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How-to: Crab Grabby Sweater Chain

June 17, 2013 4 Comments

How-to: Crab Grabby Sweater Chain at HandsOccupied.com

Also known as sweater guards, sweater chains are an accessory that’s nearly been lost to the passage of time. This is unfortunate for cardigan lovers like myself. They’re a nice alternative to stretched out buttonholes, and as someone who works in public service, it’s nice to have something to keep your, umm, chest covered from the occasional creeper.

Also, aren’t those little crabs holding the chain super cute? I’ll admit it, I’m down for making a project for cuteness’ sake alone!

Supplies

2 Martha Stewart Crafts enamel blanks
Martha Stewart Crafts jewelry enamel
Martha Stewart Crafts jewelry enamel activator
toothpicks
jewelry chain
ruler
2 jewelry pliers
2 jewelry clips
E6000 craft adhesive

Directions

Apply enamel 

Following packaged directions, mix 1 part enamel and 2 parts activator on a safe surface. How-to: Crab Grabby Sweater Chain at HandsOccupied.com

Use a toothpick to very carefully apply a layer of the enamel to your enamel blanks. I used the cute crabs from the Martha Stewart line for this project, but you can really use any enamel blanks you like. They don’t even have to match – I just think those crabs are adorable.

How-to: Crab Grabby Sweater Chain at HandsOccupied.com

Letting each layer of enamel dry for 72 hours between application, apply 2 or 3 layers to completely cover your blanks. My big tip? Be careful when applying the additional layers. After my first layers, I had some enamel overflow, and it was really hard to clean up.

How-to: Crab Grabby Sweater Chain at HandsOccupied.com

Assemble sweater chain

When your blanks are all set and completely dry, you’re ready for part 2 of this project. Begin by using jewelry pliers to bend and snap off the long ends of two jewelry clips.

How-to: Crab Grabby Sweater Chain at HandsOccupied.com

Glue the clips, sharp side toward the back of your charms, to the charms with E6000 craft adhesive. Check out the next photo for how to place the clips. Instead of the charms hanging from a chain, the chain will be hanging from the charms. Remember that when you’re determining the placement of your clips. Let the E6000 dry for 24 hours.

How-to: Crab Grabby Sweater Chain at HandsOccupied.com

I’m really embarrassed by the next picture since it shows off the effect of my enamel accident. But it shows the right placement of the clips, which is important to get right since the E6000 will dry HARD. There are pluses and minuses to working with industrial strength adhesives. (And jewelry enamel, apparently.)

How-to: Crab Grabby Sweater Chain at HandsOccupied.com

Use jewelry pliers to break your jewelry chain into three pieces: one 3″, one 4″, and one 5″ in length. Save two open pieces of the chain to use in a minute.

How-to: Crab Grabby Sweater Chain at HandsOccupied.com

Connect the three pieces of chain to one of the open chain rings and close the ring, with the chains attached, to the ring of your charm.

How-to: Crab Grabby Sweater Chain at HandsOccupied.com

Using another chain ring, connect the other end of the chains and attach them to the second charm. Then you’re done!

How-to: Crab Grabby Sweater Chain at HandsOccupied.com

Filed Under: DIY Style, How-to Tagged With: accessories, cardigan, crafts, diy, jewelry, martha stewart, sweater chain, sweater guard, vintage

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Rachel | 52 Weeks Project

    June 17, 2013 at 6:48 pm

    Great tutorial, this is super cute!

    Reply
  2. Nicole | gawkerverse

    June 18, 2013 at 11:00 am

    This is such an adorable project! A friend of mine will love this. Thanks for the inspiration! And for submitting to stylegawker!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      June 18, 2013 at 1:48 pm

      No problem! Thanks for commenting, Nicole :)

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Weekly Reader, June 21, 2013 – Hands Occupied says:
    June 21, 2013 at 12:01 am

    […] On Monday, I shared a cute tutorial showing you how to make a crab sweater chain. […]

    Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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Learn how to do the magic loop method for knitting Learn how to do the magic loop method for knitting in the round in 90 seconds. / Using the magic loop allows knitters to work in the round with a single, long circular needle at a range of circumferences. 
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Since it won’t be clean for long, swipe to see w Since it won’t be clean for long, swipe to see what my home studio looks like these days. Nothing will ever quite be like the old Hands Occupied Studio, but I’m pretty pleased with how I shoehorned everything in this space. Function over form + a layer of yarn cuteness-meets-chaos is how I’d describe my creative space needs. 😆 When I was still renting the studio, those needs included “doesn’t rain suspicious brown water from a crack in the ceiling for a year,” so this is an improvement! 😆
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Who doesn’t love magic loop knitting? Who doesn’t know what it is? How about when circular needles were invented?
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Finally organizing & putting the finishing touches Finally organizing & putting the finishing touches on my home studio. After losing my studio space last fall, it’s feels really great to *occupy* this new space all the way. 😉
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I started by removing general clutter & returning straggler supplies from various WIPs, videos & design deadlines to their homes. Next, I hung a third peg board in the space - this one is mostly for display and less for organizing tools or projects. For the first time ever, I’m displaying projects from my book, plus a couple other faves. (The best thing about designing more yarn crafts besides knit & crochet is that I have some really fun -and delightfully pettable 😆- samples around.) I finished by adding a square dowel to my small supply storage tower to keep it from tipping over, plus re-arranging and de-cluttering the closet. 
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This cleaner space already has me feeling so much more creative and less overwhelmed. Now to find a safe spot in the basement for the tower of project samples in Rubbermaid tubs I liberated from my WIPs closet. Also why are there five?! 
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