Alright, so you’re asking about that diamond baseball necklace. Seemed like a simple enough project, right? Something shiny, something sporty. That’s what I thought, anyway. Turns out, like a lot of things that look easy on the surface, this one had a few curveballs.
It all started ’cause my buddy’s kid made the local baseball team. Big deal for the little guy. My friend, knowing I tinker with stuff, casually mentioned, “Hey, maybe you could whip up something cool, like a baseball necklace? With some sparkle?” Sparkle. Yeah, that’s where the “diamond” idea popped in. And me, like a fool, said, “Sure, how hard can it be?” Famous last words, let me tell you.
Gathering the So-Called “Easy” Parts
First off, finding the actual baseball charm. You’d think every craft store would have piles of ’em. Well, they do, but most are flimsy plastic junk or weirdly oversized. I wanted something solid, metal, something that looked like it wouldn’t break if you sneezed on it. Took me a good bit of searching online and rummaging through dusty shop bins before I landed on a decent little silver-toned one. Not too big, not too small. Goldilocks would’ve been proud.
Then, the “diamonds.” Obviously, we’re not talking real diamonds here. I was after some tiny, sparkly crystals, rhinestones, whatever you wanna call ’em. The challenge? Getting ones small enough to look good on the charm, not like giant warts. And they had to have a flat back for gluing. Most of the first batch I got were either too dull or the wrong damn size. More searching. More waiting for tiny packages to arrive. It felt like I was sourcing parts for a rocket ship, not a necklace.
And the chain! Don’t forget the chain. Had to be sturdy enough for a kid, but not look like a dog leash. And then getting the right clasp. Those tiny lobster claws can be a real pain if they’re poor quality. It’s like a whole ecosystem of tiny metal bits you gotta get right.
Putting It All Together – The Fiddly Bit
So, I finally had all my bits and pieces. I laid them out on my workbench. Charm, check. Tiny sparkly things, check. Chain, clasp, jump rings, check. And my trusty old jewelry pliers and some strong adhesive meant for metal and gems.
The plan was to put a few of those little “diamonds” right on the seams of the baseball charm, you know, where the stitching would be. Sounded good in my head. Doing it? Well, that was another story. My fingers felt like sausages trying to handle these tiny crystals. I used a toothpick with a dab of wax on the end to pick ’em up. Then a tiny, tiny dot of glue on the charm. Placed the crystal. Held my breath. Waited for it to set. Repeated that about, oh, felt like a hundred times. One wrong nudge and the crystal would go skittering off into oblivion or stick to my finger instead of the charm.
I had a few false starts, let me tell you. Glued one crooked, had to carefully pry it off without wrecking the charm. Got a bit of glue where it shouldn’t be. Good thing I had some solvent handy. It was slow going. Definitely not a project for someone with shaky hands or no patience. I had to walk away a couple of times, grab a coffee, and come back fresh.
Once the charm was finally blinged out and the glue was fully cured – I gave it a good 24 hours, just to be safe – it was time for the chain. Measured it out, cut it to length. Then came attaching the clasp with those tiny little jump rings. Honestly, opening and closing those little rings neatly is an art form in itself. You need two pairs of pliers and a steady hand. My eyes aren’t what they used to be, so I had my magnifying lamp working overtime.
Finally, slipped the newly sparkled baseball charm onto the chain. Stood back. Looked at it. Not bad. Not bad at all, if I do say so myself. It actually looked like a proper diamond baseball necklace.
The kid loved it, by the way. Wore it to every game. So, yeah, mission accomplished. Was it as straightforward as I thought? Heck no. Took way more time and fussing than I bargained for. Would I do it again? Well, seeing the kid’s face, maybe. But I’d definitely charge for labor next time. And maybe invest in some even smaller pliers.
