Saturday, July 11, 2009

RAG BEAD NECKLACE

WHEN CONFINED TO A HOLIDAY COTTAGE RECENTLY, ON A STORMY DAY WITH A SWOLLEN KNEE FROM A FALL, I JUST FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO MAKE SOMETHING !FROM THE FEW RESOURCES I HAD ON HAND AT THAT MOMENT, IT BECAME A CHALLENGE. I HAD A SMALL LENGTH OF TWINE, A SPOOL OF THIN WIRE, A FEW BEADS AND BUTTONS AT THE BOTTOM OF AN OLD DRAWER, A FEW PIECES OF SATINY FABRIC, A PIECE OF FELT, SOME DRINKING STRAWS, AND SOME CLEAR NAIL POLISH. OH, AND NEEDLE AND THREAD, OF COURSE!......THE FIRST THING I DID WAS TO RIP THE FABRIC INTO RIBBON TYPE STRIPS. THEN I CUT THE STRAWS INTO 3" LENGTHS, WRAPPED THE FABRIC STRIPS AROUND THE STRAW PIECES AND HELD THEM IN PLACE BY THEN WRAPPING THE WIRE AROUND THE FABRIC. I ALSO PUT A DOT OF NAIL POLISH ON EACH END OF THE STRAW TO HOLD THE FABRIC IN PLACE UNTIL I COULD WRAP WITH WIRE. I THEN THREADED THE RAG BEADS ONTO THE LENGTH OF TWINE, ADDING A FEW OF THE BIGGER BEADS HERE AND THERE. FOR THE PENDENT, I CUT A SMALL SQUARE OF FELT AND WRAPPED SOME OF THE FABRIC RIBBON AROUND IT AND STITCHED IT IN PLACE. TO ADD INTEREST, I CUT A WOMAN'S FACE OUT OF A MAGAZINE AND PUT 2 COATS OF NAIL POLISH OVER THE FACE TO PROTECT THE PAPER AND ADD SHINE. I THEN EMBELLISHED THAT WITH MORE FABRIC RIBBON , SOME SMALL BEADS, AND A COUPLE OF SMALL BUTTONS. AFTER FINDING THE CENTER OF THE NECKLACE, I SEWED THE PENDANT ONTO THE CENTER BEAD. THEN CAME A LOOP AT ONE END OF THE TWINE AND TIED A BUTTON FOR CLOSURE AT THE OTHER END OF THE TWINE, TRIM THE TWINE, AND, TAA DAA! READY TO WEAR! I FELT THAT I HAD THEN EARNED A CUP OF TEA AND A NAP, SO I DID THAT TOO!










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