Hey there! I have a book review up over on Craft Test Dummies today 30 Minute Necklaces by Marthe Le Van. You know I always make a project from the book for the book reviews over there but I have to confess that I kind of cheated this time.

It was cheating because I created this necklace back in 2009 here- Bead and Knot Necklace.

But that’s also how I know that the directions were pretty accurate.

Yeah, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Anyway, I thought I’d show you how you can take the directions for a necklace, change them up a bit and have some variety.

This same necklace pattern with four very different looks.

The above necklace was made with a fine leather cord and beautiful ceramic beads. It’s very dressy and when the beads bump up against one another it makes a great sound.

This is my original necklace with a slight Asian flair. It has ceramic, stone and glass beads that are much smaller than in the first necklace. The thread is very fine, in fact so fine that I doubled it.

It has a light, airy feel.

This one I actually made with some local young people. We used a faux leather cord and a mix of glass beads. The turned out quite lovely. Colorful and casual.

It’s a very affordable group project made with these materials.

This one has an earth and water feel to it with it’s shades of blue and brown. The cord is a silk cording and the beads range from tiny size 10 beads (I think) to the bigger, silver swirls. The holes in the swirls beads are off center so it give the whole piece movement.

I think this one is my favorite.

I love this kind of necklace because it’s affordable, easy to make and great for wearers who may have mobility issues. Also, depending on how long you make it, you can wear it in a single loop or looped 2-3 times giving you lots of variety.

Which one is your favorite?