How-To: Crystal Brocade Necklace

Craft & Design

TheCraftLab
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Big, sparkling necklaces are a major part of current fashion because they are so much fun to wear. They are a glamorous statement that works equally well with an evening gown or jeans. This Crystal Brocade Necklace is inspired by these fun, modern accessories. Anyone can create this elaborate crystal-encrusted piece, even with limited artistic abilities. To make it easy, instead of trying to draw your own complicated design, choose a brocade fabric. Simply embellish the fabric’s ornate design with Tulip Glam-It-Up Iron-On Crystals. They are instantly secured and twinkle and sparkle in the light as brilliantly as real gemstones.
Head over to the iLoveToWin Daily Giveaway today to win one of two sets of the Tulip Cordless Heat Setting Tool, Tulip Glam-It-Up Iron-On Crystals, and the Tulip Glam-It-Up Fashion Art Tweezers used in this project!


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Materials

Brocade fabric scrap
Ribbon, 2′
Needle and thread or sewing machine
Scissors
Tulip Glam-It-Up Iron-On Crystals
Tulip Glam-It-Up Fashion Art Tweezers
Tulip Cordless Heat Setting Tool
Heat-safe working surface

Directions

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Step 1: Look for a nice element of the brocade to be the focal point in the middle. With that point in mind, cut a “U” shape from the fabric scrap. My necklace measures 7″ at the widest point and 5″ tall.
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Step 2: Sew a straight stitch along the edge of the fabric to keep the edges from unraveling. If you like, you can trim the unraveling threads, but I liked the texture they added. Sew 1′ of ribbon to each end of the “U”.
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Step 3: Place the necklace on a flat surface, and cover the brocade elements with crystals. Use the Tulip Glam-It-Up Fashion Art Tweezers to place the crystals on the pattern. I used the Tulip Glam-It-Up Crystal Keeper to organize my gems, and it wasn’t long before I was grabbing them up with the tool effortlessly. I started with the center, and worked my way to the edges of the pattern. I laid out an ton of different colors and tried to keep the crystals as symmetrical as possible.
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Step 4: Affix the crystals to the fabric with the heat setting tool. The back of each crystal is coated with a heat-sensitive adhesive. You can choose to use an iron, but for this type of delicate placement, the heat setting tool is the perfect choice. Switch it on and press the button down to pre-heat it for 5-10 seconds. You will know it’s heating when the red light is on. I kept a ceramic tile right by my necklace to use as my heat-safe surface and placed the heat tool there whenever I wasn’t using it.
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To set the crystals, hold the hot iron over the crystal and gently press the tip to the top of the crystal. The heat transfers through the glass and melts the glue. If you use too much pressure, the crystal will slide, so don’t press hard at all. With the heat tool on the gem, it should set in about 3-5 seconds. Work safely and deliberately until each crystal is in place. When you are finished, leave the heat setter to cool on the ceramic tile. Voila!

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