how to make a cross necklace
This super-simple wooden cross necklace will take you about fifteen minutes to make, and it’s perfect for a monk / priest / Friar Tuck costume. While monks were not actually allowed to wear cross necklaces (or any necklaces), when it comes to Halloween there is no easier way to let people know that you are not a Jedi or Sith Lord, you are are a monk. This one has special knot that allows you to adjust the necklace size, too.
Supplies you will need
a piece of wood (around 3″ x 5″ x 1″ thick)
a piece of string (preferably leather lacing)
Tools you will need
a band saw (or coping saw, or hand saw)
a drill
(optionally) a sander
I made it at TechShop (techshop.ws)
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Step 1: Draw the Cross on the Piece of Wood
Draw the Cross on the Piece of Wood
Sample dimensions shown.
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Step 2: Cut Out the Cross
Cut Out the Cross
No need to turn corners: just make each cut straight from the edge. Be careful when you join the cuts at the corners: any gouges you make here will take a long time to sand out later.
If you don’t have a band saw, no worries: the cuts are straight, so you can use a hand saw, a coping saw, a hack saw, a sawz-all, or just about any saw (though a rotary saw will be difficult).
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Step 3: Sand the Cross
Sand the Cross
Sand the rough edges and any pencil marks. Square up your cuts. Remove any gouges. A belt sander will make a lot of this easy, but you’ll probably have to finish with some sandpapering by hand.
If you want to finish the cross really nicely, start with a rough grit sandpaper (like 60 or 100). Once you can’t do anything more with that grit, move up to a finer grit (150 or 200) and then finer and finer until you’re satisfied with the smoothness. I only went up to 150 grit.
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Step 4: Drill a Hole in the Top
Drill a Hole in the Top
Use a piece of scrap wood to brace the cross. This will make drilling easier, and it will also keep the wood from chipping where the drill bit exits the cross. Make the hole big enough for your string to pass through.
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Step 5: Apply Finish
Apply Finish
To make the cross look a little nicer, you can put some oil on it to bring out the grain. Lindseed oil is good. So is teak oil and about a bazillion other oils. I used Neat’s Foot oil (which is actually made for leather) because my teak oil had dried up. In a pinch you can even use vegetable oil or butter, though I’ve had a problem with ants when I did this.
Just rub it in and wipe off the excess with a cloth before it dries and gets sticky.
If you want to change the color, you can buy some wood stain (or use some shoe polish).
If you want to finish / protect the wood more, you can get a urethane coating, spray-on shellac, or other type of clear coat.
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Step 6: Thread on the String
Thread on the String
Thread your string through the hole in the cross.
Measure about how long you want the necklace to be. Then cut the string about six inches longer.
If you’re using leather lacing, you can cut the tip of the lacing to a point to make it easier to thread through the hole.
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Step 7: Tie an Adjustable Slider Knot
Tie an Adjustable Slider Knot
The principle of this knot is simple if you’ve ever tied a fishing line to a fishing hook before. You create a loop, wrap around the string several times, and then go back through the loop.
Do this with one end of your string (green), looping your loops around the other end of your string (red). Tighten. (Steps 1–3)
Now repeat with the other end of your string (red), looping your loops around the first end of your string (green). Tighten. (Steps 4–6)
Now you can adjust the length of the necklace by sliding the knots.
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Step 8: Adjust Length and Place Around Neck
Adjust Length and Place Around Neck
Adjust Length and Place Around Neck
Slide the knots to adjust the length, and then loop that bad boy around your neck.
Grasp the loop in both hands. The cross should be dangling at the bottom, and the loop should be open wide, with your left hand on one side of the loop and your right hand on the other side.
Raise the loop until the center is at eye level.
Duck your head forward so that your forehead just touches the bottom of the loop.
Slide your hands (which are still holding the loop) backwards over the top of your head. Your right hand will slide just over your right ear, and your left hand will slide just over your left ear.
Continue sliding your hands down the back of your neck until you feel the string touch the back of your neck. At this point the cross should be dangling just below your chin.
