DIY: Washer Necklaces

Alcohol ink washer necklaces are the latest fashion and I love the look of them. You take a simple item, a washer from the hardware store, color it with alcohol ink and you have a work of art. Simply attach a cord and you have a stunning necklace. Add rhinestones to make your necklace stand out even more.
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For this project I used:
½ and ¾ inch washers
Alcohol ink markers
Various rhinestone colors in size 12ss
E6000
Wax tipped tool or tweezers
Embroidery thread
Cord end caps
4 mm jump rings
Lobster clasp
Krylon clear matte acrylic coating
Jewelry pliers
 

How to Make Washer Necklaces
 
One of my daughters is a very good abstract artist. Some of her artwork is on Facebook as ArtisticallySweet and Instagram as @megcatdragon. She colored the washers with alcohol ink markers.

Once the ink dries, you will want to put a clear protective coating on it. Krylon brand which is easy to apply and dries in 10-15 minutes. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when applying.
 
I picked some coordinating rhinestones colors in size 12ss to enhance the washers with.
When gluing rhinestones to metal, I like to use E6000 because of the strong bond. Use in a well-ventilated area and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. E6000 can be a bit gloppy, so I squeeze E6000 over a paper plate and use a toothpick to apply to glue. Then using tweezers or wax tipped tool, pick up a rhinestone and gently press it into the glue. Continue gluing rhinestones and then allow to dry for 24 hours. 
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For the cord, I used embroidery floss. It comes in many colors, so you are sure to find one that will coordinate with your necklace. Measure your neck to see where you want the necklace to lay. You can use one long piece of floss, or as I did, two shorter pieces. I cut mine 27 inches long. Fold the floss in half to form a loop at the one end. Pull this loop from underneath the washer up through the hole. Take the two loose ends, put them through the loop and pull to tighten. Do the same for the other piece of floss.
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Trim the ends of the floss so they are even. Then taking a cord end clasp, lay the ends of the embroidery floss in the clasp and using jewelry pliers, bend the first side over then the other to secure the ends. 

On one end add a jump ring and lobster clasp and on the other just a jump ring.

Stunning, aren’t they? And so simple to make. Unleash your creative side and make some washer necklaces for every outfit!

Are you ready to make your own washer necklaces and need some rhinestones? Rhinestones and wax tipped tools are available from: www.RhinestonesEtc.com