Did you catch this one??...A Dog-Earred Inspiration

This was my guest post over at Paper Wings. If you didn't get a chance to stop by over there, here is your second chance!

So, I typically will flip through magazines, catalogs or even look on-line to get inspired or to challenge myself on some "re-creations."  The tutorial below was inspired by an on-line jewelry company that was offering a necklace very similar to mine for $162.00! See Orginial Here. I decided to see if I could re-create his little piece for under ten bucks. You can decide for yourself if I was successful! Enjoy...

 I started by rummaging through the old jewelry box.  I found a bracelet that was a little heavy to begin with and decided it could do without a third row.  I plan on re-stringing this at some point in the near future. I bought 3 yards of leather roping from a fabric store. If I were to do another one of these I would probably buy a little bit more. 

 Once I cut three equal strands, I used a needle and clear elastic thread to stitch the three cords together.  I then did a simple tight braid, making sure the leather stayed flat. I left about ten inches of the leather un-braided. I cut two of the three cords off and stitched the cords at the end of the braid to hold them in place. I pulled the elastic thread through so that I could string the beads. The needle of elastic thread then alternated between a bead and the leather. The leather followed an under, over pattern until the last bead was threaded.

Stitch the remaining leather to the other end of the necklace where the braid started. Now, you should have a circle. Tie the elastic thread off tight. Use the extra leather cord that was cut off from the braid and tie it around where the braid meets the beads. This will reinforce the necklace and hide the elastic thread knots.

 And here is the finished piece!

P.S. And here is the $162.00 version!