DIY: Bugle Bead Fringe Torque/Necklace

This is the first of two necklaces I made as part of The Refashioners 2013. I have shed loads of these black glass bugle beads left so don’t be surprised if a few more makes crop up over time! Bugles lend themselves brilliantly to fringing and are kind of synonymous with the whole 20’s vibe (think flapper dresses and The Great Gatsby) and I really like the contrast of silver and black. I also really like the look of torque necklaces, but always find they sit a bit funny on the collar bone. Of course, I’ve probably got weird collar bones! But in any case, I decided to try making a “1/2 torque” with a chain extender. And hey presto, it sits rather nicely! Here’s what I did…

In addition to the black bugle beads I used some silver ball head pins and tiny silver spacer beads. I threaded the bugle beads and spacer beans onto the head pins and finished with a loop…

Next take a length of medium gauge jewellery wire and shape around a round object….

Thread on your bugle fringe lengths, interspersed with more of the silver spacer beads…

Finish the ends of the torque with loops and add your chain….

And there you have it!