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Belly Dance Costuming DIY

Jean-Jinglers

Jean Jingler

Jean Jingler

Jean-Jinglers ~ Fun and Versatile Costume Accessory

I adore this little crafty jewelry making project.  It’s fairly easy to craft and can fit many budgets.  You can use recycled materials if you have excess jewelry pieces in your collection.  Versions of the jean jingler can be made in upscale rhinestones to earthy versions like this one, made from heavy tribal components.

What make this project special is the large swivel clasps on each end of the chain.  These clasps allow you to hang these things from nearly anything.  I like to wear them suspended from my jeans, hence the name Jean Jinglers.  But I’ve worn longer versions around my neck, shorter ones as anklets, and multiples can be linked together to make custom coin belts.   I’ve even constructed fusion costumes edged with chain so multiple unique jinglers can be suspended, arranged and rearranged for a myriad of looks.  To make these all you need is a pair of jewelry pliers to twist open the chain loops to apply your jewelry and coins. Let your materials and supplies guide your creativity.  Although this sample is symmetrical, this technique is great for charm-bracelet style accessories too.

Swivel Clasps
The essential component for this project are a pair of swivel clips that allow you to attach your accessor virtually anywhere.
Tribal Jewelry and Middle Eastern Coins
Along with large looped chain clasps, you will need a selection of embellishments. i like to use Middle Eastern coins and tribal jewelry components. For this sample piece, I am using a shield-like pendant drop and an assortment of Pakistani coins
Applying Coin to Chain
For this project, you simply use jewelry pliers to twist the loops open and slip the coin or jewelry element onto the loop twisting them closed.
If you have a large center medallion or a larger focal coin, be sure to make your jingler an odd number of links. This will allow it to hang in a balanced way, with the larger and often weightier showpiece in the center.

 

Once you have your pattern mapped out, keep applying the coins until your piece is finished.
Once your piece is finished, wear it where you like. I like to use a 16" chain for a necklace length jingler, 8 - 10" for an anklet and 7.5" to 6" for a bracelet. If you are planning on making a belt, you can use one long length the size of your hips, or you could make four or five jinglers that can then loop together to form a belt. My example piece is an 16" length.

 

By Davina

Davina ~ Dawn Devine is a belly dance costume designer, dance instructor and author of more than a dozen publications on Middle Eastern dance.