DIY: Tom Binns Neon Necklace

I’ve been a fan of Tom Binns for a while and although I had satiated my appetite somewhat with the Saftey Pin & Pearl Necklace DIY, I was still experiencing a Neon Gemstone Necklace hole in my life.  Since owning a necklace that can cost anywhere from between $650-995 does not seem very likely to happen in the near future. I decided to take matters into my own hands and use an ordinary gemstone necklace I happened to own and make it Binns-ified.

Tom Binns Neon Necklaces

I actually picked up the necklace from Forever 21 some time ago but since it was a bit glitzy looking for everyday life I’ve only worn it a handful of times. Something about neon, although it is eye catching makes the piece much more playful and casual. While Forever 21 no longer carries the same necklace, I think this one could make for an interesting variation.

I started thinking about what I could do and figured that the easiest solution would be to pick up some Acrylic Paint and give it a whirl.  My logic was that the stones were probably also made of acrylic and acrylic on acrylic should stick.

I found some super bright neon yellow paint at Pearl Paint and if I would have to do it again, perhaps I would have used some primer to create a more even surface but I’m pretty happy with the resulting effect and unless someone was staring from only 1 foot away I don’t think they would notice what I notice.

Using a fine paint brush dipped in a small amount of paint, I put on a thin layer of paint on select jewels.  I used a size 0 round brush.

Carefully working my way across the necklace from the center out I decided to keep my the necklace symmetrical and to keep some random crystals in between shiny for contrast between sparkle and matte, vivid color and no color.

From time to time using a cotton swab dampened with water, I cleaned  up any excess paint that accidentally got  onto the other stones or on the prongs  that held the stone.  To increase opacity of my paint job, like nail polish, allow each coat to dry and then repeat.  Probably not the most professional method but once dried, I used the back side of my nail to scratch away any stray paint.

TaDa! A neon necklace to call my own.