Need A Mother's Day Gift Idea?

If your moms are like our moms then something handmade is going to be on the top of her Mother's Day wish list. Whether you're looking for a supplemental gift or a main/only gift, since Mother's Day is only a few days away, any project you choose needs to be something you can put together fast. Julie came up with a project idea that fits the bill for less than $15.

For this Mother's Day Birthstone Necklace you'll need the following tools and materials:

(from left to right) round nose pliers, chain nose pliers, flat nose pliers, and side (wire) cutters.

The quantities will depend upon the number of stones you'll be using in your necklace and whether or not you want to include spouses and grandchildren.

Crystals (or stones) in your family's birthstone colors

24" fine chain

Clasp

Small jump rings
a minimum of four are needed: two for the heart charm and one for each end of the chain. You don't need more if you're just doing siblings, but add two for each spouse/grandchild group you want to include.

Large jump rings
You'll need one for the chain end, one for the heart charm, and one for each sibling.

Heart charm

Headpins
one for each person.

Here is a table that shows the Swarovski birthstone colors with a chart of the birthstone names for each month:

	January >garnet	February amethyst	March aquamarine
	April diamond	May emerald	June alexandrite
	July ruby	August peridot	September sapphire
	October pink tourmaline	November topaz	December blue zircon

To make a charm, simply slide the crystal or stone onto a headpin and use the round nose pliers to make a ³/₄ loop 3mm above the crystal. Attach this loop to a large jump ring; if you are just including siblings you won't include the small jump rings and chain. Holding the loop with the flat nose pliers, use the chain nose pliers to wrap the tail around the wire between the loop and crystal. If you are unfamiliar with the loop and wrap technique, you can refer to this online tutorial Julie posted September 2010.

If you are including spouses and grandchildren, attach the spouse to either the large jump ring or the small jump ring attached to it. Attach the grandchildren to the small jump ring on the end of the chain connected to the large jump ring.

Slide the large jump rings with crystals attached onto the end of the necklace chain (which you can now cut shorter, if you wish). Open a short jump ring and pick up one end of the chain and the clasp. Open a second small jump ring and pick up the second end of chain and a large jump ring; the large jump ring makes it easier to close and keeps the charms from sliding off the necklace.

Have a great Mother's Day, everyone!