DIY Best Friend Necklaces: SO Easy & Better Quality Than Store Bought Ones

I’ve always been into making jewelry, but haven’t shared any projects until now. These DIY best friend necklaces were inspired by actual necklaces I just made for my younger daughter and her friends after a well-known kids jewelry store’s necklaces broke. The store’s necklaces were pricey, looked kind of cheap (especially for the price), and 2 out of 4 broke within 24 hours of gifting! My daughter was SO upset and I was annoyed that I could have just made them myself in the first place (and saved the money and headache).

For the original necklaces, my daughter chose these colorful gummy bear charms, but I chose these inspiring words charms for their agelessness and inspiration. All of the supplies for both sets of necklaces were purchased at Michael’s which was super convenient (not to mention great quality, so I wasn’t worried about breaking this time).

While these necklaces were made for best friends (and its great that you can make as many or few as needed), you can also use these for bridal shower gifts, sports team gifts, birthday favors, etc. OR just because (or for yourself). There are endless options for this inexpensive project.

One last note: If you have older children, like my 12 year old, they can create these themselves. For my 7 year old (and her friends), I created these, so the necklaces fall into kids or parent project depending on the age.

Ok, ready to create something beautiful?

DIY Best Friend Necklaces

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Jump Rings (I chose 6mm)
Lobster Clasps (I chose 12mm)
Length of Chain (I chose 72″ of 2.5mm Curb Chain)
Charms (Here are my cute ones)
Wire Cutter
Chain Nose Pliers and/or additional pliers
Ruler or Tape Measure (not shown)

Supplies for best friend necklaces — Supplies For Best Friend Necklaces

TIPS ABOUT SUPPLIES:

CHARMS – Start shopping for the charms first. They will guide you towards the other jewelry pieces you’ll need. Do they have gold or silver in them? Are they small and delicate or larger and more solid?
JEWELRY SUPPLIES – There are no “right” or “wrong” sizes for the jewelry supplies. If you like a thicker chain, go with a thicker jump ring and larger clasp to match. If you like a daintier chain, go with a smaller jump ring and clasp. It’s all about keeping the pieces in similar size and thickness to each other and to the charms.
CLASPS – I prefer a lobster clasp (it looks similar to a lobster’s claw) to a traditional round spring clasp. I find that it is easier to open, particularly if kids are wearing these necklaces. They also look nice.
CHAIN – Buy the chain as one long section. You can save money by just cutting it yourself rather than buying pre-cut and its SO easy. I also kept to a very simple pattern – sturdy yet simple, so the charm was the standout, but really any chain pattern can work.
JEWELRY TOOLS – There are some basic jewelry tools that you will need for this project. They are not that expensive and super useful for other fun projects (see below for some ideas). They also last for a long time. I’ve had mine for over 20 years and continue to find new uses for them (when my kids aren’t borrowing them).

MORE FUN PROJECTS THAT USE THE JEWELRY TOOLS:

PREPPING THE Supplies

If you are doing more than one necklace (assuming at least two since they are for best friends), you can prepare all of the supplies at once. This makes the assembly process go much quicker.

1. Take out 1 lobster clasp, 2 jump rings, and 1 charm for each necklace and set aside.

Setting aside the clasp, jump rings and charm for each necklace — Setting Aside The Clasp, Jump Rings, And Charm For Each Necklace

2. Measure the length of chain needed for each necklace and use the wire cutter to cut the chain link at that length. I chose 16″ as its pretty standard. 18″ would look nice as well. TIP: You don’t need to cut through the entire link. Cut one side of the link and then use the pliers to remove that cut piece.

Cutting length of chain needed for each necklace — Cutting The Length Of Chain Needed For Each Necklace

3. Take 2 pliers and open up each jump ring by gently twisting. If you only have 1 pliers, you can hold the ring with one hand and use the pliers to twist it open.

Opening jump ring with pliers — Opening The Jump Ring With Pliers

Assembling The Necklace

4. Hold one end of the jump ring with the pliers and thread the last link of the chain on it. Add the lobster clasp to the jump ring.

Adding chain and clasp to jump ring — Adding The Chain And Clasp To The Jump Ring

5. Hold the jump ring by 2 pliers and gently twist it back together, so the ends touch (to close it). Make sure the ring is closed with no space, so the chain and clasp cannot fall off. (NOTE: If you only have one pliers, hold the ring with one hand and twist with the pliers.)

Closing jump ring — Closing The Jump Ring

6. Thread the charm onto the end of the chain without the jump ring. (NOTE: Most charms come with a jump ring already attached, like the one in the pic. If yours does not, grab an additional jump ring and attach it to the charm before threading.)

Threading charm onto chain — Threading The Charm Onto The Chain

7. Hold the second jump ring with the pliers and thread the end of the chain onto it. Close it with both pliers.

Adding last jump ring to chain — Adding The Last Jump Ring To The Chain

8. You now have a completed best friend necklace. The jump rings at each end will keep the charm from falling off and be used to attach to your lobster clasp (your last step-right pic).

Finished best friend neklace — Finished Best Friend Necklace

Now you have 2,3,4…DIY best friend necklaces that are custom, beautiful, and better quality than what you get in the store. Awesome! These same steps can be applied to any necklace you want to add to your wardrobe or an outfit. There are endless possibilities! Enjoy!