I have a purely fun, whimsical necklace tutorial for you today.
It’s the Anthropologie Party Animal Necklace DIY!
Here are mine –
And here are Anthro’s (which will set you back $38 each!!):
There are just some days when I would love to wear a circus animal around my neck.
If you feel the same, here is what you’ll need:
• Animals (I got these at Michael’s – and I think they are the same animals they used.
They were in a tube – take your 40% off coupon)
• Beads, chain, ribbon, fabric, rhinestones, wire, etc for embellishment
• 22″ chain and closure findings for necklace
• bails (to make the animals into pendants)
• Glue (I used E-6000)
We’re going to start with the elephant so you can see what I did, then I’ll show you closeups of all of them.
The beauty of these though is that you can dress them up any way you want!
Start by gluing a rhinestone spacer to the top of the elephant’s head.
Add a colorful bead on top of that.
I think he likes his hat. :)
Cut a piece of ribbon for his blanket.
(I got this gorgeous jacquard ribbon from The Ribbon Retreat. I have a nifty project planned with it but this little scrap made a perfect blanket piece.)
Glue to the back of the elephant.
Trim the blanket with a small piece of chain.
Add a strip of rhinestones between the blanket and the tail.
Wrap a bit of wire around each foot.
Glue a bail to the elephant’s back, towards the top.
Let everything dry thoroughly before you add your chain.
Cut a piece of chain the length you want your necklace to be (I cut mine 22″).
Feed the chain through the bail.
Add the closure pieces to the ends of the chain. I used a lobster clasp on one side and a jump ring on the other.
Now you have a super cute Party Animal Necklace!!
Here are some shots of the others so you can see how they’re dressed up.
Our zebra has a crown (lucky him!) and a fabric blanket.
Our giraffe likes rhinestones and sequins. Snazzzzy.
Our tiger is wearing a pompom collar (all the cool tigers do) and some chain around his middle. He has a flat bail, which was easy to cover with the chain.
Here’s a pic before I wrapped it.
Aren’t they fun??
Ok – be honest now.
Fun? Silly?
Well. Obviously.
Too silly?
C’mon.
Don’t you have days that would be made brighter if you were wearing a tiger dressed in a pompom collar and crown?
You know you do.
WAY silly. I mean, giraffes and elephants? C’mon, girl, grow up.
You COULD have done penguins and koalas like a sensible person, but you had to do tigers, right?
lol
Love your knock- off, I can’t BELIEVE they charge 38 bucks for something we could all make with the favourite little girls in our lives.
Thanks for breaking it up, I will keep an eye or two peeled for jungle animal playsets!
Yay! These are so wonderful!!! And I think they look better the the “originals!” That zebra rocks…seriously.
Thanks so much for sharing all these awesome knock-offs!!!
These are so bizzare, but I absolutely LOVE them! I need the giraffe for my mom, she’s a giraffe freak! She would get such a kick out of it, definitely gonna have to remember this.
LOVE IT!
no such thing as “too silly” in my book
Fun!
I am partial to that giraffe, but now I think I need to find myself a tiny platypus figurine!
I kinda LOVE these! I don’t quite know when I would wear one….but I think I would try to find a reason. Also these would make great party favours for a little girls party! Or a big girls party! I would love to dress up a wise old owl and wear him around my neck…hmmmm
Thanks for these great ideas!
These are too stinkin’ cute and I love the detail you put into them. The Zebra with the crown is my fave! And hey, you know you won my giveaway right?
These are just adorable!
Bev, you are hysterical! I love your tutorials because they’re not just “hot glue the burlap here.” They’re fun and full of your awesome personality!
WORK. THAT. ELEPHANT!
Beautiful idea.. i saw all your anthro necklace week ideas.. you are soo creative.. following you!
Love
Hani
http://craftionary.blogspot.com
These are flippin’ awesome! I cannot believe they are the same animals! I so need all of them! :) …even if I never wear them, just having them would make me super happy!
Ha Bev, my favorite line was “sometimes I feel like wearing a circus animal around my neck.” You’re fantastic!
are you stinking kidding me?!? Those turned out amazing!!!!! you win.
p.s. Charlotte was looking at these with me and said she wants one! Looks like I’ll be off to Michael’s soon…
oh. my. gosh. I honestly LOVE these! I NEED the zebra. pleasssseee!! I will love you forever. for. real. I’d love to make a trade. email me for deets!
I love these! There’s nothing wrong with a little silliness. Very whimsical.
bahahaha! i love these! they would be great to have for a bachelorette party or any party really! love your tutorial as always! you are the best!
