Scalloped Christmas Choker Necklace

Red, green and gold might be the traditional colours at Christmas but why not shake things up and put a modern spin on them? Here, I've swapped the usual emerald green out for a more muted olive tone which works really well with the soft gold dagger beads. The combination of textures, colours and finishes make this Christmas choker a stand out!

Christmas choker featuring red drop beads on gold scallops with olivine accents.

Here's a shopping list of what you'll need:

1 Red top-drilled marquise bead: 25x10mm (try these which are similar)
2 Red faceted top drilled tear drop:13x6mm (these are similar)
2 Red Czech dagger bead: 15x5mm
1 10mm Olivine Helix bead
2 7mm Olivine Czech tri-cut rounds
2 4mm Olivine Czech faceted rounds
130 4mm Gold or bronze Haematite tube beads (or glass bugle beads if you can't find these)
4 15x5mm Gold dagger beads
Gold necklace memory wire
22g gold wire
26g gold wire
5 Gold head pins

Tools: Chain nose pliers; flat nose pliers, round nose pliers, flush cutters, memory wire shears, ruler

Cut the 26g wire into one 30cm (12”) length and two 15cm (6”) lengths. String the pointed oval dagger bead on the 30cm (12”) length, approximately 30mm (1 ¼”) from one end. Bend the wire on either side of the bead holes and then bend the wires upwards at the point of the bead.

Wire strung through a top-drilled red dagger bead.

Wrap the short wire around the longer wire two or three times to create a neck. Trim the short wire close to the wraps.

Wrapping the wire in neat coils around the neck just above the dagger bead.

Place the round nose pliers just above the wire wrapping and wrap the long wire around the jaw to create a loop.

Using round nose pliers to form a loop for hanging the dagger bead.

Remove the round nose pliers and grip the loop with the chain nose pliers whilst you continue wrapping the wire down the neck until you reach the top of the bead.

Wrapping the wire back down the neck of the wrapped loop.

Hold the bead with one hand and continue wrapping the wire down the bead until you have covered the bead holes.

Wrapping the wire neatly around the top of the bead.

Bring the wire back up to the neck of the wire and wrap it two or three times around the neck.

Wrapping the wire neatly around the top of the wrapped loop.

Trim away the excess wire. Wire wrap the top of the two faceted tear drops in the same way using the 15cm (6”) wires.

Using flush cutters to cut the wire close to the neck of the loop.

String each of the olive beads on a head pin and bend them at 90° just above the bead.

Using flat nose pliers to bend a head pin at right angles above the bead.

Trim the head pins to 3/8” and turn a simple loop on each one.

Forming a simple loop on an olivine bead dangle using round nose pliers.

Cut five 7.5cm(3”) lengths of 22g wire. Turn a loop on one end of one wire.

A piece of wire with a loop formed on the end

String five gold tube beads on the wire, the loop of the pointed dagger and five more tube beads. Turn a simple loop.

Length of wire strung with gold tube beads and red dagger drop.

Shape it into a curve and then use the flat nose pliers to grip the loops and bend them up and to the side so that they can be strung on the choker in a later step.

A beaded scallop component with a red dangle drop.

Repeat steps 12 and 13 but string four tubes on each side of the tear drops and three beads on each side of the Czech daggers.

Use the memory wire shears to cut 1 ½ coils of memory wire. Turn an outward facing loop on one end and string 31 tube beads. String the first loop of the Czech dagger component, three tube beads, a 6mm olive bead, and three tubes.

Hook on the second loop of the Czech dagger component.

Stringing pattern for the scalloped necklace.

String on a gold dagger and the first loop of a tear drop component.

Two scalloped components being strung on the memory wire.

String on three tubes, the tri-cut round, three tubes, the second loop of the tear drop component and a gold dagger. Hook on the first loop of the pointed dagger component, three tubes and the helix bead. This is the center of the necklace. Complete the other side of the necklace to match the first.