Valentine Smack-Down: BFF Puzzle Necklace

A few weeks ago I was wondering if they still made those “Best Friends” necklaces — you know, the ones that said “best” on one half and “friends” on the other half, and when you put them together they form a heart that says “best friends.” I don’t know what made me think about it, but anyway . . . I wanted to make some necklaces like that. This is what I came up with:

I actually think the puzzle pieces are a little more subtle and you can fit a bunch of them together if you want to (I remember a few incidents in grade school when one person would feel really bad when two of her other friends got the “Best Friends” necklaces and she was left out). These are super easy to make, and maybe you could send a little card along with your necklace that says, “We fit together perfectly,” or “You complete me,” or “We make sense together,” or something to that effect. Okay, here’s what you need: an old puzzle, glue (I used E-6000), bails (recommended) or paper clips, and necklace chains (I used some from old yard sale necklaces), and needle-nosed pliers (if you’re using paper clips instead of bails):

Now, if you have jewelry bails (which I recommend for this), you can skip the following steps about the paper clip. I could not find bails at my local craft store (WTH, JoAnn?), and I was not about to order them online just for this project. So. Here’s what I came up with: paper clip bails. Take a paper clip and straighten it out as much as you can. Use your pliers to make a little hook:

Using your pliers and a lot of squeezing and bending, make a little metal spiral. Patience, my friends!

After a while, this is what you will end up with:

Now, cut some of the extra metal off, leaving enough to make another tiny loop at the top (this is where your necklace will thread through, so make sure your loop is big enough to accommodate your chain and its clasps). Your loop should “loop” in the opposite direction of your metal spiral:

Find some matching puzzle pieces (two or more), and keep them attached for the next step. You want them attached so that you don’t accidentally glue your bails in such a way that you can’t fit your pieces together at the end. Now, glue your bails to the backs of your pieces:

All that’s left: thread your chain through. Ta-da!

Just a note: I thought about sealing these with Mod-Podge, but I was worried they wouldn’t fit together anymore if I did that. Also, if you are making these for small children, please use common sense with small parts and use non-toxic ingredients.

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