Carefully release the loop with both hands. If you have done this correctly, the cross will not fall to the floor, but will be suspended from the string, which is supported by your neck.
Making A Cross Necklace Out of Nails {A Religious Craft for Kids, Teens and Adults} With Video! — Kid Friendly Things To Do
This beautiful Cross Necklace Made out of Nails has always been a popular Religious Easter Craft for kids and adults. It’s a nice rustic looking necklace that would be a great fit for Men, Women, Teens, and Kids. I think this is such a cool idea for making cross necklaces, key chains or a Sunday School craft for Easter.
Cross Necklace Religious Craft for Kids
Cross Necklace Made out of Nails — A Religious Easter Craft…
Here’s a short video on this Easy DIY Cross Necklace for Men, Women, Teens, and Kids to Wear…
An Easter Craft for Sunday School
Years ago, my son’s Sunday School Teacher made this with his class for an Easter Craft. I absolutely fell in love with the idea, and I knew you all would too.
A DIY Cross Necklace for teens
I love the rustic appeal to the necklace.
DIY Religious Craft for adults
I really love the fact that the Cross Necklace is made from Nails.
Religious Craft for Teens‘
For those of us that celebrate the resurrection of Christ, using nails for the cross necklace carries meaning behind it.
Making a cross necklace out of nails
When I first posted this craft, I hadn’t actually made the craft myself. I just went by the example I had to explain the process. This time, I went out an purchased supplies to make it for a more specific tutorial for you.
Here’s What You’ll Need for your DIY Religious Easter Craft…
Making a cross necklace out of nails
You’ll Need:
4 (2 inch) Masonry Cut Nails — the ones shown are (2 inches)
Leather or Hemp Cord — about 24 inches (leather is more comfortable on the back of the neck)
Glue Dots — Line Roll (I recently found out that glue dots come in rectangular 1-inch pieces now. You could also use the original circles, but I really liked how perfectly the strips of glue fit the edges of the nails)
Optional — jewelry wire
Low temp glue gun and glue sticks
Here are my top Amazon Picks for this Cross Necklace craft:
(affiliate links)
Here are instructions for this Easter Cross Necklace Craft…
Making a cross necklace out of nails
take 2 of the Cut Nails and place them opposite of each other
*Notice that they are “not” completely aligned at the ends. That is so the nails will be defined on the necklace better
Use glue dots to secure them in place
Do that again with another pair of Cut Nails
Making a cross necklace out of nails
Now form the 2 pairs of nails into a cross
Use a glue dot to secure them together
Making a cross necklace out of nails
- Take the leather or hemp cord, and at the middle of the cord wrap a loop at a diagonal around the middle of the cross
- Secure with a knot at the back
- Now, start wrapping the middle of the cross alternating with the pieces of hemp cord around where the middle of the cross meets
- When you are finished, tie a knot on the back over the top of the X you have formed with hemp cord
- *Another option would be to take jewelry wire and wrap the cord to the necklace so it makes it’s way up to the top of the nails and secure the nails with the wire at the top
- Slip the necklace around your neck or use someone else as a model
- Find the perfect spot to tie a knot in your hemp cord to form a large enough loop to pull on and off the head easily
- tie the knot and you are finished
- Use a low temp glue gun for any spots that don’t feel secure
Don’t forget — If you need a better visual, watch the 1-minute video for help in assembling the cross…
Is It Okay To Wear Religious Symbols For Fashion?
Though cross necklaces have been around since the Roman Empire was Christianized, recently, crucifixes have become popular tropes among jewelers like New Top Jewelry and Instagram-popular brands like Bagatiba and Vanessa Mooney for fashion’s sake.
Obviously, anyone who’s danced to Madonna or Billy Idol knows that the “fashion cross” isn’t a new phenomenon. In fact, it’s long been used to criticize conformity and chastity, which critics identify as two hallmarks of the Christian faith. But in 2018, there are far fewer people wearing the cross as a subversive act, and many more wearing it as a purely aesthetic one. Perhaps it’s because, in today’s climate, we’re holding each other to a much stricter standard when it comes to wearing sacred symbols out of context.
