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Monday, September 5, 2011

DIY Chic Bracelets

At lunch with my girlfriend, Missi, recently, I noticed her gorgeous, colorful bracelets.



The inevitable “Where did you get those!?” question clued me in that my friend had turned crafty: impressively, she made them herself. Good friend that she is, Missi offered to teach me how to make my own. And so began our afternoon of crafting.

Below are the supplies you will need: embroidery thread in the colors of your choice, thin hemp rope, metal bead necklace (like what dogtags come on), metal rings, scissors, and pliers that will cut metal. I found all of these supplies at Hobby Lobby (mostly on the jewelry supplies aisle).



First, you will need to measure your wrist with the hemp rope. Measure out enough rope to fit comfortably around your wrist, doubled over, and a little extra for tying. The length of metal beading you’ll need should be shorter than the doubled-over rope – for my dinky wrists, I counted 47 beads (my daughter’s tiny bracelets were about 13 beads). A bit of trial and error is involved here to get just the right fit.

Fold over the hemp rope so that it is doubled over; insert a metal ring to measure the size to ensure the ring will fit through the hole – this is how you will secure the bracelet on your wrist. (Hint: Pinch the rope to make a crease to measure the size)



 From the pinched line, begin wrapping embroider thread around the rope to get it started. (Hint: Do not pull out a bunch of thread; pulling it out as you go makes wrapping easier.) Attach the first metal bead by looping embroidery thread around twice.



Continue wrapping a single loop around the space between each bead. (Hint: Attached the end loop to your pants or loop it over scissors to hold it in place while you wrap.)



At the end of the beads, continue wrapping to secure the rope. Cut off the thread to match the length of the rope.



Slip a metal ring onto the end of the bracelet and tie a knot.



Split the two sides of the rope and the embroidery thread (in half) and tie two more small knots.



Cut off any excess thread and rope.



To secure, slip the metal hoop and knot through the open end.



And that was it: A deceptively easy, but beautiful DIY craft! The more you make, the easier the task becomes.





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