HIGH on DIY

I had originally bought the gold safety-pins for my wrap skirt DIY but I had so many extra left that it was worth creating a new DIY with them this week. This DIY is a quick and fun way to make a bracelet and get some wrist action going. Let’s get started!

Here’s what you will need:

• Gold Chain (2 equal pieces long enough to wrap around your wrist)
• Gold Safety-Pins (I used 9)
• Gold Sequins ( I used approx 12 pieces)
• 2 Small Jump-Rings & a Clasp
• Pair of Jewelry Pliers
• E-6000 Glue & toothpicks

Step 1: Using the pliers, join the two gold chains together at each end with a jump-ring.

Step 2: Take the first safety-pin and using a toothpick, add glue on the safety-pin (only on the two straight wire parts that are parallel to each other when the safety-pin is closed).

Step 3: Place the chain in the shape shown in step 3 — with the jump-rings at the two ends. Add the safety pin with the glue in the center of the chain. Make sure the safety-pin is getting glued to both the chains. Let the glue dry for 5-10 minutes.

Step 4: Repeat step 2 and continue gluing the safety-pins to the chain. Make sure to leave at least one chain link gap between the safety-pins when gluing them on the chain so that the bracelet wraps around your wrist nicely when you wear it.

Step 5: Once all the safety-pins are placed on the chain and the glue is dry, add glue to the back of  the sequins and stick them on different safety-pins in any pattern you like. Let it dry for 5-10 minutes.

Step 6: Using the pliers, add the clasp to one of the jump-rings at the end of the bracelet. Then you have your own safety-pin & sequin bracelet!

I hope you will give this super easy DIY a try! I am definitely going to make some more bracelets to stack. I love wearing this safety-pin bracelet with my bead & chain bracelet as you can see from the pictures above. On another note, what do you think of the condensed version of the DIY steps i.e. the images for the steps in a collage versus individual images?

Thanks for stopping by, until next time – Happy (almost) Halloween! Follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Bloglovin!

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this week’s DIY is dedicated to this special cause. Even a small contribution towards raising awareness about breast cancer counts, so spread the word!

In this DIY, we will be making a beautiful pair of gold chain-wrapped pink earrings in a few simple steps. I was inspired by the chain trim Gia earrings from Nicole Romano (left) and the Swarovski crystal clip earrings by Etro (right). Let’s get started!

You only need a few things to DIY these simple earrings. I got them all from Michael’s; you can find them easily at any other craft/jewelry supply store. Here’s what you will need:

• 2 Flat-Back Buttons (Mine are from the Galaxy Collection by Dress It Up)
• 2 Gold Chains (Long enough to wrap around the button once + 4 cm to dangle)
• 2 Gold Earring Posts (8mm or 10mm i.e. smaller than the buttons)
• 2 Gold Earring Backs
• E-6000 Glue
• Toothpicks

Step 1: Add a drop of glue on the flat surface side of each of the earring posts.

Step 2: Press the earring post against the back of the button to glue them together. Instead of the center, I glued the post at one of the corners of the square button so when I wear the earring, it will sit lower on my ear lobe which will help the chain dangle better. If your button is round, you can pick any area that’s away from the center. Regardless of the button shape, make sure not to glue the post outside the button area. You want the post hidden behind the button. Let the glue dry completely for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3: On the corner of the button where you glued the post, mark the rim at that corner as point A and the rim on the exact opposite corner as point B. Carefully add glue around the rim of the button with a toothpick. Then take one of your gold chain pieces and fold it in half to find the exact middle of the chain. Glue the middle of the chain at point A on the button rim. If your button is round, choose any point on the button as A and the exact opposite point as B.

Step 4: Once the middle of the chain is secure at point A on the button rim, continue gluing on each side of  point A till you reach point B on the button rim. At point B, you should have extra chain on each side that dangles off the button. Each dangly piece on my earring is around 2 cm. Repeat Steps 3 & 4 to make the second earring and let the glue dry completely on both the earrings.

Then you have your own gold chain-wrapped sparkly earrings! They are super easy to make with any flat-back button/bead in any color, shape or design you like. Using the same steps but a different style of chain for the trim around the button will create a completely new pair of earrings. You can use these chic earrings to dress up any outfit!

I hope you had fun creating these chain-wrapped sparkly pink earrings! Also, I would love to hear what you think of my use of illustrations to display the finished earrings instead of modeling it myself. The original illustrations for the second and the last images are by the very talented Jessica Durrant. She has many more amazing works, so check them out! Until the next DIY, get your creative fix & stay HIGH on DIY!

Inspo images via Moda Operandi (left) and Net-A-Porter (right).  All other images by HIGH on DIY.