Shabby Rose Necklace

I did this tutorial a really long time ago for another project, but decided to post it on here to to try and archive all of my projects in the same place. So, here it is:


You could spend $50-$100 on a rose necklace like this one, or you could make your own.  I'll show you in a few simple steps. Let's start by making a rose, shall we. I'll show you how I made one of the above flowers, and then you can make as many as you prefer in as many different colors and textures as you would like.

Step 1: Cut a strip of fabric that is about 1" to 1 1/2" wide. Don't worry if it's not perfect, it doesn't have to be!
Step 2: Tie a knot at one end of the strip of fabric.
Step 3: Now comes the fun part. Start wrapping the tail of the fabric around the end of the knot. Wrap tightly and secure every loop or two around the knot with a drop of glue.

Step 4: As you wrap, occasionally twist the fabric so that the raw edges are exposed at the top of the flower. (Here's a side view to illustrate what i am talking about). The edges will kind of fray (especially if you are using satin as I did) but that's a good thing! Embrace messy.
Step 5: As you get closer to the end of the strip, wind the fabric a little bit looser so that it falls a bit softer around the edges. Still glue just as often though, so the whole thing doesn't unwind.
Step 6: When you have just an inch or two left of the tail end, wrap it around behind the rose and glue it firmly to the back (this will further ensure that your flower won't unwind).
The behind:
The front: TA DA!
Step 7: Once you have mastered the art of making roses, and you have created several in a variety of different colors, you can glue them next to each other forming a slight arch.
Step 8: All that remains is to attach the ribbon and bows! I just glued the pom pom trim to one side and a strip of grosgrain ribbon to the other (each piece was about 12" long). Just glue it to the back of the necklace. It won't be pretty, but hey, who's gonna see it?

Step 9: Finally, I glued the jewelry latches on. Yep, glued them. I could have stitched them but I already had the glue gun out and wanted to make this as easy as possible for you. I put a drop of glue on the ribbon and attached it to one side of the clasp. Then, I put a drop of glue on the trim and wrapped it around the other side of the clasp.
You will notice that I also glued a bow on mine, just for fun! Please refer back to the ribbon tutorial here, if you need a refresher course on your bows.

Last step: Wear your necklace every chance you get!


Shopping List:

• glue gun
• glue sticks
• fabric (I used 8 different colors: 6 satin, 2 cotton)
  
• ribbon (1 1/2" for bow and 1/4" for necklace portion)
• pom pom trim
• necklace clasp