Make your own easy DIY bolo tie from vintage jewelry

Bolo ties from vintage jewelry — Vintage jewelry pieces make unique and eye-catching bolo ties.

DIY bolo tie inspiration

On a recent trip to New Mexico, I fell in love with the bolo tie. I remember wearing one as a teenager, back in the punk rock era of the 1980s. At handmade markets and antique stores in New Mexico, we discovered beautifully crafted bolos from silver and semi-precious stones. But I began to wonder what else I could use for this androgynous neck jewelry? I dug out my vintage jewelry and began to create. And I found I could turn almost anything into a DIY bolo tie.

Woman in bolo tie — Bolo ties can be worn by women or men, with all kinds of outfits. I made this bolo from a vintage pendant.

Supplies you’ll need for your DIY bolo tie

Braided leather cord, 3 mm or 4 mm in diameter. You can get larger cord sizes, but I found them hard to go through the hardware. These were the best sizes in my experience.
Bolo hardware: The clasp or slide that goes on the back of the bolo as well as metal ends that go on the ends of the cord.
Jewelry glue
Needle-nose pliers, the small size for jewelry making.
You might also find a button shank helpful. This tool helps pry off the backs of buttons or jewelry.
And, of course, jewelry!

DIY bolo ties can be made from all sorts of vintage jewelry and buttons. This stash includes old clip-on earrings, vintage shoe clips, old brooches and pins, plus big vintage buttons.

Here’s a look at the supplies you’ll need

Where to get supplies

You can find lots of different colors of leather cord as well as bolo clasps and ends at Amazon and Etsy. Rocky Mountain Western has a lot of great specialty supplies, including sterling silver findings.

For jewelry-making supplies like glue and pliers, you can get these at almost any hobby or craft store, like Joann’s and Hobby Lobby, as well as most of the big discount stores like Walmart. And, of course, they’re also available at Amazon or Etsy.

For these bolos, I used old clip-on earrings, brooches, shoe clips and pendants. I used a variety of leather cord colors and bolo finding styles.

How to make your DIY bolo tie

Prepare your jewelry by removing the back — for instance, taking off the clip-on device from a clip-on earring or the pin from a brooch. You want a smooth back to put the hardware on.
Attach a bolo clasp using jewelry glue to the back of your piece of jewelry.
Important: Be sure you orient your slide the way you want the bolo to be.
Let it set for at least 1 hour. I know the jewelry glue says it can set sooner, but I really like to be sure it’s well cured before I move to the next step.
Cut your braided cord to the length you want. I made my bolos about 40 inches long, but you can vary the length depending on neck size and how long you want the ties to hang down.
Thread the cord through the bolo clasps.
Attach the bolo ends by putting a small dollop of glue on the tip of the cord and also a small amount of glue inside the tip. Push the cord into the tip firmly until it’s all the way in.
Allow to set for at least 1 hour before using. Again, I prefer to wait even up to a day before I use the bolo, but you should be OK with an hour if you’re in a hurry.