DIY | Accordion Ribbon Necklace

Do you remember this necklace I spied in Cos? I thought I'd try my hand at a DIY using supplies I picked up in my local bead shop and some grosgrain ribbon to add texture - turns out it's pretty simple!

Ingredients

• 1m of thick grosgrain ribbon for the centre
• 2 x 50cm of thin ribbon for the outsides
• 1m nylon-coated wire
• 2 wire protectors
• 2 crimps
• Clasp
• A couple of jump rings (optional)

Plus

• Strong needle with an eye large enough for the wire to go through.
• Matches or a lighter

Begin by cutting the long piece and the two shorter pieces of ribbon in half, you should now have 6 pieces of ribbon. Seal all the ends with a match or lighter.

Then, starting with the thick ribbon, fold one strip over the other.

I found it easier to manage when I stuck the needle through from the start. Thread the wire through the needle and start pulling it through.

Once you've gone past the depth of the needle, you can use pins to keep the ribbon stack in place.

This way it won't unravel or lose it's shape when you let it go... 

...and you can stick the wire through in steps...

...until it's all threaded on.

Repeat these steps for the thinner ribbon on either side. When you've finished you can choose to secure the ribbon in place with a crimping bead that you squash with a pliers.

You're mainly finished now, all you need to do is attach the clasp. Using wire protectors is the best way to do it, as it helps prevent the wire bending and weakening.

It's very easy, all you do is thread another crimp onto the wire followed by the wire protector.

Put the other end of the wire through the other side of the protector...

...and then back through the crimp which you then squash with the pliers.

Fasten the jump ring through the wire protector and add a jump ring.

Repeat for the other end and add the clasp.

Variations

You could consider using more different widths of ribbon, or you could consider using different colours, maybe creating an ombré effect.

Inspo | Cos Necklace

I came across this necklace in Cos the other day: grosgrain ribbon or different widths woven together and threaded on a wire. What fascinated me is the way the ribbon is folded - do you remember making this kind of concertina out of strips of paper as a child?

DIY | Easy Dress Update

I got this red silk dress in a charity shop for about €4. The feel and flow are great but it's a bit shapeless and with the straps so far apart, it tends to fall off the shoulder. But with a needle, thread and some ribbon, it's really, really quick and easy to glam-up a dress like this, without needing to cut or remodel. In fact, you could do this with any top or dress that is cut low at the back or even at the front.

Ingredients:

• About 50cm ribbon (depending on how you choose to place it)

Plus +

• Needle & thread
• Safety pins

Recyled Xmas Cake Corkboard

Om nom nom nom!

Christmas is great fun but it's also a time of huge waste. Once you've eaten the Christmas cake and unwrapped the presents don't throw out the board or the wrapping! Usually the xmas cake board is sticky and cut-up and you don't seem to have much choice but to chuck it. Meanwhile you often get lovely wrapping paper and ribbons, but have no use for it other than just binning it all. Mlle.Brico to the rescue! Use this Christmas' would-be rubbish to create a corkboard instead!

Ingredients;

• 1 xmas cake board
• Old xmas wrapping paper
• Ribbon
• Thumb tacks

Plus

• 1 Stapler

Take your destroyed cake board...

Super-fast Skirt-to-Dress

Have you got a New Years Eve party to go to in 3 hours? I have. Got any idea what you're going to wear? Ahhh! Noooo! Help!! Here's a dress I made out of one of those beautiful but difficult (see impossible) to wear bias-cut silk skirts. The photo quality leaves a little to be desired because I wasn't kidding, it really is last minute! But it's easy to do in a flash, and updates something that you'd love to love but just can't make work.

DIY | Replacing Draw-strings

Customise a hoodie by replacing the draw-string. It's not difficult and makes a big difference.