5-Minute DIY Trendy Statement Necklaces

I've found that a great solution to the "I have nothing to wear" complex is adding the right accessories. And the quickest and cheapest way to do that is to repurpose something I already have on hand.

Back around 2005 we were all wearing long beaded necklaces that hung down to our belly buttons. Nowadays, the cycle of accessory fashion has rotated back around to short and chunky. Trendy statement necklaces are layered and rest above the breastbone.

For this quickest of projects I repurposed those long necklaces from the previous decade into trendy statement necklaces. And here's the best part, I did it non-destructively and it took less than five minutes!

I started with a long beaded necklace, a roll of ribbon, and fabric scissors. Using fabric scissors on ribbon is important if you want to prevent fraying. Dull scissors will leave you with jagged cuts.

Next, I folded the necklace and twisted it once. I cut two lengths of ribbon, about 10 inches each.

I tied the ribbons to the folded necklace. The new chunky, trendy statement necklace ties around my neck with a cute little bow.

With the exception of the ribbon (which was $0.50 per roll at the craft store), the supplies for this project were free. So I went on a little crafting spree and ended up with a handful of trendy beaded statement necklaces.

This is another project where I used my trick for Finishing Ribbon Ends. All it takes to prevent fraying on synthetic satin ribbon is a few seconds near and open flame. No messy liquid fray-stop to deal with.

I added beads to a few of the necklaces, just above where the ribbons were tied on. This gave them a more finished look and hid the knots better. You can thread thick ribbon through beads by cutting the ribbon at a sharp diagonal angle so there is a small point to pull through the bead.

I've found that these quick, trendy necklaces dress up any outfit, even if I'm just wearing a tank top and jeans. And when fashion trends swing back around toward long and dangly I can just untie the ribbon and return the necklaces to their original style.