Pinspiration: DIY Wooden Neon Necklace

Neon being a hot trend right now, I wanted to add some to my wardrobe on the cheap. This is what I came up with!

String, sandpaper, paint brushes: had on hand
Beads: upcycled from old game
Hot pink paint: bought at Walmart

The inspiration:

Found here.

Found here.

Found here.

Found here.

What did I learn from the examples above? 

1. The first two necklaces are made out of clay, but the color scheme can easily be translated onto wooden beads (the medium of choice for me, because that is what I already had).

2. The easiest necklace to make is the first example because it has the fewest beads, and the pink beads are solid pink, which would be easier to accomplish as opposed to trying to get a perfectly half-pink painted bead. 

3. The last picture shows a necklace that looks homemade to me. (I don't want things I make to look "homemade".)  I think it has to do with the lack of shine on the them. My suggestion would be to paint them with a varnish or top coat of some kind after you are all done if your beads are matte and your paint has a dull finish.

4. The necklaces that use chains look better than the necklace that used string. Alas, all I have is string for mine. Maybe down the road I will upgrade to chain.

Here is my attempt!

The beads are pieces of an old board game I thrifted, played, and deemed unworthy to keep. I salvaged all the beads from it for future projects, like this one!

Stick the bead on the end of a paintbrush so that you can paint it without having to touch it and get fingerprints on it. 

Pink: so hot right now.

These beads have a lovely varnish on them. Unfortunately, said varnish makes it impossible for paint to stick. I had to sand it off before painting it. 

Place paintbrushes in jar so that the beads dry without sticking to any surface. After completely dry, rotate bead and add second coat. Repeat until beads are to your liking.

My new favorite necklace! You could tie knots at the outside of the pink beads to keep them perfectly straight, but Lucy loves pulling them up and down on the string and practicing her counting. 

I love this necklace and it goes with everything. I used two slip knots on the string ends so that the length of the necklace is adjustable. Make sure to let it dry overnight before wearing.

Quick, cheap, and easy! And I have a whoooole lot of extra beads I could use to make you one. :)