Beaded Hemp Wrap Bracelet

I used muted colors and a coconut button for a summery neutral look, but you could go bold and bright as well!  I think that is the beauty of DIY-jewelry – making your piece completely your own.  You could also polish the look more by using metal findings for your closure, but I love the simplicity of the button closure with these colors.  Let me show you how to get the look!
What you will need:
18 -20 ft. hemp twine.  I used 18 ft. of a 15-lb. natural hemp (which is a pretty standard thickness for jewelry) and 36 ft. of a 20-lb rose-colored hemp.  Here’s what you will need to watch for to choose for yourself – you need something lightweight enough to be able to thread your beads on.
Some coordinating 6/0 seed beads in a few colors.
A button for your closure
Scissors and a clipboard, pin, or other way to secure your bracelet while you work.
First things first: test your twine and make sure your beads will fit on easily.  If they don’t, you will need to choose different beads or different twine.  I found that my beads would only slide easily onto the 15-lb hemp.  That worked out just fine, though – because I was spacing my beads out in a random pattern, they didn’t need to be on every single strand, just having some on the natural strand worked for my purposes.  If you plan to add more beads, though, you will want to check this out!
When we get started, you will notice that this bracelet makes up very much like the Braided Bead and Hemp Bracelets I showed you last week.  The technique is the same – all we are changing is the pattern and the length.
Cut 3 lengths of twine at least 72 inches.  I cut mine 72 inches (yes, 6 feet) and I JUST barely had enough length to finish mine – which I made 4 wraps.  If you have a smaller wrist, you should be okay, but there is a good reason for working with extra: hemp can begin to fray just a little once you string a couple dozen beads on.  When that happens, the easiest thing to do is cut off any end that has loosened.  So you may lose a little length along the way!  And besides – you can ALWAYS finish it up at whatever length you like, and cot off the excess.  You won’t be able to add length if you’re short!  What you can also do if you find you’re short is to make your bracelet just 3 wraps instead of 4.  The size of your button or your clasp, (if you’re finishing the ends with findings like I did on my recent Hemp Wrap Bracelet) will also factor into how much length you need.
Now, find the center of your hemp strands and tie an overhand knot to make a loop for your button closure.  Make sure it fits your button!

This will give you 6 strands roughly 3 feet long.  What I did to work with mine was find a clip and an unused canvas, and made myself a makeshift clipboard.  I have a clipboard that I normally use, but my daughter had just appropriated it for her coloring.  (Hey – if she’s happy to draw some artwork while I craft, that’s a win for both of us!)
Divide your strands so that you have 3 pairs of cords.  Actually, you can make a 6-strand braid if you want to, but those aren’t nearly as quick and easy as a normal 3-strand braid.  So I like doubling it up to make the bracelet more bulky, yet still simple to create.

Now, braid like normal.  Since I was only able to thread beads onto the natural-colored strands, when I pulled one of that color from the outside of the braid and passed it to the middle, I added a bead.  I didn’t do this every pass – just each time I thought my bracelet could use a bead.  Sometimes I put two on the same side, sometimes I alternated, sometimes they were close together, sometime farther apart.  You can make it as uniform or random as you like!

Then, I kept on braiding until I had roughly a 26-inch long strand (which is 4 wraps at around 6-1/2 inches each).  Your final length might need to be slightly more or less – just keep it in mind that if you go by my exact measurements, that only work if you make yours exactly like mine and have the same size wrist as I do.  What to do as you work along is test it against your wrist to how you’re doing.
When you get to the end, tie an overhand knot to finish it off.  Then, thread as many cords as you can fit through the holes through your button.  You want to go up through the underside, and back down from the top, so that all you see on the outside is a nice clean loop.  The knot will end up hidden under the button.
I mentioned I was very short on my natural hemp – I trimmed those cords off.  That left me 4 strands to make my knot, which is still plenty.  You can also add a dab of glue into your finishing knots to help secure them.

Just tie it off, trim the loose ends, wrap it up and you have yourself a fabulous natural bracelet!  The button closure should slip neatly through the loop on the other end of the bracelet.

Glass Map Necklace

If you have visited my Etsy shop, then you will recognize today’s project.  For you DIY-ers, I’m going to show you how to make your own!

I actually stopped listing these.  It was just getting too hard to keep up on!  I do love to make them, but custom orders were taking more time than I really had.

Fortunately, they aren’t complicated at all.  It’s taking me longer to type up this post than it does to make one!  

What you will need:

Map Clipping – you can use an inexpensive map, or print one

Mod Podge, brush, and squeegee

Necklace bezel, coordinated glass cabochon, and chain

Heavy duty permanent adhesive (like E6000)

Picking and choosing your map clipping might be the hardest part.