Oh my goodness, this made me laugh!! I’ve never seen a necklace like that before! Your knock offs look exactly like the real thing! Way to go!
These are super cute! I would make them in a heartbeat, and then probably not have to courage to wear them. My girls sure would though, my son might to come to think of it. I may just have to make these.
I love them!! My daughter has a lot of those plastic animals lying around the house and she loves necklaces so I will definitely make some for her this weekend. Thanks for the great idea! :)
Super fun! I love the whimsy of these necklaces. I think the giraffe is my fave!
Are you kidding me??? How is it possible that you made a gorgeous anthro necklace out of a toy animal?? You are amazing. UH-MAZING!
I just finished reading Water for Elephants and am SO in love with the elephant necklace you made :)
AWESOME JOB Bev :)
Kara
ok…just saw your link on blue cricket design. zebra thumbnail. STILL amazing!!
Wow! Those are the exact same animals! Crazy!
Wow those are amazing!!!! LOVE!!!
I love the giraffe…..but will I wear it around my neck…hmmmmm…maybe no
*giggles* These are AWESOME! I love them!
I love it! Its unique, and fun all at the same time. You put a lot of work into them, and it shows! Thanks for the tut, not sure I’ll ever have the patience to do it, but I love seeing how you make them!!! =)
what a great bonus! not only cool as all get out but very inspirational. thanks
omg i absolutly love love these i was hoping you would do them im so excited i cant wait to make them yay!
These are so cute. What a creative idea!
I LOVE these…I’m all for whimsy/quirky! And really I think its totally stupid for anthro to tag such a necklace 38$…Who are they kidding!!!
How fun! I’m am going to make some! Thanks for sharing.
I’m totally digging these! To quote my 6-year old who often talks in her “Caveman/Robot” voice, “ME WANT ONE!”
Jenn
Lions and Tigers and ???, Oh My !!!
You go girl, you are beyond talented and creative. I mself would never have thought animals. But as usual I am in love with them, as I always am with all your items, and have to run,right now, 60 miles, to Michaels’s. Hoping and praying the whole way that they are not out.
Again, I am amazed at what you come up with.
This is fantastic! I love how simple and customizable it is! Plus its deliciously fun for summer! Thanks so much for sharing this tutorial!
Those are so fun! Can’t believe that Anthro are charging so much for something so easy to make!
Oh. WoW! I love these!!! How FUN!!! I think yours look super! May have to try my hand at these now… Thanks for the tuts and inspiration! You rock!!
These are just great! i love these! they always caught my eye on anthro because they are so.. quirky and cute. And i always thought that they’d be super easy to make, if only i could find some dressed up animals. but you are clever, and dressed them up yourself! brilliant!
so cute. this made my day, seriously.
I LOVE these little guys, I’m running to Micheals today and will make them for me and and my girls just might get them in their easter baskets. I can’t wait to wear an elephant around my neck! I hoe to find a see lion, wouldn’t he be cute balancing sparkly bead on his nose?
how did i miss this one? I LOVE.LOVE,LOVE these. i would wear them all…i am thinking a brooch would be amazing too. i can’t stand how awesome all these necklaces are….i don’t even make jewelry, yet i find myself lingering in the bauble aisle at michaels all the time.
i best pick up a new hobby!
I LOVE these. I wouldnt wear them around my neck but i’ve deff put one on my keychain or on my purse. Thanks for the tutorial!!!
Wow, I like these so much. WOW
Those are awesome, fun, silly and fantastic!
I. Love. This. So. Much.
I love these! Silly? Yes. Beautiful? Yes. I can see these as a craft at a circus-themed older (like, 6-9) kids party. How fun to go home with one of these necklaces and likely keep the guests occupied for a while.
And I would totally wear one of these. I have made gun-themed jewelry that I wear. And I have not a single tattoo on my body. I think a dressed-up tiger would draw a different kind of attention ;) Likely going to Michael’s this afternoon!
These are absolutely incredible, and so much better than shelling out $38! I’m ready to head to the craft store right now to start hunting for materials, too bad mine won’t be nearly as cute!
I can’t believe they were charging $38 for those! That’s one of those things that I would look at and say immediately I could make it! Yours look very nice, Maybe if I can find a nice penguin, I will make one.
I L-O-V-E this idea!
S.W.A.K.
this is so cute! it’s not silly at all. i don’t know if i’m going to wear it, but i’d love to have one!
Glad to have stumbled upon your blog. Your tutorials are awesome!
I absolutely LOVE these. I bought a toob ( I think that is what they are called) of animals for my son, and I think he is about to lose a few! ;)
He will probably want to wear one, and since he is 3, that is all right!
