Experiments are described for the preparation of imidazolium chloride precursors to "N"-heterocyclic carbenes and their cyclopentadienyl nickel chloride derivatives. The syntheses have been optimized for second- and third-year undergraduate laboratories that have a maximum programmed length of three hours per week. The experiments are flexible and are readily adapted to a variety of laboratory schedules and student skill levels. The compounds can be characterized by [superscript 1]H and [superscript 13]C NMR spectroscopy, and the interesting challenges presented by the NMR spectroscopy of the 2,6-diisopropylphenyl substituted imidazole ring are illustrated. (Contains 1 figure, 2 schemes, and 3 notes.)