Once you’ve settled on your image, use your glass cab to trace it out and trim it.  Then, cover it in a light coat of Mod Podge.

(I know this isn’t Chicago, I was making a couple of pendants!)

Next, put your glass cab on top.  Twist it around to coat it well, and eliminate any areas that might not be coated in Mod Podge.  Now, you are going to squeegee any excess Mod Podge out.  You can use a card (think like a credit card) for this – I have a little squeegee tool I use specifically for Mod Podge projects like this.

Give the backside a coat of Mod Podge to seal it, and let it dry.  It should take about 30 minutes to fully dry.

The last step is to adhere the cab to your bezel.  I like E6000 for this, but if you use it, you need to know – a little goes a long way.  You only need a very thin coat for a permanent mounting.  If you get too much, it can bleed through your graphic and look black.  I usually just add a dot anywhere but the exact center, and then when I pop the cab in, I twist it all around to get a nice thin coat of glue.

You should give it at least an hour before you try to wear it.  I will often just leave it out overnight to cure.

Now you have a great gift – it’s a little piece of home for anyone!  I have also made these with book clippings, dictionary definitions, bible verses, clippings from sheet music, photos, phrases – you can personalize these any way you like!

Easy Woven Wrap Bracelet

All right, if you read here regularly, then you probably remember the  woven wrap bracelet from earlier this month.  I promised to make a little easier tutorial.  Both versions turned out great, but if you are a beginner this is an easier one to start with.  What do you think?

What you will need:

Hemp or cotton twine (I used cotton this time) – you will need 6 strands that are 28-30 inches long.

A ring connector

Glue-on end caps, a clasp, and jewelry glue

Take three of your strands, and double them so that there is a loop at the mid-way point.  You will loop it through the ring connector to make a lark’s head knot.  If you’re not sure how to do this, I use them in most of my woven bracelets.  You can check out this tutorial to see what I mean.

Make a knot on each side.  You’ll have 6 strands coming off that are approximately 13-14 inches long.

Now, braid each side.  You can make a 6-strand braid if you want, but to keep things simple I just make a regular braid with 2 cords in each strand.

When you get to the end, trim your ends off evenly, add a little bit of jewelry glue to your end cap, and glue it on to secure your braid.  Twist the end caps around to fully coat your twine.  Do the same thing on each side – you may want to check the length against your wrist before finishing off the ends.

Now, just add a clasp to your bracelet and it’s ready to wear!

Perfect for the warm weather coming!  What are you wearing this spring?

Druzy-Style Resin Necklace

I really love natural elements like stone, and I’m a jewelry buff on top of that, so it makes total sense that I’m drawn to druzy jewelry, which is pretty popular right now.  If you don’t know what druzy stone is already, it’s basically when one type of stone or mineral forms on another larger stone.  Today’s project isn’t *really* nature-formed druzy, but you can get the look by going the DIY-route – I made this pendant that is inspired by the natural creation of druzy.

I have been showing you a few different styles and techniques this week for Spring Bling Week  - Monday I showed you a woven ankle bracelet made from hemp and a cabochon, and yesterday I made a mixed media bracelet with turquoise chips).  Today I want to talk to you about using resin in your jewelry creations.
Resin was really intimidating to me – until I finally tried it!  It was so much easier than I expected it to be.  (You can check out my first resin post here, if you want to know more!)  As long as you are careful and follow directions well, I think you will LOVE what you can do with resin to give your jewelry a long-term, permanent finish.
What I used for today’s necklace:

A heart-shaped bezel – I have a local supplier for these who also sells on Etsy if you really love this shape.  Other shapes would work well, too.
Jeweler’s Grade Resin – most craft supply stores carry this.
Stone chips – they can be gemstones, or even pebbles from your yard!  (My yard is under 3 inches of snow right now, though.)  I used chips of real turquoise which is my daughter’s birth stone.  Quartz in any color would be lovely for this project!
A chain you like, mine is a ribbon and twine pre-made chain for a little  and also a jump ring to attach your pendant.
First, mix your resin according to the package directions.  I don’t want to advise you on specific instructions because it will vary from brand to brand, but here’s what you can expect: it’s generally odorless, requires equal parts resin & hardener, and you will need to stir it for 2-3 minutes for it to be ready to use.  It hardens in 24 hours so you will need to find an out-of-the-way place to lay it flat to set.

