brought roasted vegetables, a creamy quinoa/rice and fall veggie dish, and Chocolate-Covered Katie's No-Bake Chocolate Pumpkin Pie. I also enjoyed the green beans and a baked sweet potato. Yum!).

Yesterday, I was crazy enough to go Black Friday shopping with my mom and one of my sisters (the other one had plans). It's been our tradition for years. It's mainly a fun excuse to go out together, get some of our holiday shopping done (although I tend to complete most of mine before then) and take advantage of the deals at the local craft store (supplies are needed for various projects at church, and we tend to be crafty in general).

Before leaving the house, I did check out some of the deals online. In the process, this Drop Diamond Necklace By Boe is what really caught my eye. It was included in a Refinery 29 video highlighting what they believed to be some of the best gifts for under $100. Of course you probably know my initial reaction to this sparkler: "I bet I can make that."

So, taking advantage of the 30 percent off everything discount at the craft store, I picked up all I needed to make my DIY version of the By Boe Drop Diamond Necklace. I purchased some 24-gauge and 16-gauge gold wire (I love using different wire thicknesses for wire-wrapping jewelry), a small string of beads that looked identical to those on the original necklace (I only needed 7 beads, so I have a lot left over for other projects) and two 18-inch pieces of gold-plated chain (one for each side of the necklace). I also had a gold clasp at home to complete the needed supplies. 

To start, I strung 7 beads onto the 24-gauge wire (it's the thinner of the two wires).

Next, I used my jewelry-cutting tool (I highly recommend buying a 3-in-1 jewelry-making tool and/or a set of tools for making jewelry) to cut a piece of the 16-gauge wire (the thicker wire) and formed a v-shape out of it, similar to the one on the original necklace.

Then, I bent the ends around the wire with the beads, cut off the excess and attached it by creating loops, using my jewelry-making tool with the rounded tips.

I attached the chains with the ends of the 24-gauge wire (the smaller wire, which I looped through the chain and the finished ends of the thicker wire).

After attaching both chains, I decided to shorten them to be the exact length as the original necklace (13-inches on each side). I measured each one ...

... and then cut them to the desired length.

The necklace is long enough to fit over the wearer's head, if the chains are attached together with just a jump ring, but since I had a clasp on hand, I attached it to the finished necklace.

I can't believe how much it looks like the original. I wonder if my sister Lori would like one for Christmas. The two of us have planned to make each other presents this year. She sometimes reads my blog, so I'll probably go with something a little different.

Is anyone else making gifts for their friends and family?