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.

Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus!

....I have no idea where that came from and am a little disturbed that it's appearing on my title suggestions. Listen up, guys. We have to save the endangered tree octopus. IT'S ALL UP TO US.
In other news, midterms are coming so instead of a post you get pictures from my vacation. Enjoy. (I have a crafty thang all lined up but the pics are on my iPod. By the way, IPODS HAVE CAMERAS. I mean, I knew that, but I didn't connect it with blogging. Way easier than photobooth for the crappy-quality pictures you so desire. The things I do to avoid finding the connecter cord for my real camera).

This is Terrible's Gas. I made jokes about it until my mom told me that if she heard one more word about my terrible gas she'd leave me by the side of the road.

This is the London Bridge (for real). Some rich dude brought it over from England and....I kid you not....created a lake around it and made it a tourist attraction.

I told you I wasn't lying. That there's a bona fide lake.

This is the kitschy town they built around the London Bridge, because of course this is what London looks like.

I love it anyway. Is that wrong?

This is my stalker. I swear he followed me the whole trip.

This here is one Meteor Crater. For real. It's legit, guys.

This is the Grand Canyon. Isn't it pretty?

This is us at the Grand Canyon. Aren't we having fun?

There was Snow. And yes, I took a picture. I have no shame.

The weird things you can find in the desert.
How was your vacation? 
<3 Maggie