Braided Hex Nut Necklace

Hey crafties! I hope you enjoyed your day- it was too gorgeous outside not to! So as I promised yesterday, today I'm revealing the present I made my sister for her birthday yesterday, and she actually liked it, or at least said she did, so I think you will too. (She's hard to please.)

I saw this tutorial for a hex nut bracelet last week from Erica at Honestly WTF and thought it would be perfect for Aziza. She's into sparkly fashionable jewelry and this looked easy and fun to try out.

[via WTF]

So I tried the bracelet and loveddd the effect, but I thought it might be even cooler as a necklace! So using their technique (see WTF for the technique but you just braid in the nuts- kind of self explanatory), this is what I did..

Materials:
6 strands of hemp or twine at about 29 inches long each
56 small hex nuts - I used silver because there was a $3 pack of 100 at Home Depot. The brass ones came in packs of eight for a dollar each

How To:
What you'll do is do two separate sides- braid each side with three strands and then braid them together.


1. Set up two strands to braid: (3 pieces of string each) Tie each off at the top about two inches from the end.
2. Braid: Braid each side for about 13 inches.

3. Braid in nuts: See the tutorial. Do 24 per braid.

4. Join the braids: Take the strands and braid them together- you will want two strands per piece of the braid. Braid for two rounds.
5. Braid in the nuts: Braid in eight nuts.

6. Braid to end and tie off: Braid for about an inch after the last nut, tie off, and cut off the extra strands.

I love this technique! It has such a badass geometric effect. Here's a close-up..

This is such a quick and easy gift, and you could even pair it with a matching bracelet or other necklaces to get that fashionable, sparkly, layered look... or you could just keep it for yourself ;)

A bunch of people have already tried this around the web and here are some of their interpretations...

 

Suzyful's Hex Nut Leather Bracelet

Hunt Gather Fashion's Braided Chain Necklace

First Fashion Cat's Armband

Oh, and check out this cutiee

I'd make him a braided nut collar but he'd just take it off and run around naked.

Inappreciative.

I'll be around. 

Happy Crafting! 

UPDATE: Check out the hex nut bracelet post!