You’re amazing!! You even rocked the elephant necklace really well :D
Argh! These are AMAZING! You are so clever! Love.
this is sooooooooooo incredibly awesome – I want to make one too!!! LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These are super cute! Thanks for the info! Followed you via GFC. Would love to have you come visit my blog & Etsy too…now off to your Etsy!
just made a few of these. i could not resist. They came out so cute and my daughter has a thing for giraffes so I can’t wait to give her one!
thank you…
Hi there,
I just gotta tell you, I just went through all your posts tagged under “jewelry” and “sewing”, and I’m really impressed! Your Anthro knockoffs are really better than what you’re copying, I’m not kidding! Just wonderful. Thanks for all the tutorials, I’ve been having a lot of fun looking through them. And especially, thanks for the butterfly ribbon necklace tutorial, it’s given me some great insights into how to do some Dori Czengeri knockoffs……
Thanks again!
Love ~ Love ~ Love Thanks ~ Thanks ~ Thanks !!!
Genius!!!
These are amazing! The only item I’m not familiar with are the balls used to make them into pendants. What exactly are these balls? Are they in the jewelry section of the craft store? TIA!
Found your link on Stef’s Ingenious Inkling blog. What a SUPER project! I’m forwarding this to my cousins that have younger kids who would love these necklaces. They are ALWAYS looking for fun craft projects to make with them. Thanks for sharing the project and tutorial! :)
I like yours better than the Anthropologie ones! I am just dying to try this now.
Wonderful! I already got some animals! Thanks for the great tutorial.
Just wondering where in the world you found the mini-crowns that the giraffe and zebra are wearing?
I was just coming to ask the same thing!
I found them at a local craft shop in the Jewelry supply section – they were charms. I bet Etsy would have something like them!
This is super cute! Great knock off … pinning this!
Found this while searching for a project to do at my kid’s school fine arts night. Super cute!
I saw this on “One Pretty Thing” (I think) a looooooong time ago–before I knew about Pinterest, but remembered it because it was so cute so found it through a Google search! I’m going to make one for myself to wear to my son’s circus-themed birthday party this weekend. That is, if I get all the other crafts done for the party… Thanks for your creativity!
LOVE! THank you!!
Awesome!! So happy I found this tutorial :) I’m going to make these with my daughter next week! THANK YOU so much :)
Thanks for this! My Church’s girl’s camp theme is Circus, so I made each girl one of these, only slightly more circus themed. They turned out SO cute!! Check it out:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150909076754211.419849.541499210&type=1&l=6a716bbae
Thanks again!!
I love these! Now I have something to do with the animal figures I’ve collected over the years. Thanks!!!
These look great!
Hey!
Did the animals- they turned out great! Here are some pictures of mine. Thanks again,
Mady
http://madytheawesome.blogspot.com/
These are soooo cute! LOVE them!
Cathy
Love this idea! Thank you so much, me and my friend made our own version of the circus animals. I posted it on my blog with a link to your tutorial. Check it out…
http://www.thegiventhought.com/2012/10/12/welcome-to-the-circus/
Karen
very cool…
would like to have them all…like a little zoo around your neck
http://www.liligabbiano.com
thank you so much for sharing! great step-by-step tutorial and big kudos to you for figuring this one out!! love (;
Well, it may be just me, but this was my favorite tutorial on your site. I love whimsy.
K, so I LOVE the party animal necklaces (all of them). I’ve purchased the animals and now I am gathering the other items to make them! FUN! And I already have the charm necklace on my list to make after the animal necklaces! I can hardly wait! You’re FABULOUS!!!
hello,
i really love this!!
i’m wondering if i can buy those animals through the internet?
i hope i can try it myself also!!
ABSOLUTELY love these animals. So cute!
These are too cute! I just threw a circus-themed baby shower for my sister and I made these as prizes for the games and raffle….plus a panda for me :) Everyone loved them and they were very easy to make! Michael’s still has the tube of animals in the kids section.
Quelle belle idée, j’adore, bravo, c’est superbe ! Amicalement
I just fell in love with these necklaces ! Being an absolute fan of any funny “animal” fashion item, i doubt i will be able to resist making these. They are just too cute to ignore !
Thank you for the idea, i LOVE IT !
These are not silly – this is haute couture! Thanks.
I just finished making the whole collection you did, plus the rhino (awesome!) and the koala. My nieces are in a frenzy to get their grubby little paws on them. (Pun intended.) I’m keeping the rhino and the zebra for myself though.
Best DIY ever, keep up the great work. Terrific blog!!!!!!
