Fast & Fabulous Statement Necklaces for Summer: Make Tonight, Wear Tomorrow

The end of the school year is upon us and it feels like time is starting to move in fast-forward! There are gifts to be made and end-of-the-year events to attend. This is the time of year when I’m all about beaded jewelry you can make tonight and wear tomorrow. The Fast & Fabulous: Statement Necklaces pattern pack features seven easy beading projects. Use oversize beads, floral components, large focal pieces, and more to create beaded jewelry you’ll love to make and wear.

Your favorite Fast & Fabulous designers contributed projects to this collection: Anne Perry, Debbie Blair, Sue Charette-Hood, Fernando DaSilva, Nealay Patel, Sandra Lupo, and Michelle McEnroe. Their easy beading designs use simple techniques: stringing, crimping, wireworking, kumihimo, and more, so it’s fast to make a fabulous statement necklace. You’ll find ideas for bibs, collars, multiple strand necklaces, and more.

Sometimes, all it takes is a fantastic necklace to make your look. You can go from day to evening just by changing your jewelry. As Iris Apfel says, “Jewelry is the most transformative thing you can wear.” Read Get the Look: Stunning Statement Jewelry for tips on embracing statement style. There are common elements that you can use to create statement jewelry, no matter your style.

Whether you’re getting started beading or looking for quick projects, you’ll find lots of stylish inspiration in this collection. Gather up your beads, crank up your favorite music on your smart speaker (affiliate link) and get started! Here’s a sneak peek at the collection.

Beaded Statement Necklaces to Make Tonight, Wear Tomorrow!

Vintage Style

Night at the Savoy by Anne Perry combines Lucite beads with brass components for a look that’s both vintage and right on trend. The Savoy is a famous hotel in London known for its beautiful architecture, dinner dances, and celebrity lodgers. Its posh vintage style is reflected in this double-strand confection. The turquoise patina brings the beads and brass components together for a cohesive look. Plus, I love the way the closure is offset. That little design detail elevates this eye-catching necklace to the next level.

Natural Strength

Padma by Debbie Blair is a bib-style necklace with tons of appeal. The wooden, stone and glass beads work together to create a backdrop for the pendant that could also stand on its own. Choose a pendant in your favorite color palette and base your beads around the pendant. The large chain links play perfectly with the beads and make it unnecessary to use multiple strand connectors – you can attach the beaded strands directly to the chain itself.

Clever Costume

Miriam by Sue Charette-Hood designed this eclectic mix of beads and chain that’s inspired by Miriam Haskell costume jewelry from the 1950s. Stitch beads onto a filigree component for a handmade, vintage look. The tulip-shaped bead caps carry the vintage theme throughout the focal section. Plus, the coordinating earrings use an interesting chain technique that you’ll use other jewelry creations, too.

Creative & Colorful

Moroccan Bliss by Fernando DaSilva combines a variety of elements into a harmonious, dramatic design. Turquoise and coral are often paired together and share protective, nurturing attributes. The spikes are unexpected touches that draw the eye and turn a lovely, simple strand into a sensational one.

For more ideas from Fernando, check out Bead & Wire Jewelry Exposed, the book Fernando and I wrote with Margot Potter to share our favorite jewelry ideas featuring beading wire as part of the designs.

Showstopping Components

In his Harvest Rise Necklace, Nealay Patel shows how to create coiled components using SilverSilk with large focal beads. This technique is versatile and can be used in a variety of ways to make beautiful necklaces. The knitted wire is also used to string the sides of the necklace. Teardrop dangles anchor each coiled/beaded component. Experiment with different types of focal beads to create equally dynamic looks.

Braided & Coiled

Assemble a statement-worthy collection in this Tell a Story Necklace by Sandra Lupo. Choose a color palette, then combine beads, buttons, and filigree into a focal that’s full of interesting layers and textures. Part of this necklace’s story is components in unusual places: Coiled wire end caps are part of the design, along with the cord ends and hook clasps. You can finish the necklace with premade cording or braid a cord yourself.

Multiple Strands

Green Dragon by Michelle McEnroe features a favorite focal bead surrounded with multiple strands of vintage glass. Like a dragon’s hoard, this necklace is filled with treasures. The necklace is built in order to show them off. Each beaded chain spotlights a different style of special bead. Jump rings are used between bead links to highlight the beads, give the chains more movement, and add a touch more antique brass in the design.

Get ready for summer and spend some me-time making beautiful jewelry with the Fast & Fabulous: Statement Necklaces pattern pack. Use simple techniques to create beaded jewelry you’ll love to make and wear.

Happy beading,
Katie Hacker
Interim Managing Editor of Beadwork

Make fast and fabulous statement necklaces for all your special events!