How to Make a Fabric Necklace

Fabric Necklace

They make up really quickly so making a batch can be a a wonderful way to use up your scrap fabrics. You can make them in lovely bright colours to go with every outfit. Another great idea to make as a gift.

I used polystyrene balls as they are light to wear, but you can use wooden ones if your prefer.

You will Need:

• Scrap fabrics

• Polystyrene balls x 6 about 2-3 cm in diameter.

• Sewing thread

• Basic sewing kit

Measure the circumference of the polystyrene balls so you can work out how wide to cut the bias strips for the necklace casing. In this case it was 6.5cm. Add on the seam allowances of  2cm. This gives you the width of the strips of fabric you need to cut as 8.5cm.

Press and lay out the fabric so it’s nice and flat. If using several layers line them up so the selvedges are level.

I often find they are so quick and easy to do you can make several in one go by layering up the fabric and cutting 3 or 4 layers at a time.

Cut enough strips to sew together to make about 1m. 

Sew the strips together by lining up the first strip with the right side up horizontally. Then place the second strip with the right side down, vertically over the end of the first strip.

Sew diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. Trim down the seam to just under 1cm.

Then press the seam open and flat.

Fold the bias strip in half lengthwise with the right sides on the inside.

Sew a seam just under 1cm along the raw edges to create a tube. You don’t really need to pin,  you can use your fingers as pins to hold the layers together as you sew.

Turn the tube the right way around. I’ve used a rouleau turner here but you could pin across one end and push it through with a pencil instead.

In the middle of the length of bias tube, tie a knot.

Then thread a polystyrene ball down the tube until it hits the knot.

Tie another knot keep the poly ball tight up against the first knot.

Repeat so you have 3 balls one side of the centre knot.

Then thread a poly ball and tie a knot on the other side of the centre knot. Repeat the process again so you have a central knot with 3 balls either side and 3 knots holding them in place.

Cut the ends of the tube off so they are level.

Tuck in the raw edges and slip stitch them closed. Give the ends a quick press to help them sit flat.

Now you can tie the ends together to wear your necklace.

It is very easy to use this technique to create longer necklaces but cutting and sewing a longer bias tube.

We love to see what you make from our patterns and tutorials. So enjoy making your necklace and remember to tag us on Social Media. Just use @theclothcutter.

Happy Sewing!