Isn't it so annoying to wear a necklace only to have the clasp slide down to the front?  Well, there are ways to solve this problem. The solutions are easy and most involve constructing necklace designs differently.

Wearing a heavy focal does not work. It is not the weight but issue of the chain sliding along the bail. So what you have to do is immobilize the chain or cord in some way.

Here is the first solution which I have mentioned before in a previous post. I used a jump ring to attach to a pretty metal rondelle. The two halves of the necklace chain were then attached to the rondelle with small jump rings. The chains slide on the rondelle but the focal remains in the front!

Wood Lotus Dagger | Water Based Wood Stain 
Knotting cords is another way.  Below is an example of where I knotted before and after pretty round metal beads (these are from TierraCast's Jade Collection). My laser cut wood heart is just hung with a simple jump ring.  Alternatively, if you can get large hole crimp beads, you could crimp chains in place of knotting. Use crimp covers for a better finish.

Wood Heart Lotus | Water Based Wood Stain
As my laser cut wood pendants are very light, teaming them with a ribbon and cord necklace also works. The latter is not as smooth as metal so the cord does not easily slide along the bail.

Square Lotus Wood Pendant | Water Based Wood Stain
All the above pendants are from my new Lotus Flower Collection available on my Etsy.  Yoga and meditation devotees will love these!  There is a 10% sale from now till September 25, 2019) on all things lotus - wood supplies, finished lotus jewelry and the Lotus SVG shown below.

The laser cut wood findings come in two sizes.  The larger ones are suitable as statement earrings or pendants.  The smaller ones are great as very lightweight earrings. I personally love wearing wood jewelry because they are so light. I can barely feel them.


These diamond lotus earrings were finished using Gilder's Paste in Inca Gold :


My friend Sonya of  Rocpoet on Instagram put her own spin on a pair of gilded wood lotus frame earrings. She is a metal stamper so she teamed up with her own lotus stamped tags.


There are also lotus flower wood cuts without the frames.  They also come in two sizes.  There are large lotus flowers with single holes or double holes for dangles. These are suitable for statement earrings or as pendants.

I used a TierraCast bail which doubles as no sweat guru bead for mala necklaces. Necklaces like these do not have the sliding clasp problem. TierraCast also do awesome dagger drop charms which I love!


Laura Martin, a local jewelry maker, shared a picture (below) of her lotus necklace with me!  She obviously prefers the natural wood color. Note : my laser cuts are also available locally at Iguana Beads.


There are also dainty versions of the lotus flower for earring makers!  These were colored with silver Gilder's Paste. You can also use metallic silver acrylic paint.  My favorite is the Sargent metallic art acrylic paint set. 



Sonya loves adding a little extra bling by gluing crystals to her small double hole lotus flowers! Notice how she used stud earrings?

I prefer these pinch bails for my wood earrings.


Reader Aims sent me her fabulous boho earrings with a pair of the lotus flower earrings!  A completely different look!  Do email me your creations if you'd like me to feature them on my blog!  If you have an online store or social media, I will link there too!


Please check my past post on How to Sand, Stain, Paint and Seal Wood Jewelry for all kinds of tips and tricks.

I've noticed many people love the natural color of the wood. You still need to protect and seal the pieces. I use a natural product from Saman's which I bought from a local hardware store. But there are others available like Daddy Van's All Natural Unscented Beeswax Furniture Polish Chemical-Free Non-Toxic Wood Wax Preservative, Conditioner and Protectant.  Or raid your kitchen pantry for olive oil.  Rub a little in.  I find that applying such protectants over wood and painted wood gives the pieces a satin finish.


Not into wood?  You can also create open frame or layered designs with my Lotus SVG cut file in leather if you have a Cricut or Silhouette electronic die cutter. You can trace using the PNG or PDF files but hand cutting will not be as precise as the machines.


Diamond Layered Faux Leather Earrings cut on my Cricut 

Heart Leather Earrings in metallic silver cut on a laser cutter.

Before You Go:

Photography
I used my iPhone 8+ with the Camera+  app in natural light. 
My online class Easy Guide to Smartphone Jewelry Photography is now available. Read more about it here.  

This blog may contain affiliate links. I do receive a small fee for any products purchased through affiliate links. This goes towards the support of this blog and to provide resource information to readers. The opinions expressed are solely my own. They would be the same whether or not I receive any compensation.
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
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