Rock & rose

Keep on top of the trends with Brenda Harvey's striking purple and black accessories

Brenda Harvey, Project Designer

Dabbing Fray Stoppa liquid onto the ends of your ribbon will keep them from fraying

Combine glass beads, lengths of ribbons, and shimmering heart charms to create a romantic necklace, earrings and headband set with a Gothic-style twist! Not only are these accessories great fun to make, but they will instantly transform plain garments into edgy evening wear, and really help you to stand out from the crowd!

Necklace

1. Cut a 50cm length of large link chain and thread with black and purple satin ribbons, leaving plenty of excess ribbon protruding from each end. Pass both of the ribbons twice through the last link of the chain, leave a 2cm gap, then tie them together in an overhand knot.
2. Thread the ribbons onto the central hole of a three-hole connector and tie in a neat bow, leaving the ends to hang down freely. Thread a black rocaille onto a head pin followed by a puffed heart bead and another black rocaille. Trim the wire to 1.5cm above the last bead and form a loop in the end but do not fully close. Make two more puffed heart drops in the same way.
3. Attach three plain heart charms, four antique hearts, four dangle hearts and three of the beaded heart drops along the length of the chain with jump rings, leaving space to add a felt flower embellishment. Thread 48 10mm black faceted glass beads onto beading wire and attach the ends to the top holes of the connector bars so that this strand hangs above the length of chain.
4. Create a third strand with 75 8mm black faceted glass beads and attach the ends to the bottom holes of the connector bars so that it hangs below the chain strand. Sew a 5.5cm purple felt flower onto the chain strand. Attach an extension chain to the top loop of one connector and a toggle clasp to the other using jump rings to finish.

Earrings

1. Cut the flat tip from a 50mm silver head pin. Bend the wire 1.5cm from one end to form a right-angle using round-nosed pliers. Holding the end of the wire between the tips of the pliers, turn your wrist to create a circular loop, but do not fully close. Add 10 black rocaille beads to the pin and form a loop in the end as before.
2. Position a 2.5cm felt flower onto the pin, so that there are five beads sitting either side of it with a gap in the centre, then stitch the flower into place. Thread a black rocaille onto a head pin followed by a puffed heart bead and another black rocaille. Trim the wire to 1.5cm above the last bead and form a loop in the end.
3. Attach an earwire to one end of the flower embellished pin and the heart drop to the other, then close the gaps in the loops to finish. To neaten the reverse side of the flower and hide the stitching, simply sew on a small shallow bead cap along with a single rocaille at its centre. Repeat to make a pair.