Spool and Spoon: DIY Wooden Tribal Necklace

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

DIY Wooden Tribal Necklace

Sometimes I forget that I'm not as young and hip as I think I am. Today is all about me venturing over to the wild side. You, too, can unleash your inner animal with this DIY tribal necklace!

I bought this wooden bib necklace on Zulily with a DIY in mind (you can get something similar here, here, here, or here!)... I just didn't know what. Finally, it hit me - TRIBAL. Tribal patterns have been flooding my Pinterest feed, in tons of magazines, and all over my favorite stores. But let's be real, it's bold. It can be a bit overwhelming for newbies, so a necklace was the perfect gateway piece.

It went from Plain Jane to Aztec Beauty in less than an afternoon.

I did a ton of searching on Google and Pinterest to find classic tribal prints. Turns out, they're just a combination of symmetry, repetition, and simplistic elements, so I just ran with it. No sketching, no planning, just a really fun DIY.

I used a permanent paint pen and drew directly onto the pendants. Starting in the center, I worked outwards and did matching patterns on each side. I left two pieces undone to preserve a natural element on the piece. I guess you could seal it when you're done painting, but if it ages, it will only look better.

When I finished up, I couldn't believe how legit it looked. My little sister collects a lot of cultural items from Ghana and while it doesn't follow the artistic norms of that specific country, I would totally expect to see something like it amongst her stuff. It is probably my new favorite piece.

So far, I have only had the chance to wear it twice: The easiest way was pairing it with a white top and jeans for a pop of the unexpected. I also tucked it under the color of my fave chambray shirt on Monday and I thought it looked really unique. How would you suggest wearing tribal? I need help thinking outside the box!