Tutorial: message in a bottle necklaces

It's been a while since a good ole' tutorial, hasn't it?
Blogging is semi productive and therefore gives me an excuse to have a break from studying for midterms. After this, it's back to the salt mines. So my brain's broken right now. Hi.
Anyway, I'll shut up. You're hear for the bottle necklaces, aren't you?
Over Thanksgiving Break when we visited the Meteor Crater, I picked up some weird little souvenirs. They are these mini glass bottles filled with semiprecious stones that I don't actually think are found at the Meteor Crater. But they were cute, if strange, and I knew that I could easily make them necklaces. Necklaces are always more appreciated by your friends. "I brought you back a necklace" sounds a lot better than "I brought you back a souvenir bottle filled with rose quartz." Here we go! Also, if you randomly found little glass bottles you could make them real message in a bottle necklaces, but again...."rocks in a bottle" doesn't sound as catchy.

Look at my pretty necklace....

stuff you need: 
-one (or ten, I think the cashier thought I was insane) little glass bottles filled with pretty rocks
-scissors
-thread (three colors)
-needle

huzzah! easy-peasy.
Let's get started.

Step 1: Cut your 3 colors of thread as long as you want--allow extra room for tying the ends together so you don't end up with a choker. Since necks come in all different sizes, it's best to try the length on the recipient.

Step 2: Thread the needle with your three colors. This part sucks. I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do about it except mumble sympathetically as you poke yourself with a needle for the umpteenth time.

Step 3: Release your pent-up frustration and stab viciously at the bottle's cork so that the needle goes through it from one side to the other. Make sure not to break your cork in the process. Also make sure the line is reasonably straight and not too close to the surface, otherwise be prepared for the bottle to break free at the most inconvenient time.

 Step 4: Remove the needle. Tie the ends together. Double-knot them. Triple knot them to be sure. Try it on to make sure the thing will still fit over your head.

Step 5: Cut off excess thread, wear or gift, feel fashionable. Or, if you're me, rinse and repeat. Feel satisfied that you are doing a productive thing while simultaneously procrastinating.

My pretties....

 Happy holidays!
<3 Maggie


P.S. iPod cameras suck. Back to the real camera.