rock necklace

UK Tour Rock Souvenir Necklace

February 17, 2014
UK Tour Rock Necklace

Last summer Sean and I took a trip to the UK for fun. (See: England, Scotland… Still need to edit Ireland. ;)) The trip to the UK was during the high point of my magpie rock collecting phase where I picked up rocks from the places I visit.

UK Tour Rock Necklace

I turned all of the rocks I picked up from the UK into a large + elaborate necklace the likes of which is only seen around the necks of crazy people and folks with no shame. (You can decide which category I fall into? :))

UK Tour Rock Necklace

Because I was picking up rocks from everywhere, many of the rocks in my necklace are basically gravel. (Like my rocks from Stonehenge are totally from the parking lot.) But I just wanted to have a meaningful souvenir from the trip that I could keep forever and I wouldn’t regret spending serious dollars/pounds/Euros.

UK Tour Rock Necklace

As I was collecting these rocks from all over, I would scrip them and then collect them in labeled plastic bags. When I got back home to NYC, I took them out of the bag and then labeled them with masking tape so that I could arrange them into a necklace formation.

There are rocks from Hyde Park…
UK Tour Rock Necklace

…Edinburgh…
UK Tour Rock Necklace

… Arthur’s Seat also in Edinburgh…
UK Tour Rock Necklace

…Blair Atholl in the Scottish highlands…
UK Tour Rock Necklace

…Belfast, Northern Ireland… (I later learned that my great great grandfather came over to the US from Belfast.)
UK Tour Rock Necklace

…Giant’s Causeway…
UK Tour Rock Necklace

…Killarney on the Dingle Peninsula…
UK Tour Rock Necklace

…Dublin… And many other places.
UK Tour Rock Necklace

After I placed all of these rocks into a necklace formation, I cut a piece of leather to fit underneath and then glued the rocks to the leather. Then I stitched some hemp string on top to make the rocks even more secure.
UK Tour Rock Necklace

Before I took all of the tape labels off, I embroidered labels of the places and stitched them to the back so I can always remember where the rocks came from. There are also two pieces of tartan ribbon at the ends of the necklace ties that I got in Scotland.
UK Tour Rock Necklace

I also put a little locket on the back of the necklace. I want to put a photo inside someday when I get around to printing one.
UK Tour Rock Necklace

I’ve only worn the necklace a few times so far since I finished it at Christmas, but it always reminds me all all the places we visited and picked up the rocks.
UK Tour Rock Necklace

It’s definitely something I’ll keep forever…
UK Tour Rock Necklace

…To remind me of our time across the pond. <3 UK Tour Rock Necklace

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  • Maria February 17, 2014 at 2:46 pm

    I love this! I don't think you're a crazy person 😉 I especially love embroidering the places on the back, so clever!

  • Kit (chez-kit.com) February 17, 2014 at 10:31 pm

    Beautiful and unique! I love the idea of carrying around pieces of the earth on which you've happily trod. Poetry!

  • Emma February 22, 2014 at 4:20 pm

    Hi, I'm Emma. (I'm from Indiana! ;)) This may sound weird, but I saw my little baby sisters bib, and it was denim with ruffled layers. I thought it'd be cool to make a bib necklace like that, but I thought it might be boring with just that. Is there any way I could make it more interesting? (I'd like your input, mainly because you excel in this area!)

  • StacieStacieStacie February 23, 2014 at 4:21 pm

    You could always add beads or studs! You could even decoupage some fabric, maps, album art, etc. to it as well. 🙂

  • Emma February 23, 2014 at 5:25 pm

    Thanks!