Make a Statement: The Shop is LIVE!

EDIT: The shop is now closed. Read more here.

YOU GUYS! Remember back in October when I relaunched the blog as Party HarDIY? Well, I told you there were some big plans in STORE (hah, see what I did there?) and I’m sooo excited to announce the launch of our shop! I’ve always wanted to have my own shop full of cutesy things, and I’ve always had a love of jewelry! Well, now the two have come together in one magical, glimmering place.

So, what’s available?

A collection of unique and colorful jewelry, sure to add a pop of color to any outfit! The holidays are coming, and these pieces are perfect for adding some sparkle to your outfit, a fun touch of Christmas colors, or to change up an outfit that’s already been worn a bunch of times! Because let’s be real, these pieces are WAY cheaper than buying a new dress!

Um… Tell me more about this collection!

Well, ok! This all started back when I was in my favorite jewelry shop in the city. I thought, wouldn’t it be great to have a collection of fun and colorful necklaces that are affordable? There are SO many expensive jewelry shops out there, and my opinion on costume jewelry is the more, the merrier. So, I decided to curate my own collection of fun, bold, and most of all BRIGHT jewelry. There will also be some new items coming to the shop as well, but for now I decided to start small for the holiday season!

Where did your love of jewelry come from?

My grandma! My yiayia had the most insane collection of costume jewelry. I don’t think I ever saw her wearing real jewelry, haha! She had a bunch of bold necklaces and earrings. Fun fact- her ears weren’t pierced! She only owned clip-ons. Here's a picture of us when I was a kid. She's dressed very on brand, and I'm the one in the tutu. I took ballet for a hot minute, but I was AWFUL at it.

Um… am I brave enough to wear this stuff?

YES! I used to be shy about wearing bright things too. I finally realized that it’s fun to be bold and daring. People notice! I get compliments on my jewelry all the time, and in a sea of people, it’s fun to stand out a bit. You can always start small with a pair of colorful studs!

Ok, you’ve convinced me! What do I even wear this stuff with?

My very favorite thing to wear bold jewelry with is a basic tee! It’s really adds a pop of fun and sass to an otherwise casual item. Try pairing the Daisy Dreams Statement Necklace or the Fringe Benefits Earrings with a basic tee. Another great way to wear these is with a Christmas sweater! Try the Rudolph the Red Nosed Rhinestone Tassel Earrings with your ugly Christmas sweater, or the Worth The Tassel Earrings with a warm, cozy sweater! Heading to a holiday party? Try the Chic-a-Boo Rhinestone Earrings for some added glitz and glam, or the Dragonfruit Dilemma Earrings for a fun, unexpected touch.

Can I get free items?

Um, heck yea!! I’m hosting a giveaway! To enter, follow the instructions on this post on Instagram. Tag a friend for an extra entry! One winner will get all 4 jewelry ornaments- perfect for giving out as Secret Santa gifts, hanging on the tree, or keeping them all for yourself!

Eek! I hope you guys are as excited about this as I am! I've been working on this for MONTHS, and I'm so happy to see the store is finally live! So, go sign up for free shipping, and enter the giveaway!

DIY Wood Bead Tassel Necklace

Happy March! Wow, I can't believe it's nearly spring already and St. Patrick's day is next week! St. Patrick's Day was always one of my favorite holidays for some reason. I like almost all of them, but I think it's something about how everyone goes crazy and gets all dresses up that makes me like St. Patrick's Day a lot. Instead of doing a traditional St. Patrick's Day craft, I decided to switch it up a little with a pastel rainbow necklace. My fiancé is a quarter Irish, and he said St. Patrick's Day does not involve rainbows. However, there's no way to find a pot of gold without a rainbow. So, at least in the Hallmark version of the holiday, there's definitely rainbows! If you want to add a little bit of celebration to your St. Patrick's Day outfit this year without looking like you belong in a parade, try wearing this necklace! Honestly, it works well all year round and I think it's perfect for the spring!

You Will Need:

Embroidery floss (similar here)
Wood beads (similar here)
Nylon cord (here)
Jump rings & clasps (similar here)
Paint (similar here)
Paintbrush (mine are from Michael's, similar here)
Styrofoam (here)
Kebab sticks (here)
Washi tape (similar here)
Jewelry tools (here)
Scissors (here)

1. Take your skewer and wrap it in washi tape. You'll want enough so that the beads won't slide down as you're painting. Put your beads on and paint them. I used bright rainbow colors. Put your skewer into some styrofoam to dry. While you wait...

2. Cut a piece of cardboard that is the size you want your finished tassels to be. I wanted mine to be around the same size as my beads, so I used that as a template. Wrap the embroidery floss around the cardboard 25 times. You can do less or more, depending on how thick or thin you want your tassels to be. Cut a small piece of floss, thread it through the underside of the top, and tie a few tight knots.

3. Slide the floss off the cardboard and onto a pencil or stir stick. Take a piece of embroidery floss and wrap it around just below the stick. Tie several knots, then cut your embroidery floss. Then, take a jump ring and thread it through the top piece of embroidery floss. Comb your tassel to loosen the weave of the embroidery floss and create and fluffy tassel.

(Psst. if you want to save time and buy your tassels, check out this link).

5. Attach your clasp to one crimp, and your jump ring to another crimp, and attach them to your cord. I wanted my necklace to be long, but be warned- I made mine WAY too long. With the clasps on, it came down to about my belly button! Haha. So, I added a few clasps along the way so I could adjust the length if I wanted to.

6. Thread your beads and tassels. I decided to use a coordinating bead and tassel combo, but you can also mix it up.

7. Wear and enjoy! I've gotten so many compliments on this necklace the few times I've worn it so far. I truly love it! If you want to add a fun pop of color to your outfit, this necklace is essential.

Oh, did you know I have not one, but THREE cats? This is Roger and he's probably the friendliest cat on the planet. I found him in my backyard in Astoria and decided to keep him. He's the coolest, funniest dude.

I love love loveeeeee this necklace. The pastel rainbow colors are just magical! Would you wear a necklace like this? What do you think of it? Let me know in the comments below!