Thursday Tutorial: DIY Metal Shirt Collar Necklace

Yes, there was one weekend where I got pretty crafty and decided to make some of the things I've been watching in my trendspotting. When I first wrote this post on metal shirt collars, I wasn't sure what I thought of them so I thought I would make one for myself to find out. I still has some sheet metal laying around from a different project and all the tools, so it wasn't going to cost me anything. Here it is! A Metal Shirt Collar Necklace Tutorial! Outfit post to come.

This is the one that I was basing my idea off of, but I wanted mine to be simpler. So let's get started!

Materials:

• Scrap metal 
• Metal cutters
• Tracing paper and a pen
• Scissors
• Chain
• An awl
• Flat nose pliers
• A clasp 
• 2 jump rings
• Sandpaper
• Hammer

Do it!

1. I should have probably included this in the materials, but I took a thin sheet of paper and a shirt with a collar that I really liked and traced the shaped onto the paper so that I could have a template to work with.
   
2. Once I had something I liked, I cut it out and then used the template to cut out the same shape in the metal. In hindsight, I should have glued or taped the template down to make it easier to cut around, but I always come up with my best ideas after my projects are over. BE CAREFUL! Even the best metal snips leave sharp edges.
   
3. Once I cut out my shape, I checked it against the collared shirt I had and made any small adjustments I needed to. Be careful here too! Cutting small pieces of metal means they will fly across the room and (trust me on this one) you don't want to lose a tiny piece of metal only to find it in your foot later.
   
4. When you have the shape you want, it's time to start sanding! Set up an area that will catch all the dust. I laid down some newspaper but you can also work above an old shoe box. Take the sand paper and be sure to get rid of any rough edges and grooves. This may take a while and you will really need to use some elbow grease.
   
5. Take the awl and the hammer and place your shape on an old magazine or a scrap piece of wood. Position the awl at the top corner of our shape and hammer it in to create a small hole. This is where you will attach your chain. Do the same on the other side.
   
6. Bend the collar shape with your hands to be slightly rounded, like a shirt collar looks when you're wearing it.
   
7. Cut two chain pieces about 2 inches each. I wanted my necklace to sit really close to the neck, like a choker, but if you want it to sit lower I suggest cutting longer pieces of chain. You can always trim it back later.
   
8. Open a jump ring and slide it through one hole you made in the top corner and attach one piece of chain. Close the jump ring. Do the same on the other side.
   
9. Attach a clasp to both ends of the chain and you're all done!

So that's it. If I were to re-do, I would change the shape a little and maybe add some embellishments. I'm still not actually sure how I feel about it, but I plan on playing around with a few outfits featuring it and I'll let you know for sure then ;)

Planning on making one? I'd love to see your versions!