Ever since we found clear vinyl at our local fabric store, we knew we needed to make our mark on the sheer style trend. With this bib necklace as inspiration, we set out to make a pair of clear collar necklaces that would add an extra special something to collarless tops—or replace the need for them all together ;)
Since the material itself is completely see-through, embellishments like chain, eyelets, and studs are key to making these pieces pop. Once you get up close, there’s no denying that these collar necklaces are clearly cool!
Materials:
– clear vinyl
– 6” and 7” trivets
– poster board (for stencil)
For gold necklace:
– gold chain
– gold eyelets
– 7 mm gold jump rings
– 19 mm gold cord clasps
– gold spring ring clasp
For silver necklace:
– silver chain
– silver studs
– silver eyelets
– 6 mm and 9 mm silver jump rings
– silver S clasp
Tools:
– eyelet setter
– hammer
– two needle-nose jewelry pliers
– scissors + fabric scissors
– exacto knife
– piercing tool
– measuring tape
– ink pen
– circle stencil
Before you start, measure around your neck so you know how large to make your necklaces. Luckily, our neck size matched the circumference of a 6-inch cork trivet we had in storage, so we used that to trace the “inside” of each necklace. We used a 7″ cork trivet to trace the “outside” of each necklace.
For our first necklace, we’re making a traditional Peter Pan collar. Begin by tracing each trivet on poster board, one (6″) inside of the other (7″). We hiked the 6″ trivet slightly up from center to make the bottom of the necklace thicker. Then trace two center “bibs” with the circle stencil.
Next, cut out your collar! Only the bottom half of the pattern will be made out of vinyl, so cut along the inside curve, both outside bibs, and finally straight across each connecting side curve. Once the pattern is made, trace it onto the vinyl and cut with fabric scissors.
If you get any ink on the vinyl, a damp cloth will wipe it away before you can say sayonara!
To turn this vinyl bib into a necklace, you need to be able to connect each end with chain. To do this, cut two small holes for the silver chain to string through at either end and finally, secure them with eyelets. This will protect each of our holes from accidentally ripping, resulting in an epic fail.
Place one eyelet at the top and bottom of each side of the bib, mark their positions, then cut out squares large enough for each eyelet to fit through. It should be an easy fit!
Then secure each eyelet with an eyelet setter, which is this rad two-piece tool that kind of looks like a disk and a mini-flashlight. Set your eyelet-ified fabric in between these two parts and gently hammer down so that the eyelet’s rough edges curl over, fastening it to the vinyl.
Now let’s make this bib pretty! First step, line up the studs. We like the edgy feel of this all-silver design, but if you’re looking for a bit more color, you could always paint your studs before this step.
Then mark, poke, and curl…your studs, that is! They should slip through the vinyl with ease. Using needle-nose pliers, bend each stud end over.
Now all that’s left is to cut and assemble the chain! Remember you want this necklace to hang at collar length, so they should be short, about 4 1/2 inches for each inner chain and 5 inches each outer chain. Add a 6 mm jump ring to the end of each, then connect to the bib with a larger 9 mm jump ring.
Add both chains to a 6 mm jump ring so that they come together at the top of the necklace. To one end, we added a fancy S hook, which means the other simply needs a 9 mm jump ring for it to close it up.
And there you have it! A sheer-iously cool collar necklace! We love that it’s a little bit rock and roll, but if you’re in the mood for something a bit more elegant, move right along to our scalloped-edged stunner.
Just like before, use the 7″ trivet to outline the outside of the necklace, and the 6″ to outline the inside. You want the 6″ piece to be dead center for this design.
Once that’s done, use your circle tool to trace a scalloped edge around the entire perimeter, one after another. Do your best to make sure each scallop is the same size (the lines on the circle stencil come in handy for consistency). Stop tracing before they overlap, then cut out the entire shape.
We totally recommend making these paper patterns versus tracing directly onto vinyl. It’s not only a great graphic tool, but it’s also perfect for making any last minute adjustments without wasting precious material.
Since this necklace is entirely made out of vinyl, there’s no functional need for any chain. But we’re going to bling out its edges with gold chain anyway to emphasize its playful cut!
At the top point of each scallop cut, cut a square large enough to fit a gold eyelet. Push it through and fasten it to the vinyl by hammering it in between the eyelet setter. Just a few taps will do!
Next, measure gold chain from eyelet to eyelet, long enough to wrap around the outside of one edge—this was about 4 1/2 inches for us. Snip the chain at that measurement, and connect it to each eyelet with a 7 mm gold jump ring.
To balance the glam, we strung a chain along the inside of the necklace and connected it directly to the cord clasps with a 7 mm jump ring. Using needle-nose jewelry pliers, press down on the clasps firmly into the vinyl edges to set. Finish it off by adding an extra jump ring to one end and a spring clasp to the other.
We can officially say that this sheer scalloped necklace is off the chain!
Besides looking down right adorable, we love that these necklaces have an element of surprise. From far away, your neckline may appear modest, but they make such a beautiful statement up close. Ready to see for yourselves?
Our silver studded bib hangs just below the neckline mimicking a true collar, which makes this piece great for everyday wear. You can match this versatile necklace with silk blouse for the workplace or with a plain white tee for a more casual feel. Why wear collared shirts ever again?
This scalloped piece turned out to be a real show-stopper. Not only does the chain drape around the edges like a dream, but the vinyl lays so elegantly across the shoulders. Who thought clear vinyl could look so stunning?
How do you rock clear accessories? Tell us in the comments below!