I personally ADORE them..xo
Might I ask, how well does the glue hold? I have a project in mind, a necklace as well, but am fearful the object I would like to use will weigh too heavy for the glue to withstand. My object might weigh a pound or so. When I first seen your photos, without reading their captions, I thought perhaps you had somehow pierced the plastic of your objects; which is what I was hoping to do with mine. But if E-600 is miracle glue, I am thinking I might not have to go that far? Any suggestions? : ^ ) By the way, your necklaces are priceless!!!
– Jacqueline
E-600 is a super, super strong glue. Just be sure you let it dry for 24 hours :) So when I do these I’ll actually be doing them in a span of 1-2 days
OMG super and so much fun!! I’m off to buy some wild animals! Quirky, bright, fun, unique!! Thanks so much for sharing…i feel a new addiction coming on :)
absolutely darling! very clever and easy to try…..love love love these and going to really fancy them up as gifts! thanks for excellent tutorial brilliant photos and instructions WONDERFUL PROJECT FOR KIDS TOO XO
Great idea! These zazzled guys are so cute – especially the giraffe! I’m definitely trying this! : )
i’d much rather wear these than the ole boring jewelry! they are fantastically fun! :)
Love these. I have a new item to add to my dress up box christmas items.!!! Is it all right if I steal your idea I would embellish them differently . I know people are going to want them and I do craft shows. also I’m starting to teach sewing and cooking and crafts to children. I would love to have permission to use your idea for teaching purposes. thank you for sharing. If you say no I will abide by your wishes what ever you want. thanks for considering. kathleen
I loved this (too) much! Loved it.
trop mignon http://www.latelier-createur.be
I’m pretty sure this is the cutest + most original DIY I have ever seen.
Great idea! Just beautiful! What size beads though?
HELP!!! I’VE BEEN ALL OVER THE WEB LOOKING FOR THOSE TALL CROWNS, WHERE DID YOU GET THEM???
Hi Luda,
I bought mine at a craft store a few years ago so I don’t remember the brand. But I found these on Etsy – http://www.etsy.com/listing/100371539/crown-24pcs-14x15mm-antique-silver-heavy?ref=market They look like they’d work if you cut the ring at the top off with some wire cutters. You might check around on Etsy – they had a few different crown options. Hope that helps! :)
Thank you so kindly for your prompt response, Beverly. This helps tremendously. Can’t wait to make these.
God bless
Luda
You may have not intended to do so, but I think you have managed to express the state of mind that a lot of people are in. The sense of wanting to help, but not knowing how or where, is something a lot of us are going through.
These are just wonderful! So clever. And so generous of you to share! Many thanks!
I love these, they’re even better than the original! I wasn’t able to find crowns at Michaels but I did see they had a little steampunk set with top hats. I opted not to get it since I bought a bunch of those spacer things with the rhinestones, but may have to go back if I make more than 3 or 4 animals. We’re doing a circus theme at preschool this year and if it comes out ok I’m going to surprise the teacher with one.
Also I wanted to give a word of warning to others, those toobs at Michaels, check them before you buy. My zebra was grey with no stripes and my elephant is grey with no painted tusks and my giraffe has no hooves etc. I think either they’re getting cheaper and not painting all the details or I got a bum tube. I was there with my 4 year old and 19 month old so I really couldn’t inspect every package and am just lucky I got out of michaels with the correct type of animals, lol. I think I’m going to have to paint over the details because they look kind of sad compared to the ones in this tutorial.
These are certainly unusual and creative. Thanks for sharing with us at #overthemoon link party. I’ve pinned and shared. Have a great week.
Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond
Those are super unique!!
Thanks for sharing at #bloggerspotlight, pinned!
Such a fun idea! Thanks for sharing at the #InspirationSpotlight party @DearCreatives Pinned & shared.
Those are super cute!!!
Just late to the party! I had already fallen in love with these resin animals at Michaels and Coastal Farm and Supply. I had seen a giftwrapping idea on Pinterest with a large package (jewelry-size tiny box!) tied onto the back of a giraffe! I had to have it for my daughter – so found a pair of earrings and then bought the giraffe and I had one heck-of-a-time keeping it balanced with string on it’s back! Now I need to buy another giraffe for a necklace for myself! No trouble here trying to decide if this 71 year-old would look crazy or not! I just not let things like that worry me – I’m doing it for ME!
Thanks for your delightful and whimsical designs!
Mary in Oregon
I seriously could not tell the difference between yours and those from the shop. Well done! These are a little to fiddly for me with the chain trim, but I can use other materials. Thank you for a great idea!