{Fashion Friday} Anthro-Inspired Bead and Fabric Necklace

I've had this one in que for a while, but then life happened {having a baby will do that to you, I guess} and I never got it posted.  Well, the wait is over and here it is!  A little bit fashion, a little bit craft and an Anthro knock off to boot!  Happy Friday :)

I saw the Anthropologie version of this necklace a ways back and silly me, I forgot to save a picture of the original, because it is no longer for sale.  But when I first saw it, I thought, cute! followed by, I could make that!  The process is a little time consuming, but the results are lovely.

To make yours, you'll need:

Striped fabric (mine was from the remnant bin at Joann's)

16 clear faceted glass beads (found mine at Michael's)

Scissors, white thread, needle, snap closure

1. Cut a strip from your fabric that is twice the width of your beads and about 24 inches long.  My beads were 1/2 inch wide so you'll need to adjust it accordingly.  You want it to be 1.5 times the length of your beads (I had 16 beads at .5 inches each, so 8 inches total.  Multiply by 3=24.  Ugh, math, I know.)  Fold it in half and do a running stitch along the raw edge-you can skip this step if you'd like.  For me, it was easier to keep the fabric from slipping apart once folded in half if it was stitched in place.

2. Take your beads and begin adding them to your fabric strip.  To do this, start about an inch, inch and a half in from one end of the fabric strip {Remember to keep it folded in half!} and make two up and down folds the same width as your bead, then add the bead, taking the fabric under the bead and repeat the folds on the other side.   

 I found it was easiest to make the folds on one side, thread the needle through the middle, then add the bead on the thread, then do the folds and thread the needle through those.

 

 3. Keep repeating folds, bead, folds, bead until you've used all your beads.

4. Now, for the ends.  Depending on how long you want your necklace to hang, cut two strips of your fabric, same width as your long piece.  Fold each in half and do a running stitch along the raw edges, just like with the main piece.

5. Tie one end to the tail of the beaded piece and stitch an X on the underside to keep it in place.  Repeat on the other side.

6. Sew your snap closure on the ends.

And there you have it-your very own knock off for a fraction of the original price!