Karyn's Beading

April is Remade Month – a campaign by 10:10. I was delighted to discover that my recycling of jewellery that would otherwise be languishing in boxes or worse still thrown away, was in a small way cutting carbon emissions.

One of the biggest barriers to a truly low-carbon world is the energy used to make the things we buy and use every day, especially when we need to replace them every time something goes wrong.

By sharing the skills and resources to keep our stuff going for longer, we’re giving ourselves choices, saving money and laying the groundwork for a smarter approach to making and owning things.

via Remade month: learn to fix your favourite things | 10:10.

My latest remake is this Garnet & Peridot necklace:

The original necklace had been strung on pink nylon which had snapped at the join to the clasp. To repair this, I chose to use jewellery silk thread, only because I like the fluidity of the finished piece. You can also use 0.40 mm fishing line or Beadalon stringing wire. The benefit of the later suggestions is that you do not need to purchase a collapsible eye needle.

Some of the peridot pieces were missing and damaged, so I decided to add galvanized silver delica Miyuki beads.

By adding these, I could pick the best beads to put back into the necklace without sacrificing the length. The silver added a touch of sparkle to the necklace. And the tiny little tube beads also concealed the tiny knots I added throughout the necklace to make it more secure. (Of course you wouldn’t have to add knots if your are using fishing line or stringing wire.) Once, I had re-strung all the stones and seed beads, all there was left to do was attach the clasp.

I replaced the clasp. The original one was all crusted up inside which I suspect caused the nylon to snap (I’ve saved it to clean and polish up another day); and in any case it would not have matched the silver that I’d now added. So I picked this one instead:

As you can see above, I’ve attached the clasp by looping through the ring, threading back through the last bead , then tying the knot.  I like to back-thread through a few beads, knotting after a couple to make sure it’s secured. You can use a touch of UHU textile glue or clear nail polish to seal the ends of the thread after you’ve cut of the excess.

So here’s the remade necklace:

This was a really simple remake. All the materials are easily found in Bead shops, craft stores or online and it probably only cost me £3 – the new stirling silver clasp being the main expense. I hope you’ve been inspired to remake some of your jewellery, if you do, have fun! I did. ♥K

P.S: If you haven’t already, I urge you to join 10:10

P.P.S Have a look at my previous remake projects on this blog for more ideas:

Project 6: Moss Agate and Malachite Necklace

Turquoise and Sunshine

Tourmalinated Quartz and Wire Nests

Rescue No.3: Flower Power to Lava Rock

New lease of life for an old favourite

Recycle Challenge 1: Rectangular Lava Rock Necklace

And how I started recycling jewellery:  Recycling Jewellery – a challenge

Tagged: Beadalon, clasps, Garnets, Miyuki Beads, Necklace, Peridot, REMADE, Semi-precious Gem Stones, Silver