scrap statement necklace

I rarely, if ever throw away my scraps. In fact I have boxes of scraps (organized by color) of painted canvas, piles of altered paper (lots of Lucy's drawings) and a ton of fabric. From time to time I like to sit down and use my scraps to create handmade beads. Handmade beads are nothing new but I think it is so important to be reminded of just how far you can take things that typically get tossed out. Recently, I grabbed my beads and turned them into a big colorful statement necklace- it's not for everyone but I love textural and funky jewelry.

Typically I started by pulling out my favorite scraps- I like color so I tend to grab the most colorful scraps. Keep in mind that anything that can be rolled up can be used to create a beads- canvas, fabric, paper, etc.

Next I cut them into strips. You can have fun with creating different shapes of beads by cutting those strips into different shaped beads.

I use a toothpick (my personal favorite for rolling beads) to roll the fabric strips up into a bead. I add dabs of glue as I roll. 

It typically takes days or weeks to create a big stash of scrap beads- it's something I like to do here and there while I watch t.v. When my stash is big enough to create a necklace, I pull out my entire bead collection and string everything together. 

I like to use stretchy cord to create different length necklaces.

For my statement necklace I created six different strands and them piled them all together!

It isn't a diamond necklace but it sure is fun finding a way transform scraps into something fun and colorful!