Once you’ve prepared your resin, add some to your bezel – fill it about halfway to leave room for your stones.  Then, add your stone chips.  Mine were drilled to be beads – but just by turning them so that the holes are sideways, they worked wonderfully and you couldn’t even tell.  You will probably find a toothpick to be helpful on this step, and be careful not to spill any resin.  You can also overfill your pendant with stones just a little – the resin will hold them in permanently once it hardens, so you can feel comfortable filling to get good coverage.

Then, you’ll need to set your pendant aside to dry for about 24 hours.  Once it’s dry, you’ll have a strong and permanent bond between your stones and the bezel.  Just add a jump ring and a chain, and you’re ready to wear!

I hope you enjoyed today’s project, and don’t forget, there are 6 other blogs sharing their gorgeous creations this week as part of Spring Bling week!

Dictionary Necklace

I know this little project is similar to some others I have shared… I guess if you read here regularly, you could spot my style from a mile away, haha.  I was packing and reorganizing over the weekend and came across some wooden earring sets that Pick Your Plum sent me in a grab box a while back.  I had forgotten all about them.  I’m not a big earring buff, is probably why.  But just because a kit comes with earring wires doesn’t mean that you can only make earrings, right?

I had the idea to get out my Mod Podge and make a necklace – this is what I came up with.

I decided to use a clipping from the dictionary that included “art”.  (It’s not front and center because I was trying to avoid “arson” as much as possible, LOL, although I may have gotten a little too much “artery”.)  I really like how it turned out!

If you decide to raid your stash and find some nice wooden discs, or maybe you have the same earring kit as I do – or, you want to pick up something this same shape – let me give you some tips for adding clippings to a pendant like this.

You can just trace around your disc in pencil, and trim your clipping out.  Yes, I cut this out of a real dictionary, but it was a dollar store one so I really didn’t feel guilty.  I have hundreds more words in my $1 dictionary that are just waiting to be part of other crafts. 

It’s up to you whether you want to do any additional painting first – though if you want to add some color to your pendant, you should paint your disc before adding the clipping.  You could also distress it afterward, if you like that sort of look!

Now – my love for Mod Podge developed over time.  That’s right – I didn’t fall for it right away.  Are you surprised?  There are a few things you have to get used to when you work with it… once you get to know it, though, you will wonder how you ever got along crafting without it.  The biggest tip I can give you is that Mod Podge is a water-based sealant.  So that means, when you add it to your paper, the water in it will make your paper expand slightly.  This can cause bubbles or bumps if you try adding Mod Podge to your surface first, and THEN adding paper to it.  You want to brush it on the backside of your paper first, and let it sit for a minute.  Then, stick it to your disc.  This will ensure that you get a nice, smooth, bubble-free finish.

Rather than try to cut out the inner hole too, I just poked through, cut most of the extra paper away, and stuck the edges down to the inside of that inner hole.  No one is going to look that closely, though if you really don’t like that look, you can sand off the excess paper as soon as your Mod Podge is dry.

Once you like the positioning, give the whole thing another good coat of Mod Podge to seal it.  Next, just add a big jump ring and a chain, and you have yourself a one-of-a-kind necklace!

Do you have any special words that just “suit” you?

Tiny Tassel Bracelet

This gurl is lovin' stacking various bracelets on her wrist.  I decided I needed a tassel bracelet and used what I had on hand.  Hence, the ribbon connectors don't match but hey!  I didn't have to buy any supplies and it works for me!

You'll need:
Embroidery Thread
Scissors
Flat Nose Pliers
Chain
Ribbon Connectors
Jump Rings
Lobster Clasp
Piece of small cardboard

Let's make tiny tassels!

Cut a piece of cardboard to wrap your tassel.
Cut a length of thread and lay it on the cardboard.

Wrap embroidery thread around the cardboard and cut piece.
I wrapped mine 13 times.

Using the cut thread that you laid out first,  bring it to the top and tie a knot.

 Cut the tassel at the bottom and remove the cardboard.
Insert the top of the tassel in the ribbon connector and use your pliers to flatten it down so secure.

Cut another length of thread and wrap it just under the connector.  Tie a secure knot.

Insert a jump ring at the top of the ribbon connector and attach it to a link on the chain.

Repeat for the other tassels.

Add your lobster clasp and jump ring to each end.

Fun & And Cute!

You can also make tassels for a necklace!

spoon ring

Here it is ladies and gents - the highly anticipated spoon ring tutorial!  Before I get started, I just want to say how incredibly excited I am to have all you lovely new readers over here, and if you ever have any questions, please don't hesitate to let me know!  So without further ado, I give you, the tutorial: 

Things you will need:

Spoon (or fork) of your choosing - make SURE it is sterling silver

Metal cutter, hacksaw, or jewelry saw

File or sandpaper

Dowel or ring mandrel

Paper

Pen

Hammer or mallet (optional)

Butane torch (optional)

1. The first thing you are going to want to do is to decide what type of ring you want to make.  You can either make one that wraps up your finger (top image), or you can make one that wraps around itself (bottom image).  The one you choose determines the length of the handle (longer for the one that wraps up your finger).  For future reference, we'll call the rings that wrap up your finger "type 1" and the kind that wrap around itself "type 2."

