DIY ~ Bracelet and Necklace from Lone Earring & Broken Purse Strap

Hi lovelies!  In keeping with this week's theme of re-imagining old or broken pieces of jewelry into new, wearable pieces, I tackled two birds with one stone here!  Would you believe the above bracelet was constructed from a broken purse strap (clasp & all!) and part of a lone earring?

And this necklace used up some of my scrap chain pieces along with the rest of said earring?  If you've ever lost an earring, it's painful.  I know.  But in the event you hoard jewelry supplies can't let go of pieces with potential, now it's the perfect time to dig them out and get to work!  {Click for the how-to!}

You'll need:

• A single earring
• Chain for your bracelet (mine came from a broken purse strap, feel free to use any chain you have on hand, or even take apart an old necklace or bracelet you no longer wear!)
• 2 medium jump rings
• Jewelry pliers

How-to:

• Use jewelry pliers to take apart the earring.
• Cut two pieces of chain about 3" each.  It's easiest to use your wire cutters and pull a link apart by 'cutting' the slit in the metal that's already there.  From there, use your pliers to help pull it open, like a jump ring.
• Attach your pretty bead with a jump ring on either side attached directly to each piece of chain.

Voila!  That simple!  The clasp works on the chain, so there's no need to add a separate jump ring at the end to use as a closure.  I love how fun the iridescent stone looks with the black metal chain.  So perfect!

Now let's use the spike from the earring and make a quick necklace with it!

You'll need:

• Spike from earring used above
• 1 medium jump ring
• Extra pieces of chain you've been hoarding holding on to.  If you don't have any, don't fret!  Grab an old necklace you no longer wear and re-use it!  I like the look of gold and silver chain mixed, so I went with that.  I also wanted this to be super long with no closure so it just slips right on over my head.  If you'd like yours shorter, make sure to use a clasp!
• Jewelry pliers

How-to:

• Lay out your design.
• Open a link at the end of one piece of chain and attach it to the other piece.  Repeat for the other side.
• Open your jump ring and loop on your charm.  Attach it to a link on the necklace (I picked the link where the gold and silver chain meet).

And the finished piece!  I love the edginess of this piece, and it's so perfect for layering.  I find I have tons of shorter necklaces, so this long one is a great addition.  Plus, since it's gold AND silver, it literally goes with anything!

As I mentioned yesterday, the purpose of this mini-series I'm doing this week is not to provide a literal step by step for you to follow and recreate the exact same pieces as I am.  It's to encourage you to dig into your closet/drawers/jewelry box and pull out those pieces you no longer use and inspire you to give them a new life as something you'll love to wear!

In case you missed it, here's yesterday's DIY Tortoise Gem Earrings.

xo
Lia