Safety Pin Tribal Necklace (DIY)

One of the most exhilarating journeys is the move away from our parent's home and into the world to spread our wings.  When I moved to college, I had all kinds of great experiences, such as paying my own bills, adjusting to the lack of rules, and meeting new people.  One of my fondest memories: shopping at stores that were not Target.  Growing up in a small town with hippie parents and no internet access does not offer the same retail opportunities as a large city.

My first step inside a World Market was thrilling.

I wanted to buy - or at least touch - everything (you know how I love texture).  Don't get me wrong: its still a large chain store, but it functioned as my gateway to the world of rich colors, exotic designs, and natural materials.

I could tell you about dozens of wonderful treasures purchased at or inspired by items from World Market, but you most likely have the internet and can discover them on your own.

Instead, I'll tell you about this lovely necklace I found.

Gorgeous, isn't it?  The Gold Tribal Bead Necklace is a perfect balance of earthy and organic.

Here is my thought process about this necklace:

Ooohhh, something shiny, I must touch it.

 How pretty! I love the design.

Could I make something similar?

What supplies do I have a lot of? Safety pins.

I bet I could make one with safety pins...

And so here we are: with a geometric tribal necklace tutorial made with safety pins.

I left out the spikes but you could easily incorporate them.

You will need:

- 18 safety pins (mine are 1.5" tall)

- wire clippers

- 32" of chain

- 6 jump rings

- lobster claw necklace clasp

- needle and strong thread

- beads (read below)

I used four types of beads for this necklace:

1. blue oval beads from Hobby Lobby (look in the plastic beading section for children)

2. very small round silver beads on each safety pin with the oval bead

3. small round black beads between the pins on the upper strand

4. larger matching black beads between the pins on the lower strand.

To begin, place one of the small metallic beads and the oval bead on each of the 18 safety pins and close them.

This is how your pins will look on your necklace.

The round loops of the safety pins will be at the top and the wide metal 'cap' will be at the bottom.

The pin section is connected with thread.  

First, we'll create the bottom strand.  I used large round beads between the pins with one small bead at each end. 

Thread your needle and tie a jump ring to the end.

Add one small bead, then a safety pin (strung through the wide 'cap' portion, not the end with the small ring). Next, add one large bead, then alternate between pins and large beads until all pins are connected.  

When you reach the end, add another small bead and a jump ring and knot the thread.

*Make sure the pins and beads are tightly held together on the strand.  If they are loose, the pins can slip off the thread & ruin your necklace.

Your strand should look like this:

For the upper strand, repeat the process using only small beads and jump rings on both ends.

With large beads on the bottom & smaller beads on top, your pins will fall into a fan shape.

The finished pin section should look like this:

Cut the chain into four 8" segments and connect one to each of the four jump rings, like this:

Use the two remaining rings to connect the chains on either side and attach the lobster clasp.