Summer Blues Gogo
Chain Necklace
Designed by Kristin Burgess

Chase away the summer heat with this cool toned double strand necklace.  Fashioned with a large
1980's Gogo hoop as the focus, this pendant is interchangeable.  
  You'll want to make a few that you can then switch
out pendants, depending on your outfit that day. 
Light weight and affordable, Gogo hoops also 
make fabluous instant earrings,so be sure to grab
a few extra and create a fun set for summer!

Check out our Gogo Hoops in a variety of fun summer colors!  Lucite and plastic is light weight and colorful.  Our lucite hoops offer all different sizes,
colors and designs straight from 80's.










This project is great for all levels!  Stringing and crimping along with a small amount of wire work are involved with this project.   The materials used are mentioned in the box above, please note the quantities within this paragraph.  The chain is sold per inch so, as an example, be sure to order 18" if you would like to have an 18" finished necklace.  Allow yourself at least 2 feet of the fine Softflex for the stringing portion of the project.  The bail (top part of pendant usually made of wire, making it necklace ready) is created using 8" of the 20 gauge soft sterling wire.  Two crimp beads are used as well as two split rings which are both used to attach the two strands to the toggle clasp.

Step 1:

Prepare a clutter free workspace to lay out piles of your beads and components on.  Start by using the split ring plier to open one of the sterling split rings and feed this split ring onto one side of precut chain and also the loop part of the toggle clasp.    Repeat this for side two of the chain, including the bar part of the toggle clasp.  With the chain and clasp part complete we can move onto the stringing portion of the project.

Step 2: 

Stringing this pattern onto the Soft Flex spool...1 montana round, 1 fiber optic rondelle, 1 montana round, 1 fiber optic rondelle, and repeat until you have reached 18" in length or desired length.  Attach one end of this strand to one of the sterling split rings using the crimping method and one 2x2mm crimp bead.  Attach the other side to the other sterling split ring (making your necklace a double strand) using a 2x2mm sterling crimp bead (same as side 1).  Remember that the clasp will add some length to your necklace but only about 1/2".   If you choose to use a different clasp be sure to measure and consider its length along with the beaded Soft Flex length.   If you want a shorter style decrease beads evenly on either ends of the necklace.  I find it helpful to carefully hold the necklace up to myself in front of a mirror.  This way you can really see how the finished product will look before you commit to crimping it to the split rings.  This completes the necklace portion of the project.  Now we need to attach the Gogo bead to the necklace.


Step 3: 

 With a precut piece of 20 gauge sterling we will form the bail.  The bail is necessary to have so that the Gogo pendant will hang nicely in the center of the necklace.   I find it helpful to wrap the wire around a pen to get a thicker loop that most round nose pliers don't go up to.  Snap the Gogo pendant into the loop and wrap the wire a few times just above the bead to secure your pendant.  You can include a bead on the bail, if you wish, using a favorite bead or one of the leftover beads as pictured above.  Clip the short coiling wire and use the remaining few inches to create another loop that will slide over the necklace.  It is important that the beaded strand and the chain fits through this large loop with ease.  Use the round pliers or thicker form to create this generous bail loop and coil 3-4 times to secure wire.  Cut away any leftover wire.  Slide Gogo pendant onto necklace and wear!
As always, enjoy!