A few years ago, collecting and using vintage enamel flower brooches in a variety of ways was all the rage. At the height of it, I succumbed to the mania and collected quite a few of the floral pins myself without any real plan of how I would use them. I found that making a simple necklace from a single one was a great Spring project.
It all begins with selecting just the right enamel flower brooch.
For me, that meant one that was large enough to make a statement, had thin enough petals to punch through, and was pretty enough to be worn.
If you're okay with keeping it as a brooch, you can skip the next several steps. However, I feared that the pin back would come open while being worn as a necklace and prick the wearer.
If you have the same trepidation, grab a large pair of chain-nose pliers.
Use the pliers to pull off the pin mechanism.
It could take some tugging, but it's usually quite simple.
From there, use a metal hole punch to create a hole at the top of one of the petals.
If you don't have a metal punch, you could also use a hammer and a nail to make your hole.
Simply add a jump ring and a chain to complete the necklace.
Opening and closing a jump ring is as simple as a twist. Click the link to see my tutorial on it.
With that, you have a beautiful necklace, perfect for Spring.
As a side note, if you're concerned about damaging vintage jewelry, there are plenty of reproduction flower brooches out there that came out when these floral pins were all the rage.
I originally shared this Upcycled Enamel Flower Necklace tutorial on Cut Out + Keep. The complete materials list can be found there. But, if you have any questions, please ask away in the comments below!
