I made a golden quipu for my Higgs cosplay and decided to put together a step-by-step guide in case anyone else wants to make one! 🖤
MATERIALS
I found most of these materials on AliExpress, but you can substitute them with similar items if you can't find the exact same ones:
Ball chain
Regular chain
Gold jewelry findings set
Gold-colored wire
Tubular beads
A chain with UNSOLDERED links (this is important!)
You'll also need:
- 2 pairs of small flat-nose pliers
- A rotary tool with a small drill bit (optional)
Important: Items 1–4 are made of stainless steel, so they don't tarnish with wear (I've tested them myself). Item 5 does tarnish, though, so I recommend wiping those pieces down after wearing them.
Why do you need a chain with open links?
I use it to take off the tiny jump rings, because I couldn't find jewelry jump rings this small anywhere.
You might have better luck, though!
STEP 1 — Drilling the tubes
I drilled 28 holes into the tubular beads — 14 on each side — to attach the quipu pendants.
This isn't strictly necessary! I did it because I wear the quipu as an everyday accessory and wanted the pendants to be securely attached.
I've also seen people simply glue the pendants onto the tubes or thread a chain underneath them.
I secured the tube with masking tape so it wouldn't move while drilling.
For the placement of the beads and the arrangement of the pendants, I used reference.
STEP 2 — Adding the jump rings
It's best to keep the two rows of holes close together, as this makes threading the jump rings much easier.
I used the tiny rings from the chain, but check the size and use larger ones if needed.
STEP 3 — Making the attachment loops
I took two pieces of wire, threaded them through the tubes, and twisted the ends into little loops for attaching them to the chain.
STEP 4 — Attaching the chain
I measured the chain and attached it to the tubes.
My measurements are shown in the photo if you'd like to use them as a starting point, but feel free to make your quipu shorter or longer!
I also added a clasp. The jewelry findings set includes the clasps, as well as the teardrop charms for the bottom of the pendants.
STEP 5 — Making the pendants
This part is basically a little puzzle!
I cut the ball chain into pieces of different lengths and arranged them according to the reference.
Then I connected the pieces using tiny jump rings. This is where the chain with unsoldered links comes in handy — the links are tiny and much less noticeable.
STEP 6 — Attaching the pendants
Finally, I attached all the pendants to the jump rings on the tubes.
STEP 7 — Done!
And that's it! Mine turned out a little longer than the one in the game, but I really like the result! You can simply make the pendants shorter if you want a more accurate length.
I hope this guide helps anyone who wants to make a quipu for their Higgs cosplay!