DIY: Proenza Schouler Rope Necklace

Ever since I first saw this Proenza Schouler Rope necklace with stones I’ve been eyeing it wistfully.  And although it’s currently on sale for 30% off, $315 was still too steep for my budget.  I decided that instead of just wanting the necklace, it was time to get my craft on.  The longer I stared at the necklace I realized that it was consisted mainly of techniques that I used to create friendship bracelets and hair wraps as a teenager – suddenly the project became much less intimidating.

What you’ll need is 3 different colors of accessory cord, 4 colors of embroidery floss, some waxed cord, a darning needle, thread, 3 stone beads, some pin ends and some needle nose pliers.  If you are in NYC you can pick up some accessory cord, embroidery floss and waxed cord at Daytona Trimming.  I picked up my beads and pin ends at New York Bead, but there are plenty of bead shops around 6th Avenue at 39th St.



Cut some cord to be the end of the necklace and some to become  the tiered loop inside the necklace.  Make sure that you leave room for you head to get through the finished necklace.  Although I initially tied the ends together,  I later realized that it was better to overlap the ends together 3/4” and sew them together. Tie on your first color of thread to the point you want the contrast color to start.  Holding the end down, carefully wrap some embroidery floss around loose end thread and the accessory cord.

When you are done have created about 3/4” or the desired amount of color tie on the next color of thread and wrap it around the loose ends.  You can trim the tail from your first color if you like and wrap about 2” in this color.

Continue with the same technique using the waxed cord for 3/4”

Add the next color in the same manner for 3/4”.  When you are done it’s time to created a spiral staircase. Tie on the thread in the same manner however create a knot as you wrap the thread around and keep repeating for 2” or so.

When you get to the point when you want to stop the next color, you can thread the end of the embroidery floss into a darning  needle and  pull the needle through the color that you’ve just created and trim any excess thread that might be left.

I cut some of the accessory cord to create the middle portion of the necklace and in a similar manner spiral staircase a section, and then pull the loose end back under using my fingers instead of a needle  to pull the loose parts  through.  Using some contrast color embroidery floss I tied and randomly wrapped around the knot to make sure everything is secure.  to make the necklace symmetrical, I repeat all steps on the other side of the necklace.

My next step was to spiral staircase the contrast accessory cord by tying on the thread and then wrapping/knotting the embroidery floss around the cord.  I created about 4” of spiral staircase.  Then I secured the contrast cord to the main necklaces using needle and thread, just above the waxed cord section.

I wrapped around the end to cover it using more embroidery floss and then I wrapped between the cords and tied off and trimmed the ends.  I repeat on the other side of the necklace.

Insert a pin end into your bead and bend using pliers at a 90 degree angle.  Using your pliers create a loop in the opposite direction of the initial bend.  Wrap the wire around the top tier of the necklace and wrap the end of the wire around near the bead.  Repeat 2 more times and Ta Da! your very own Proenza Schouler Necklace.