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Don’t you just love a lariat necklace? This unexpected jewelry tutorial is surprisingly simple to make. The best part? This lariat necklace is made with recycled vinyl records for a retro, unique look that I hope you love.

Each of the delicate looking leaves that hang from the bottom of the necklace are molded vinyl record pieces. If you saw last week’s post on how to make an Incense Holder out of a Vinyl Record, you know how easy it is to mold and shape vinyl. In case you missed it, don’t stress. I’ll walk you through the process again.

Supplies You’ll Need:

How To Cut And Shape A Vinyl Record

Before we begin, it’s important to note that you can’t easily cut a room-temperature vinyl record. Chances are, it will shatter and crack. To avoid this, just stick your record in the oven on a cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes at 200 degrees.

You will only have about 15-25 seconds before the record hardens and cools between cuts, so take it out and cut what you can before putting it back on the cookie sheet to be reheated and cut again.

How To Make A Vinyl Lariat Necklace

To make the pendants for my necklace, I heated my vinyl at 200 degrees for 4 minutes before removing the record and cutting out the leaves. Then, I returned them to the oven until they were pliable and molded them into leaf-like shapes.

At this point, the edges of your vinyl will likely be sharp. Use fine sandpaper to smooth any edges and sharp corners.

Your vinyl pendants are coming along! Next, use a small drill bit to make thread-able holes. Place your vinyl leaves on a piece of scrap wood before drilling to prevent any damage to your furniture.

Now that your vinyl beads are complete, it’s time to put your lariat necklace together.

Cut your cord to the length you’d like. Find the length you want by folding it in half and then draping it around your neck. (A longer length will be more dramatic but could tangle easier in storage.) Then, slide the center of the cord through the hole of your center bead and through itself to make a knot.

To create the lariat shape, just slide both ends of the rope back through the bead (but do not pull the entire length of the cord through.)

Now take both ends of the cord and bead your vinyl pendants and any other beads you’d like at the end of your necklace.

Knot at the end and trim.

To enhance the leaf shape of my vinyl, I drew simple lines around the edges using a metallic sharpie. Sometimes, the little details make a big difference.

Now your new lariat is ready to go! Gift one to a friend, make another in different colors with beads, or get creative with your vinyl molds and make something totally unique! You can shape your vinyl record into more elegant earrings like this post also. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to let me know in the comments below and I would love to help out.

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