real life
BUY OR DIY
don’t break your neck
28 / BUST // JUN/JUL
THESE HANDMADE BUYS ARE THE PERFECT LIGHTWEIGHT SUMMER ACCESSORIES [BY CALLIE WATTS]
THE GREATEST WRAPPER ALIVE Customizable thread colors make this simple design pop ($24, orangeisthesun.etsy.com).
SALMON SEASON This cotton necklace, crafted in Argentina, will have you lookin’ fly no matter what you pair it with ($31, southstreet.etsy.com).
THE COTTON IS HIGH Thief and Bandit’s hand-printed maze-patterned fabric will trip you out, man ($65, thiefandbandit.com).
FUZZY WUZZY’S WHAT I WEAR Pile on the pom-poms to give an ordinary outfit big love (£60, aalicia.bigcartel.com).
DAWN OF THE THREAD Work the rounds in this crocheted, sunrise-hued necklace ($32, lavenderfield.etsy.com).
TEE OFF Avoid an outfit mulligan with this supersoft piece created from a vintage golf shirt ($80, ellenhillrose.etsy.com).
PHOTO: ALEX BAKER
To make the lower part of the necklace that hangs down, cut 10 strips of fabric between 20" – 25" long and ½" – 1" wide (they don’t all have to be the same). Use these to make 3 braids—two with 3 strips, and one with 4 strips. To make the first braid, pin 3 strips to your pant leg and start braiding (making it as tight at the top as possible). Continue braiding until there’s about 5" of length remaining. Repeat to make a second 3-strand braid. Use the remaining 4 strips to make a special braid as follows. Gather the strands, and pull one of the strips up above the others about 6" (you’ll use this extra length to connect the hanging braids to the main braided neckpiece). Then use the end of one of the other strips to tie the 4 strips together. Pin the knot to your pant leg, and spread the strips out. Take the strip on the far left over the one next to it, and then take the strip furthest right under the one next to it. Then cross the two center strips right over left. Repeat this pattern until you reach the end of the shortest strip. To secure these hanging braids to the main braided neckpiece, take the 4-strand braid, and slip the starting knot under one of the loops in the starting knot on the main braided neckpiece, making sure to pull the extra 6" of strip through as well. Grab the other 2 braids and hold their starting ends next to the starting knot of the main braided neckpiece. Attach them by taking the extra 6" strip of the 4-strand braid and wrapping it tightly around all the braids at the connecting point several times. Knot the wrapping strip by pulling it through one of the wrapped loops and tying it to itself. Spread the wrapped part so that it covers the knots and braided ends completely. Wrap it around a couple of more times, then double-knot the end in a similar manner and tuck the end under one of the wraps to keep the design clean. To secure the hanging braids to the other side of the main braided neckpiece, hold the loose ends to the point where the end of the main braided neckpiece is knotted. Use one of the loose ends to secure the hanging braids to the main braided neckpiece in the same manner as above. Wrap it around the material right where the braided part stops so that the loose ends hang down decoratively. Once the three hanging braids are secure, use scissors to cut the wider loose ends of the strips in half to create fringe. To adhere beads, fold the end of one of the fabric fringe strips over the tip of a needle, and use the needle as a guide to push the fabric through the bead (the beads will need at least a 1⁄8" hole but should be small enough so that the bead won’t slip off). To add feathers, put the end of the feather through the bead before you push the fabric through. Now you have an easy, breezy, beautiful necklace for summer, girl. [HEATHER LOOP AND CALLIE WATTS]