Type 1

Type 2

2. Once you have picked out the type of ring to make, you then have to pick out your silverware of choice.  To find mine, I just went to a local thrift store where I got these for around 10 cents each.  When you do go buy your silverware, make sure it is sterling silver and not stainless steel (it will say on the back of the spoon).  I didn't realize this at first, so my first attempt (pictured below), was with a stainless steel fork, and let's just say, it didn't work too well.  You'll know it's sterling silver if it says "900" or "925" on the back. 

3. The next thing you will want to do is to measure your finger.  One of the easiest ways to do this is by simply cutting a strip of paper, wrapping it around your finger, and marking where it overlaps.  If you are making the type 2 ring, add an extra 1/4 in or so for the overlap.  If you are making the type 1 ring, this step isn't as crucial because you will just continue wrapping it until you've used all of the handle of your silverware. 

4. For this next step you will need your saw or metal cutter.  If you are making type 1, cut the handle right above the bowl.  For type 2, cut the handle at whatever length you measured in Step 3.

5. File the cut end with either a metal file or a coarse grit sandpaper.  Work your way down to a fine grit sand paper to get a super-smooth finish. 

6. Now comes the fun (or frustrating!) part - bending the spoon.  There are several ways to accomplish this.  You can bend it around the dowel using shear force, you can hammer it around the dowel, or you can use a butane torch to heat it up before you bend it.  I found this little butane torch for $7 at Home Depot.  However, when I actually got the right kind of fork (sterling silver), I was able to bend it with just my hands.   

If you do use a hammer, I recommend wrapping some sort of cloth (a dishtowel folded in half works well) around the head of the hammer and securing it in place with a rubber band.  This will help to protect the metal from scratches.  

If you torch it, you'll have to heat it up for awhile...but make sure you don't let it start glowing orange. 

7. This last step is optional, but if you so desire, you can polish or buff the ring for a shiny finish. 

If you have any questions, please let me know...good luck!

Rosette Necklace Tutorial

Want to make your own rosette necklace?  Or maybe you’re looking for creative gifts for the girls on your list that have EVERYTHING?

Well, I’ll show you step-by-step how to make these sweet and fabulous fabric rosette necklaces for yourself or to share.  They’re super easy and cheap…really cheap!  This beautiful necklace is the perfect touch to make you look like a million bucks on pocket change. Works for me!

Start with a few simple supplies:

Clear Gel Tacky Glue {I’ve tried other glue and this is my favorite one…just a tip!}
Scissors
Fabric scraps – I used a linen type fabric, enough to tear 5 strips measuring 2-2 1/2” wide and 15” in length
18-20” chain with connectors and clasp
Pliers {or you can use a completed chain}
The fabric is easy to rip if you make a tiny cut at the top of your fabric and gently start to tear.  It should tear straight with a nice messy edge.

Make a ton of rosettes and add them to your gifts, make bracelets, decorate your home or create hair accessories.  You’ll be hard to stop once you start!

For this necklace I made 3 large rosettes {finished size 2-2 1/2”} and 2 smaller ones {finished size 1 3/4”}.

Step 1 – Start by folding the fabric in half and roll a tight center…maybe 4 or 5 rolls.

Step 2 – Add glue and start to twist your fabric like shown in the photo above.

Step 3 – Keep working your way around by adding a drop of glue and twisting every half turn or so.  Just try to keep it tight.

Step 4 – Once you reach the desired width of your rosette just cut the strip of fabric with 1-2” of fabric left.

Step 5 – Add a drop of glue to the bottom, center of your rosette {this is where you were holding it to start with}.

Step 6 – Fold the the fabric strip over the bottom of your rosette to secure it.  Trim if needed.

Once you have made all five flowers and they have been able to dry for 24 hours, you can finish your necklace.

Step 7 – Cut your chain to the desired length and attach the clasp with the connectors.

Step 8 – Line up your flower and cut a few pieces of fabric to attach to the back of the rosettes and hold them in the right shape.

Step 9 – Flip your rosettes upside down and glue them to the fabric strips with the chain sandwiched inside.

Step 10 – Let it dry overnight.

Step 11 – Trim away the extra fabric.

 That’s it!

Now you can make one in every color!  I get compliments on it wherever I go and I plan to make a few more for gifts.