DIY Pop-Top Necklace

Project Runway fans may have noticed Viktor Luna rocking this look.  We certainly did. And in case we missed it, many of you wrote us to make sure we saw his necklace. We actually hold the patent for this design.  We’re sharing the tutorial here so you too can create an edgy, DIY pop top necklace. 

This can be made with the most basic of supplies – a nail clipper and emery board will work as your tools, or you can step it up a notch and use jewelry pliers and a cutter. Sure, you need the pop tops too – but start spreading the word among your soda and beer-guzzling friends and you’ll gather them in no time. Here’s how you do it:

Materials:

• Pop tops (about 100), cleaned
• Two jump rings
• Lobster clasp
• Jewelry pliers
• Jewelry cutters (or nail clippers)
• Emery board

Directions:

These directions are for a necklace made with stacks of 4 pop tops for each “link.” A short women’s necklace used 27 links of four pops, for a total of 108 tops. You can modify and to make links of 2 or 3 pop tops if you want to use fewer pop tops. Regardless of the length you make, you need to make a cut through the wider opening on half of your pop tops. Do this by using a nail clipper or cutter to make a snip to the side of the wider opening.

1. Start by holding a stack of four uncut pop tops in one hand. 
2. With your other hand, press the snipped edge of a cut top against the stack, so it snaps into place.
3. Continue until four cut pop tops have been linked to the stack of uncut pop tops. This is how you build the entire necklace, adding cut tops to uncut tops, in links of four. Continue until you have as long a necklace as you desire.
4. If needed, you can “sand” any rough edge with an emery board. 
5. When the necklace is the desired length, add a jump ring to one end of the necklace.
6. Add a jump ring and a lobster clasp to the other end.