With the upcoming Met Gala touching on the intersection of Catholicism and fashion, some are wondering whether coopting religious symbols for purely style-related reasons is fair game. Ahead of the event, I asked a few people who buy and make the pieces to share their thoughts — and across both designers and everyday Instagram followers of mine, there’s no definitive answer on what’s right or wrong when it comes to religious jewelry.
Because for every practicing Catholic or Christian who wears the symbol religiously (take blogger Sami Weaver, for example, who sometimes shares her religious views on Instagram stories and has also worn vintage cross pieces on her page), there are those who are religious and choose not to — whether it’s because they’re no longer practicing regularly or feel there are other ways to express their faith than through clothing or accessories. Then there are those who don’t wear it for fear of offending someone, those who wear it to offend and comment on Christianity.
Read ahead for their thoughts.
1 OF 15
“I’m not religious, but I do believe in a higher power. Four out of five of my best sellers on bagatiba.com are religion-related. A few years ago I decided to give people the option to shop ‘Religion.’ I gave Kendall Jenner our best-selling piece, the D2C Necklace I designed four years ago, and the trend took off immediately, in my opinion. I think 80% of my customers buy religious pieces for fashion purposes. I don’t think they understand what the crosses and charms mean, but that’s not my place to judge. They see girls like Kendall and Bella in them and think of it as a trend, rather than a lifestyle.”
— Jessie Andrews, Founder & CEO, Bagatiba
2 OF 15
“We believe this trend is about personal expression. Jewelry is an essential part of expressing personal style, and unique style is closely tied to personal beliefs. We sell cross jewelry for this reason — to allow our customer to express themselves in the most authentic way possible. We find that our consumers are intentional. Wearing socially and environmentally responsible accessories is becoming more and more important to today’s informed consumer. Since Moissanite is both beautiful and conscientious, many of our customers are making personal statements by wearing our jewelry, and Moissanite crosses are no different.”
— Sarah O’Dea, Director of Marketing + Communications, Charles & Colvard
3 OF 15
“Jewelry, to me, is simply expression. I come from a Christian Orthodox family from Lebanon and Syria. Naturally, the cross symbolizes what generations of my family has believed in. It’s a symbol of love and hope for my family and I. As a child, rather than getting toys for holidays, it was tradition for my family to give us pieces of jewelry. Only did I realize as I got older how much those pieces mean to me.
“Growing up, I worked with my father in the Diamond District in New York City. Seeing the cross in silver and gold has always been a constant in my jewelry box and my life. The trend may be here right now, but it personally doesn’t represent itself as a trend for me.
“I am religious in my own way. I believe everyone is entitled to their own spiritual journey and beliefs. I do believe there is a greater place my deceased loved ones live. I believe in angels, luckily I have a few.
“I took a trip to the Vatican last year. I have never seen so many rosary-style and religious jewelry in my life. The shops had them hanging all over the walls, different colors and materials. Although it was inspirational, it made me come to the fact that jewelry can hold such a powerful meaning to the beholder. I realized, whether it is religious jewelry piece or not, it is a moment in time, a sentimental feeling, a connection that can last a lifetime.”
— Kelly Shami Creative Director, CEO, Shami
4 OF 15
“When I had [my brand] Lyell the first time around, it was a running joke that in every insane situation that comes with a clothing line business, I would say ‘have faith.’ Around the same time, I worked with a photographer who had it tattooed on his arm, and I also took it as a sign, — and to heart. It is something I do live by even though it’s hard to maintain all the time…just mentally.
“I am not Catholic, but I love the cross pendant. I love how it looks on the wall and on the body. I have always had a little vintage one I planned to give my daughter. I plan for Lyell to do different things with them: earrings, colors, and beyond.”
— Emma Fletcher, Founder and Designer, Lyell
5 OF 15
“Symbols are tricky things, because context dictates so much of their meaning. And while we sell a fair amount of religiously symbolic pieces to people purchasing them with their faith in mind, I love that we also have customers that find and appreciate beauty in objects that are outside of their beliefs. We need to cross more borders, and if wearing pretty things is a path to that, I’m all for it.”
