In the summertime, I’m drawn to simple, lightweight jewelry to add some flutter to my T-shirt-based wardrobe.

Fabric and upholstery trim are great building blocks for this.

They come in every imaginable color and sit lightly on your skin.

For this necklace, wisps of fabric petals sit asymmetrically on a length of ric-rac, a zigzag trim that is sturdy and a little flirty. Three vintage-looking buttons with shanks make it easy to attach the petals to the buttons, and the buttons to the trim.

Shank buttons are the kind with the raised bit underneath, so they sit up and off the ric-rac.

It’s a simple adornment for the gauzy light of early summer.

You’ll need:

12-inch square polyester chiffon or other lightweight fabric

Fabric scissors

Needle

Thread in a color that matches the fabric, about 18 inches long

3 lightweight, decorative shank buttons

1 1/2 yards of ric-rac

Optional to finish the ends of the necklace: crimp end set (with loop and hook), all-purpose glue and pliers

How to:

1. Cut four or five 3-inch squares of the chiffon or lightweight fabric.

2. Fold each square in half, then in half again. While holding the folded corner, round off the opposite corner with fabric scissors to create a petal grouping.

3. Double-thread the needle. At the folded corner, pass the thread from the backside of the petal grouping to the front to tack in place. Repeat several times, ending with the thread tail on the same side you started. Don’t cut the thread.

4. Place the tacked end of the petal close to a button shank and pass the needle through the hole. Pull to other side of the shank, then return the needle up and over the shank, back through the corner of the fabric and through the shank again. Repeat several times to secure the petal. Don’t cut the thread.

5. Hold the ric-rac up to your neck in a mirror to determine how long you want the necklace to be. Mark and cut the ric-rac, adding 4 to 5 inches on each end for tying around your neck.

6. Determine where you want the button cluster on your necklace. I placed mine a few inches above the lowest part.

7. Place the button-petal combination on the ric-rac, with the shank alongside the edge of the trim. Pass the needle through the edge of the ric-rac and the shank, then create a loop by bringing the needle and thread back to where you started. Repeat several times to tack the button. Knot the thread and cut away any extra.

8. Repeat with the other petal groupings and buttons. I used one grouping each for two of the buttons, and added two groupings to the lowest button.

9. To finish the necklace, tie the ends in a bow at the back of the neck. For a crimp closure, place a dot of glue on one end of the ric-rac and insert it into the crimp opening. Crimp the center with pliers to secure. Repeat with the other end.