A few days ago someone asked me, “what’s the thing you do that when you do it you loose track of time and your mind feels relaxed but focused?” I know this question pretty well since I’ve read my fair share of books on discovering your perfect career. The answer has changed as I’ve changed, but this time, the first thing that popped into my mind was design work.

I thought about the feeling I get when I create the artwork for our Patchwork Show posters or when I design new branding for a company. I enjoy doing the drawings but more than that, I love figuring out the composition and colors. Sitting down with the elements I know I’ll use in a project and a blank page is awesome. The process of figuring out where to put things and what colors to use makes me happy, anxious and engaged all at once. When I do craft projects, often I find myself bored once everything is laid out and the design process is over. Then I rush through the making part so that I can get it done and see the final project. Because of that, I tend towards simple craft projects that have a bit of freedom in the making part of the process as well.

This painted geometric wood necklace is the perfect example of my favorite type of craft project. The bulk of it is the design part. For me, the most enjoyable part of making it was figuring out the color palette then painting the lines and shapes without anything to go by. I know some people get craft anxiety when they embark on a DIY that doesn’t have a template for everything. So, if you make this necklace feel free to follow my colors and pattern exactly. However, if you’re a design junkie like me and the thought of a blank canvas coupled with paint and inspiration sounds more fun than an Orange is the New Black marathon or happy hour then don’t even bother looking at how I did mine. Instead, surprise yourself and create unusual but aesthetically pleasing color juxtapositions and play with color and shape.

-Nicole s.

So… what’s the thing you do that when you do it you loose track of time and your mind feels relaxed but focused?

what to get:

-3 1 inch inch wooden circles
-Drill with small drill bit
-Scissors
-20+ inches of chain (depending on how long you want your necklace)
-1 lobster clasp + 3 jump rings
-Gloss medium or gloss finish mod podge
-Paintbrush
-Dark brown acrylic craft paint
-Various colors of acrylic craft paint for the geometric designs
-Pencil
-Needle nose pliers

what to do:

1. Use a pencil to mark the two spots where you’ll attach the chain on the top of each wooden circle. 2. Drill holes using your pencil marks as a guide. 3. Mix your ‘stain’ by adding a bit of brown paint and gloss medium to water.
4. Stain your circles by painting on a few coats of the paint/water mixture on the front and back of each circle. 5. Mix the paint colors you’ll use for the geometric lines and shapes you’ll paint on each circle. I chose 5 colors: plum, butter, avocado green, sky blue and hot pink. 6. Paint the geometric lines and shapes on each circle. wait a few minutes between colors so they dry and don’t smear or mix.

7. Once the paint is dry, add some shine by paining a few coats of plain glass medium over the paint on each circle.

8. Measure your neck to determine length for each side. cut your chain in half and use a jump ring to attach the lobster clasp to one end of one side of the chain and attach another jump ring to the other side. 9. Attach the circles with jump rings to the necklace, starting from the first circle in the middle.