Rainbow Spring Bracelet

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rainbow spring bracelet

I was having fun with beads tonight. I haven’t beaded very much as of late, and I just wanted to play with color, shape, and textures. Of course, since it is me, it is bright and colorful and rainbow-like. I couldn’t resist!

It was super easy to make. Just 3 easy steps…

1. Pick out your beads in various large and small sizes. My beads I’ve gathered over the years are arranged in individual baggies in hues of reds, greens, blues, etc. It helps me easily find the coloration I am looking for rather than having to dig through several mini bags of beads.

2. Take a coiled spring wire bracelet and curl the end with pliers. Bead your wire in desired colors, graduating the colors as you go. I clustered a lot of the big beads together and the small beads together. I wanted it to be more random, funky, and fun.

3. Bead spring coil until you reach the end, then curl the end to finish. Wear and rock it out!

It’s fun photographing it, cause it is so colorful. Here’s some more images…

I think it’s a fun and easy bracelet for summer. I’m all about the easy 1 hour project!

artsy spring bracelet

wearing bracelet

spring bracelet 2

And while I’m on the “rainbow” topic, if you haven’t seen this, you must watch. It will make you laugh.

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

Details on making a finger loom bracelet

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neon finger loop bracelet

Someone asked me how to make the loop bracelet I showed last week on my blog. Honestly, it kinda came naturally me when I made it and I could do all the step by steps, but I found a tutorial (just one…I thought there would be more) on how to Make a homeade jump rope. This is the process you go by to make the bracelet, necklace, belt, etc. The nylon loops are all different sizes, so the thickness of the bracelet is a bit wonky throughout. I tried to stretch the nylon loops to what I thought was the same tautness (sp?), but it didn’t really make a difference when I weaved them.

Perhaps this could be a cool idea with a different type of fabric (something of the stretchable variety), so if you make something I’d love to see the results. I had fun making it, but I don’t really plan on doing any more, but it is a cool technique that could be finessed!

Until next time Swellions!

Make your own Photo Cuff Bracelets

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photo cuff bracelets

Looking for a quick, personal craft this holiday season to make that is also really super cool? Create a one-of-a-kind photo bracelet for that special someone using photos of images they love or of photos of people they love! The above photo was taken by my friend Chris. He actually came over last year and we crafted up a few for him to wear. I think he dug making them and it only took an hour or two! Also, check out this bevy of bracelets my Flickr friend Paul made last year inspired by my idea!

Here’s us wearing our finished creation (man, my hands are starting to look old, aww man!):

wearing the photo cuff bracelets

Here’s how you make ’em!

Supplies:

– Felt in desired color
– Images (have a theme or use random images)
– Fuseable iron-on inkjet transfer
– Iron
– Wax paper
– Computer with imaging software (I used Photoshop)
– Inkjet printer
– Sewing machine
– Button or fastener of choice (you can also use velcro or sew on snaps)
– Needle and thread
– Scissors or fabric rotary cutting tool
– Cutting mat with measurements

Instructions:

1. Cut out a piece of felt fabric approximately 9″ long by 1.75 tall. 9″ is the average width of most wrists, but may need to be sized differently depending on wrist size.

2. In your imaging program, open up several images that you want to make your photo collage. In mine, I chose to use neon signage. Create a document that is 8″ long by 1.25″ tall. Copy and paste your images into this new document sizing them down to be 1.25″ tall and arrange next to each other. Move images around until you are satisfied with colors and placement of each.

Optional idea: Use Big Huge Labs mosaic maker like my friend Chris did. You may have to scale or enlarge it to fit in Photoshop.

3. Using printing specifications, print out onto fusable iron-on inkjet material (you may actually want to create several bracelets up on a sheet so that you get more bang for your buck). Cut out carefully around image.

4. Heat iron on low setting. On ironing board or hard surface, lay inkjet transfer iron-on (image side facing up) onto felt. Lay wax paper over both materials and fuse iron-on onto felt. It should only take a few seconds.

5. For my design, I went around the actual image using a special stitch on my sewing machine, but this is optional. I just thought it gave it a more finished look. Also, if you want and have the know how and are doing a button closure, create a button hole slightly smaller than your button that you have chosen for a closure.

6. Position cuff around wrist and hand sew on button (make sure to wrap cuff around beforehand so that you know where button should be positioned so that it is most comfortable on your arm). Make sure to tightly loop thread around button several times when sewing to hold securely in place.

Here’s a detail of one I did featuring various neon sign photos I took:
photo cuff bracelet

If you end up making this project, please shoot over a picture to me. I’d love to see what you create!

Until next time Swellions!

Feelin’ Earthy

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bracelet and earring set
Originally uploaded by swelldesigner

I just typed a long blog only to have my program lock up on me. Boo…

This is my creation for the night. I’m happy with it. The natural/earthy look came through (based on the assignment I was given by a friend). It’s nice to feel a sense of accomplishment on a project well done. I don’t know how painters do it. I like being able to whip something up in an hour, photograph it, and upload it and throw it out to the universe. Something very satisfying about that, if you ask me.

Something also very tiring about it…speaking of, I’m outtie.