Pearly Queen
Create some classic accessories
The beginning of October can often see the social calendar suddenly fully booked. With Halloween on the horizon, followed by Bonfire Night and Christmas, not to mention office parties or fancy dinners and drinks with friends, deciding what to wear can be a fashion minefield.
Luckily, as most canny crafters know, a few glam accessories ensure that you can easily transform a simple outfit, or create several different looks from the same classic pieces. A string of pearls is a timeless addition to any jewellery box, and despite having a reputation as being rather traditional, these gorgeous gems can be brought up to date in a few short steps.
Jillybeads has a wonderful range of different coloured semi-precious rounds, including olivine, silver, lilac, pink, ivory and burgundy freshwater pearls. They look great when fed onto a short length of nylon as an elegant choker, or you can mix several shades for a quirky pair of droplet earrings. If the trinket box requires a little sparkle, introduce eye-catching Swarovski crystals to the design for an unforgettable set that would make a great gift.
Freshwater pearls start at £3.10 for a 16” strand. A selection of Swarovski crystal rounds, multi-faceted gems, and pendants is also available. See http://www.jillybeads.co.uk
