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Spotted: DIY Necklace Made from Cork

DIY Necklace Cork

Check out this DIY necklace made from scrap sheets of cork!

The right statement necklace can add such a pop to your outfit, but store-bought pieces are not so great from an environmental standpoint. They’re often made from plastic and other non-renewable resources. The necklaces often come from far-off factories, where workers put them together under some questionable conditions. That back story really takes the cute out of that bird necklace at Target, doesn’t it?

Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t have a cute necklace to add some pizazz to your going out outfit! It just means you get to flex your DIY muscles and make your own!

Crafter Jessica Fediw shares an awesome tutorial for making your own statement silhouette necklace out of cork. She had part of a roll left over from making a bulletin board, and you can find rolls of cork at most craft stores. Cork is a renewable resource, and cork trees grow back quickly, so you can feel good about your cork necklace’s environmental impact!

Here’s what Jessica says you need to create your own cork necklace, along with some notes from us on how to make this project even greener:

  • Cork board
  • Scissors
  • Something to trace your design, like a pencil
  • Jump ring – you can get this at the craft store or salvage one from a broken or thrift store necklace. A jump ring is a little metal circle that’s sliced so you can open up the circle to slide a pendant onto it, then close it up again. You may need two, depending on your design (see how the bird has two in the photo above, to make it hang the way she wants?).
  • Chain – same deal as the jump ring
  • Mod Podge, optional – in a pinch, you can mix glue with a touch of water instead, but the real deal will preserve your work better. You only need this if you’re planning to use paper to decorate your necklace.
  • Scrap paper, optional – Use salvaged paper like junk mail envelopes or magazine or catalog pages
  • Paint, optional. Since the pieces you’re cutting aren’t that big, you could also use eco-friendly nail polish to paint your silhouettes
  • Design to trace – you can print something onto junk mail or trace a design out of a book or magazine

Ready to get crafty? You can get the complete tutorial here!

Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by ohsohappytogether

Written by Becky Striepe

My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”), and I am a crafts and food writer from Atlanta, Georgia with a passion for making our planet a healthier, happier, and more compassionate place to live. My mission is to make vegan food and crafts accessible to everyone!. If you like my work, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, and .

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