Monogram Heart Necklaces

When Little Crafter started school this past fall, I fully anticipated the fact that he would make friends.  What I didn’t expect, though, was that I would too.  I was so focused on his transition to Kindergarten that I wasn’t even thinking about the interaction I’d get with some of the other moms.  It didn’t take long, though, before I started making connections with some really fabulous women, and before we knew it, there were seven of us regularly meeting for coffee on Thursday mornings.  We jokingly call ourselves, “No Mom Left Behind,” but there’s a lot of truth to that sentiment.  We have all filled in at the last minute for someone else when they needed child care, needed coverage for their volunteer duties, needed support, and needed coffee.  We have become a real support system for each other, and it was a huge blessing to me to see every single one of them {except the one who was on a Disney Cruise} there to celebrate Little Crafter’s baptism, even though we come from a variety of faith backgrounds.  I felt like I wanted to do a little something to let them know how thankful I am for the friendship and fun we have together, so I decided to make some Monogram Jewelry that was unified but unique, just like us.

Monogram Heart Necklaces

TIME: 5 minutes {per necklace}
COST: <$10
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner-Intermediate
SPECIAL TOOLS: Jewelry pliers
SPECIAL SKILLS: Basic beading/wire wrapping skills

Materials:
{Mine were provided by my sponsors at Goody Beads.}
– 6 mm Silver Long and Short Chain, 18″ per necklace
– 20 mm Antique Silver Heart Charm
– Monogram Charm
– Silver Plated Lobster Clasp
– Silver Plated Jump Rings {4 per necklace}
– Sliver Plated Head Pins {1 per necklace}
– 4 mm or 6 mm Miracle Bead, your choice of color {1 per necklace}
– Needle nose and flat nose pliers, wire cutters

The idea behind these was that we’d all have something similar; a heart, an initial, and a bead, but that each one would be personalized to reflect the wearer.  I asked each friend what her favorite color was, and ordered each person’s initial…I never realized so many of us had A names until I did this project!

Step 1: Open a jump ring {remember, use your pliers to twist, never pull!} and place the heart charm and monogram charm on it.  Close the jump ring and set it aside.

Step 2: Place your bead on an eye pin and create a wire loop.  If you’re not sure how to do that, check out my Beading 101 Tutorial for a full how-to with lots of photos! Add bead to a different jump ring.

Step 3: Cut an 18″ length of chain and thread your charms and bead onto it.  Add a jump ring to one end and a jump ring and lobster clasp to the other.  If you prefer a bracelet, just cut a shorter length.  Measure your wrist or have your friend measure hers to ensure a good fit.

Here’s how the whole bunch of necklaces {and bracelet} turned out…I love how they’re similar and yet each one is unique, just like we are.

I can’t wait to give these to my friends and let them know how blessed I feel to have them in my life.  I’m hoping each time they wear their piece, it will be a reminder that none of us are in this alone; we always have a source of support and encouragement when we need it.