There’s nothing that says summer better than a bold pop of color in your wardrobe. And that’s just the kind of playful feeling we want to keep alive in our outfits through fall. But don’t think that this calls for a complete head-to-toe overhaul — an accessory with a burst of color like this ombre wrap rope necklace will do just that! Dye it in your favorite hue and dress up your hot weather tees, then toss it on over a collared shirt when the temps start to drop. It’s that easy to style, and just as easy to make!
Materials:
– 6 feet of white rope
– 3 x 5 in leather fabric scrap
– fabric paint
Tools:
– masking tape
– small disposable cup
– E-6000
Instructions:
1. Loop the rope several times to your desired length. Just make sure you can pass your head through the inside of the rope!
2. Do this until you run out of rope and then cut off any excess so the ends of the rope are slightly overlapping at the top of the loops.
3. Using plenty of glue, secure the rope to the wrong side/inside of the leather piece. Spread more adhesive over the leather piece and roll it over the rope. Allow the leather to overlap a little, then glue in place and cut off any excess. (Be gentle! And let completely dry for 24 hrs before you wear).
4. Wrap masking tape around the rope at about the middle of the necklace.
5. Prepare the fabric paint in a small cup by adding a little water to slightly thin out the mixture.
6. Dip the section of the rope between the tape into the paint. Be sure to submerge the rope entirely up until the taped markings.
7. Hang up to dry completely. Watch out for drips!
8. Once the necklace is dry remove the tape. Don’t panic if the paint seaps above the tape line. The watered down paint will have crept up the rope underneath the tape creating a slight ombre effect — bonus!
Wrap up the rope to your desired length. But whether you wear it short or long, make sure your head fits through the hole! Snip the rope so that the ends slightly overlap at the top.
Next, glue the ends together with lots and lots of strong adhesive, like E-6000. Make sure to do this over the wrong side of the leather piece, and then spread the adhesive over the scrap to coat. Roll it up tightly and trim the edge to slightly overlap. Hold to seal and then let it fully dry before you wear, about 24 hours. For now, handle it gently!
While that’s settling, prepare your dye by adding it to a small plastic cup. Any color will do! Just add a little water to the fabric dye to thin it out. Then loosely add masking tape to each end of the center part of your necklace (note: these are just guidelines!) and dunk your necklace into the dye. Submerge completely up to the masking tape markers, then remove and hang to dry over a drop cloth or paper plate to avoid any mess! Upon drying, the paint will creep up the rope a bit further, creating a dreamy ombre effect — yep, you didn’t have to do ANYTHING extra to get it looking like that!
Remove the tape and you’re done! Just toss it on over a tee or tank and let it do all the work to amp up your get up, no matter what the season.
What was the last accessory you DIY-ed? Did it use an unconventional material like rope? Did you dye it a dreamy color? Tell us all about your favorite jewelry projects in the comments below.
