Making Cord Necklaces and How to Use Them as Extenders

Inset shows joining clasps

Do you have a pendant that you do not have a chain with?  Do you have one that you think would look great on a satin or leather cord?  Do you have some beads that you fell would work better as a long necklace  In tips for stretching your jewelry wardrobe blog post, ways to extend necklaces was presented.  However, these tips only shorten or lengthen necklaces a little. 

Whether you want a short necklace for a pendant or want to wear your beads longer, you can use a leather cord to help out.  Often ready-made leather cords in stores will have an extender chain  to make a longer necklace, but you can not use them as an extender unless you remove the extra chain with wire cutters.  I solved this problem by making my own leather cords to wear choker (16 inch or less) or normal length (18" or 20") for pendant or to add to my beaded bracelets or bead necklaces to make a longer necklace.  

Examples:  An 18" cord with an 20" bead strand attached makes a 38" necklace I can put on over my head (see longest in photo).  The same size cord with an 6" bracelet attached creates a 24" necklace (see middle in photo).  And of course the cord can be used with any large bale pendant.

Steps for how to make the cord necklace:

1. Buy leather cording and crimps on Amazon or at local craft store.
2. Cut cord to prefered length and put crimps on each end (see video post).
3. Attach spring ring (or lobster) clasp to one end and a jump ring to other. end (see video post).