In its day job, bungee cord has all kinds of industrial uses. But in its time off, this colorful, stretchy material is great for jewelry making! Mixed material jewelry is everywhere right now, and you’ll find bungee cord right in the thick of things, mixed with sparkly embellishments used in necklaces and bracelets. The best part about incorporating bungee cord into your jewelry? The color combinations are endless, bungee is easy to find at your local big box retailer, and it makes a great DIY statement necklace or bracelet!

There are many kinds of statement jewelry you can make with bungee cords. I am going to show you the process by making a DIY bracelet, and you can apply the same steps to create a DIY statement necklace (or two)!

Here's what you need:

• Scissors
• Bungee cord. Find itat Amazon, Walmart, Target, or the hardware store. Pick whatever thickness you want for your design. You can find the cords used in this DIY project here.
• Pocket-size lighter
• Measuring tape or ruler
• Glue. Use heavy-duty crafts glue or a glue gun.
• Barrel-cord caps or ends
• Jump rings. Small (4–6mm) for attaching lobster clasp and large (10–12mm) for other end of clasp
• Lobster clasp
• Needle-nose pliers
• Embellishments: anything sparkly you want to add to your cord! These were used in this DIY, with tiny rhinestones added to the middle.

Here's how to create your DIY statement necklace with bungee!

1. Using the scissors, cut off the ends of your bungee cord, and use a lighter to burn off the stray threads. Repeat for each end.

2. Measure the cords for your design. You can use one cord, or layer two cords as in this bracelet. Or you could even braid some cords together. Have fun with it! For a bracelet, an average length is 6.5 inches, as shown here. A good length for a necklace of this style is 18 to 20 inches.

3. Put glue in the cord caps and insert the cord ends into the cap. Repeat for both ends. Set aside; let the glue dry. If you use two cords, as shown here, add a couple drops of glue on the sides of the cords so they stick together nicely.

4. Once the cord is secure, create the clasp. On one end, use the pliers to pry open the large jump ring and attach it to the cap's hook. On the other cap, use the pliers to attach a small jump ring to your lobster clasp and then hook it to the end cap.

5. Lastly, adhere your embellishments—the fun part! Just add some glue to the back of your pieces, and place where you want them.

Here's a Pin-able version for reference later!

For more jewelry inspiration from Kelly, head over to A Sparkle Affair.