How to Make an Egyptian Collar Necklace
Ancient Egypt was a land of amazing architecture, fascinating religious practices and great jewelry. Want to impress party guests with a one-of-a-kind costume, or simply spice up your wardrobe with an ancient ethnic look? Make an Egyptian collar necklace and get all the "wow!" factor you want from your jewelry.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Square of leather or cloth, 20 x 20 inches
- Yarn/string of any color
- Assorted beads
- Sewing needle and thread
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Iron-on backing (optional)
- Tape measure
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1
Lay flat a square of cloth or leather, approximately 20 by 20 inches in size. Using scissors, cut out a circle 14 to 16 inches in diameter. To get a perfect circle, draw the circle first with a pencil. If working with cloth, it may be a good idea to use two layers of fabric or add iron-on backing to achieve stiffness.
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2
Measure the widest part of your head (just above the ears) using a tape measure. Starting from the center of your fabric or leather collar, cut out a smaller hole approximately two inches larger than the diameter of your head. This will allow you to pull the Egyptian collar necklace over your head. If using cloth, hem the edges of each circle to avoid fraying and stray threads.
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3
Cut pieces of yarn or string to size to fit around the head hole and outside edge of the collar. Allow two to three inches of extra yarn to create knots at the ends. Cut additional pieces of yarn to form vertical lines across the Egyptian collar necklace, again with a few inches of extra yard for the ends.
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4
Thread beads onto the yarn or string. Start by tying a strong knot at one end of the string, then hold it at an angle to place beads. Use any bead style or color combination you want. You can create custom beads using clay (allow it to dry before making your Egyptian collar necklace) or buy them at a crafts store. Some retailers will even offer Egyptian-style beads if you want your collar to look more authentic. When the string is full, tie the other end off to keep beads in place. Cut the ends of string off at the knots to achieve a clean look.
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5
Apply needle and thread to the Egyptian collar necklace, sewing stitches to hold your strings of beads in place. Stitches should be pulled from one side of the collar, over the edge and through the other side when placing horizontal strings. Use a similar stitch for the vertical strings, pulling the needle first through the backside of the collar, over the string and through the front of the collar. Knot the ends of the thread when the stitching process is complete and trim off the ends.
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Tips & Warnings
Browse the Web to find pictures of Egyptian collar necklaces to get design tips.
Look for jewelry-making kits at crafts stores to make the task even easier.
Create your collar base out of paper first. This can serve as a stencil to help you cut your leather or fabric perfectly to size.
