Okay, so I wanted to make a Cancer constellation necklace, you know, the zodiac sign? I thought it would be a cool little project and maybe a nice gift for someone.
First, I looked around online to get some ideas. There’s a bunch of different styles out there, some simple, some super detailed. I decided I wanted to go for something in between, not too plain, but also not too crazy intricate.
I grabbed some basic jewelry-making stuff.
- Some thin chain
- A clasp
- Jump rings
- Little beads to represent the stars
- Pliers, you definitely need pliers for this kind of thing.
I found a diagram of the Cancer constellation online, just to make sure I got the star positions right. It’s basically like a sideways “Y”, not the most exciting constellation, but hey, it’s Cancer.
Then, I started laying out the beads on a piece of felt, kind of playing around with the arrangement until it looked right. Once I was happy with it, I started connecting the beads with jump rings. This was a bit fiddly, to be honest. Those jump rings are tiny!
After getting the stars connected, I attached the chain to each end of the constellation. This part was also a bit tricky. I had to make sure the chain was the right length and that the constellation hung straight.
Finally, I added the clasp to the ends of the chain. And that’s pretty much it!
My Feelings
It took me a few tries to get it right, and there was a bit of swearing involved, but I think it turned out pretty good! It’s definitely a unique piece, and I learned a few things about jewelry making along the way. Would I do it again? Maybe, but I think I’d need a break first. Those tiny jump rings almost broke my spirit. I hope my friend likes it as a birthday gift!
