The girl can draw! For this post, I’ve teamed up with young artist Maddi (of YouTube account @maxy_sama) for a collab post featuring her art and my jewelry!

I thought Maddi’s Joker drawing was the perfect inspiration for a necklace design. Hobby Lobby has an entire line of DC Comics themed charms, pendants and jewelry components — I designed this Joker dog tag from the collection (I’m really #TeamHarley!) and knew it would work great in a beaded necklace design.

More of Maddi’s whimsical drawings can be seen on her Instagram account (@Maxysama_art) – her YouTube page also has a ton of great videos showing how she creates these fun characters.

I also decided to do a small interview with Maddie to encourage other young artists out there!

1.What are you some of your inspirations for drawing?

A: Well honestly I draw whatever comes to mind, and that mostly involves me watching a video via YouTube or watching a   show. I like to think that, they put out an image and it’s up to the viewer to bend and manipulate it at will. That gives me the creative freedom to express whatever I want it to be.

2. How old were you when you started to draw?

A: I was starting to do it faithfully around fourth grade so maybe around, nine or ten.

3. What are your favorite characters to draw?

A: I draw Steven Universe, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and Overwatch characters mostly.

4: Do you have any tips for those who may want to start drawing?

A: It will not happen immediately, and trust me it will be frustrating. But don’t ever stop trying, as cliché as it sounds, it means something. A lot of people had said “how do you draw so well?” And I respond in a way anyone who was in my shoes would say “practice” and they will still say “but you’re good” so I say “No, I practice”. It sounds like a brainless throw away line Picasso would have used, but it is really useful. I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere and felt like I should give up. But I didn’t and it got me here, therefore I’m thankful for that.

So, whether you’re #TeamJoker or not (the collection also includes #TeamHarley, #TeamBatman and #TeamSuperman), I’ve included a full DIY on how to create a similar necklace yourself. The Joker’s signature green color pops here, courtesy of neon nylon cord. Mix fun, bright colors for an eye-catching design!

Which team are you?!

Follow below for the full tutorial……

Step 1: Gather materials. You’ll need 0.8mm nylon beading cord (in a bright color!), glass or acrylic beads in various colors, a #TeamJoker dogtag pendant (buy it at any Hobby Lobby store!), scissors and glue.

Step 2: Cut two pieces of beading cord that are 2″ the final length you want your necklace and string your dog tag pendant onto the middle of both strings. Tie an overhand knot securing the pendant to the middle.

Add a bead to each cord, then tie the cords into a knot, grouping the beads. Don’t tie too tight, leave room for the beads to lay flat.

Step 3: Continue knotting beads onto each side of the cord. I love these splatter beads (these are Cousin brand, and you can find at Walmart stores) because I feel they embody the Joker perfectly!!

When the necklace is long enough to pull over your head without a clasp, tie both ends into a knot.

Create a sliding knot by cutting a 10″ piece of nylon cord, laying it under all four strands.

Knot a square knot sequence with the 10″ cord, pulling snug but not too tight. Once you’ve got about 5 knots, cut the excess and glue or thread burn the ends. This creates the sliding portion of the knot, and adjustable closure. Knot on beads to the other loose ends of cord and cut the excess to finish.