Your New Fave Accessory Store: Home Depot? (DIY)

Every object in a hardware store serves a particular utilitarian purpose, right down to the tiniest screw. But when you think outside the toolbox, inexpensive items like nuts, S-hooks, and cotton rope and cord can be re-envisioned as supplies to create incredible industrial-inspired jewelry.

Need to brush up on your hardware-store lingo? See our glossary for a crash course.

Brass-Nut Necklace

Common brass hex nuts and wing nuts rise above their status as hardware-store staples to become beautiful beads strung on a natural cotton cord necklace.

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MATERIALS

48-inch piece of 1/16-inch cotton cable cord
Two 1/16-inch aluminum sleeves
All-purpose clear-drying white glue
Two small brass wing nuts
14 M5-size brass hex nuts
Scissors

STEPS

1. Fold cord in half so ends meet. Push folded end of cord through one end of aluminum sleeve until a 1/4-inch loop forms on the other side. Glue around sleeve edges to secure cord and allow to dry.

2. [image] Thread both cord ends together through nuts in the following sequence: wing nut (through winged side), all 14 hex nuts, wing nut (through circular side).

3. Thread both cord ends together through remaining aluminum sleeve until 1/2 inch of each cord appears through the other side.

4. Trim one of the cords, and pull the sleeve back over it slightly until the cut end is hidden halfway down inside the sleeve; add glue inside the sleeve to secure the cord. Allow to dry.

5. Thread remaining cord end through the loop you formed with the first aluminum sleeve in step 1.

6. Add more glue inside the second aluminum sleeve where the other cord end is hidden and insert remaining cord end into sleeve to create a second loop to close the necklace. Allow to dry.

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S-Hook Cord Bracelet

Wristwear crafted of knotted cotton cords and hooks might have a nautical flair, but this bracelet derives its style from a surprising source -- the hardware store. You can easily tie one up yourself with a few basic supplies.

MATERIALS

12-inch piece of 1/16-inch cotton cable cord
Two 1/16-inch aluminum sleeves
All-purpose clear-drying white glue
Scissors
1/8-inch S-hook

STEPS

1. Fold cord in half so ends meet. Push folded end of cord through one end of aluminum sleeve until a 1/4-inch loop forms on the other side. Glue around sleeve edges to secure cord and allow to dry.

2. Thread both cord ends together through the second aluminum sleeve until 1/2 inch of each cord appears through the other side.

3. Trim one of the cords, and pull the sleeve back slightly over it until the cut end is hidden halfway inside the sleeve; add glue inside the sleeve to secure the cord. Allow to dry.

4. Add more glue inside the second aluminum sleeve where the other cord end is hidden and insert remaining cord end to meet the other and create a second loop. Allow to dry.

5. Hook loops onto ends of S-hook.

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