Crafting: November 2011 Archives
The pleasure of the hunt is nothing compared to the euphoria of creating a piece that sells for $100 (retail) but can be made for little more than a few dollars. This is the case with this delicious Aramaic Bracelet. Inspired by a pricey fabric and sterling silver bracelet found here, our knock off is crafted from cotton (just like the original) but is modified with a D-ring and swivel hook closure. You could of course modify it further to imitate the original more with vintage closures and pliable aluminum but I am not a very skilled metal worker. Here is what you need to create a 7 in. Aramaic Bracelet like mine pictured
Materials:
Scrap pieces of fabric in similar colors or featuring one color, at least 24 in. long (I used Amy Butler Cotton)
Instructions:
Cut fabric into 1 in. wide strips (by 24 in. length). Loosely, braid your fabric keeping the print facing up. Once you reach the end, stitch across the both ends to secure. Fold your bracelet in half and slide the D-ring over the folded edge. Match up both raw (stitched) ends and stitch together. Insert Swivel Hook over this end, fold over and stitch ½ in. away from swivel hook to secure hook. Clasp the hook on the loop to close and wear bracelet. Done! This is a fast and fun gift idea for friends and family. Since the Aramaic Bracelet takes just a little bit of time to make you can stock up for teachers, babysitters and stocking stuffers!
Mambo Braided Bracelet
While I was on Facebook the other day checking out the comments on my Mambo Yarn Review (Yes, I read all my commentsJ) I was inspired by a link I found while checking out one of Martha's Mambo sites. It was a really cool Braided Bracelet that I thought you all would love to make as a Christmas gift or a funky accessory for upcoming parties. It is a fabulous and exuberant bracelet that intrigued me more when I read the instructions. I didn't knit or crochet this bracelet at all. It is sewn and braided and the idea is ingenious. It did take longer than I hoped to sew up the first step of these instructions but thanks to a good movie on TV, time flew. The 2nd step was trickier. At this point you have 2 ends hanging off the thick middle, which is made up of the 3 strands you have sewn together. You fold this thick, middle section in thirds so that it is stacked at one end, 3 high. You sew this end together. Now you are left with 3 strands, sewn at the top and with the bottom of a loop and a loose end then other end. Now you braid your strands starting at the sewn end and moving the loose end through the loop when needed until you get to the end and then you pull the loose end and tuck it into the loop to secure. Now your bracelet is just about finished. Take your 2 tails and tie them in a knot to close the bracelet.
· A tip on braiding- I started out by folding my strands over as I brought them from the back to the front to pass over. This didn't give a very good look. You want to just braided keeping the same side up and not folding over. This will give a more dramatic braided style which is just like the picture
This is much easier when you read as you go instead of reading ahead. I will try to make a video while making my next bracelet to illustrate fully how to assemble this bracelet. It is easy and fun once you get the hang of it. There are several more patterns for funky accessories to create with Martha Stewart Mambo Yarn.
