Whistle Up A Strange Little Pendant

How 'bout a tutorial for making these whistle necklaces?

Made from dollar store penny whistles.

Cute?  Strange?  I kinda think: both.  Anyway, hope you like them!

Read on for the DIY...



First, use a fine-toothed saw or Dremel-type tool to remove the mouthpiece from the shaft.  Then sand the cut end smooth.

Make a wrapped loop at the end of some craft wire.  Put a bead on a headpin and make a plain loop to create a dangle.  (For a detailed tutorial on making wire loops, click here.) Add the dangle to the wrapped loop.

Next add a stack of interesting beads (or one big bead, as in the green & black and red & black necklaces pictured above).  Then fold the wire down tight against the top of the beads.

Make the beginning circle of a wrapped loop, but don't wrap it closed yet.

Finagle a thin cord or very skinny necklace chain down through the tiny whistle opening, all the way through and out the bottom of the mouthpiece.

Slip the middle section of your chain into the unfinished wire loop, like so:

Now wrap the wire around itself a few times, right at the base of the loop.  Trim off the extra wire.

One last thing: you need something on the ends of your chain or cord that's wider than the whistle opening, otherwise it will slip right out.

My chain already had a clasp on one end.  On the other end, I added a little bead dangle.

If you're using a cord or ribbon for the necklace, you can simply make knots, or tie small beads onto the ends.


And toot toot tootsie, you are done!

Ain't that tweet?  I was thinking it would be a fun gift for a beloved coach.  Or a drum majorette.  Or someone who loves the movie To Have and Have Not.

Or maybe a hint to an absent-minded whistler in the office who drives you crazy whistling that song you hate all frakkin' day long, grrrr!!!  

Or maybe just for you, 'cause it's weirdly adorable.

Thanks for coming by, you guys - see you again soon!

p.s. What would be a song that would drive you bats?  For me, pretty much any hit by Dionne Warwick.  Love her to pieces, brilliant voice - but those songs sung, whistled or hummed by anyone but her just grate my brain like lemon zest.