DIY: Stacking Wrapping Bracelets

Hello, friends, and happy Friday!  I have been alluding a lot lately to a certain DIY project that I have been working on over my break, but I have been waiting until I finished giving out all of my Christmas gifts so as not to ruin the surprise.  I have shown a few sneak peeks, but in case you haven’t figured it out yet, I have been busy making bracelets!

I decided that since I was giving out a few gift cards, I wanted something cute and simple, and also a little special, to give with the cards; so, I decided on handmade bracelets.  I also made a few more bracelets to go with gifts that I was giving to friends because they turned out to be fairly easy to make and really fun and easy to personalize simply by adding charms or picking colors that would go with each personality!

The easiest bracelet to make is to simply use a colored hemp cord (or suede or leather for a more luxe look), knot it onto a jump ring (to attach to your bracelet clasp) and braid it like you would an ordinary hair braid. Then just knot the end, attach your clasp and voila!  I also dabbed a little bit of glue onto the knots to make sure they wouldn’t fray or come undone.  (Suede or leather cording requires a little more effort because you have to use a crimp to secure the thicker cord, otherwise you will end up with a bulky knot).

The best part about these simple braided bracelets is that they are so easy to make you can literally make an armful in no time at all!  Plus, you can just as easily use longer lengths of cord to make extra-long wrap bracelets for an even more impressive look with very little extra effort.  A much more difficult, but even more impressive bracelet, is a woven suede cord and chain bracelet inspired by this eleven11andcompany “chevron braided friendship bracelet” found on Etsy.

This bracelet requires three lengths of jewelry chain and one long length of suede cord which you then braid through each of the outer chains and then together through the center chain.  This is pretty difficult and really requires patience because it can be hard to get it started and then each strand has to be pulled tightly and woven precisely so that you get an even chevron pattern.

The finished result, however, is often worth it, especially when you get compliments and you get to tell people that you made it yourself!  :)

I had so much fun making bracelets for my friends and family (and a few for myself) – it is always fun to give someone something that you made by hand.  I love picking out and designing handmade pieces with someone special in mind, choosing colors and patterns that I think they will enjoy.  Even better yet, these bracelets are so fun to stack and mix and match to wear with every outfit!

Thanks for reading :)

 

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