A Bright Necklace DIY for all the Losers

My husband said it’s not acceptable for me to win my own giveaway so the winner of the necklace is… Jenna from Illinois! Congrats!

If you aren’t the winner, I have a DIY that I hope will cheer you up. Big chain necklaces have been everywhere and this Adia Kabur one is particularly popular:

It’s so fun, but it’s painful for me to spend $150 on something that will most likely be a fleeting trend and would certainly be the butt of my father and brother-in-law jokes as this probably gets filed under “fashion choices men can’t understand and that’s just fine by me.” I was thrilled to see this DIY on Glitter Guide and was eager to try it out myself. I, of course, ignored the instruction of using plastic chain and attempted to paint metal chain found at the hardware store. Don’t be hard-headed like me, listen to directions. The paint won’t stay on the metal, you will need plastic. Once I got the right chain, this DIY was a cinch. I did try two sizes; the size Glitter Guide recommended and a smaller chain. I think the smaller chain is still plenty fun.

You only need two things for this DIY: 1.5-2 yards of metallic plastic/resin chain* and a can of neon pink spray paint. Split your chain into two pieces. In a well-ventilated space, begin spraying one section of the chain. Be careful to use very thin coats of paint and to let dry 30 minutes between each coat. Once you are satisfied with the results, flip over and paint the other side. Let dry overnight. You now have two pieces of chain, neon pink and silver. Carefully rejoin the pink chain to the silver chain, being sure that the chain does not twist. You’ll now have a loop. And Voila.

this is the wrong chain, but same spraying technique

If you have a place to hang it, that works even better. Paint is smoother and you can get into more of the crevases. Not required at all though.

25 mm chain

30mm chain

* I also took a few links off of each chain before painting and made a few bracelets with neon orange paint. There’s no missing me anymore.

*If you are having a tough time sourcing the plastic chain, try M&J Trimming for a huge selection of it. Order online or phone, and ask them for the 30MM Plastic Chains in Silver, item # is 39196003, and it is $15.98 per yard. The smaller option is 25MM Plastic Chains in Silver, item # 39195001, $11.98/yard.