Leather and beads

So before I start, let me give you a caveat and explain something about myself. Caveat: this post is not really beauty related, but I figure it's close enough. And then about me, or one of my quirks, if you want to call it that. When I learn how to do something, usually a crafty-type thing like making jewelry or painting or whatnot, I kinda become OCD about that certain thing for about a week or so, and then I trail off. My last obsession was watercolored cards--like for birthdays and such. I made a bunch in a short period, and then moved on to the next thing. And once again, I have been trapped by the craft bug and spent the last week all mired off in my obsession.

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Which is...Leather and bead wrapped bracelets. I love (excuse me, LURVE) Chan Luu bracelets (above), but my budget these days is just not allowing me to have one. So while I knew I couldn't make one quite as pretty I thought I'd at least figure out how to make the style. Thanks to the internet, I did. I typed "Leather and bead wrap bracelet" into Google and viola! Bracelet time. I used this YouTube tutorial from Beyond Bracelets and this written tutorial from How-to-make-jewelry.com. Without these, I would have never figured it out. They also had some great tips, like holding the top of the bracelet down on a foamboard using a binder clip, that basically I can't believe I had to have someone tell me cause they are so obvious yet smart. So off I went to Michael's (and later Hobby Lobby for round 2) to get supplies. I spent about $30 at Michael's and $25 at Hobby Lobby, but still have a bunch of material left over. That's the thing about jewelry making I am coming to find out: you buy 50 yards of beading thread for $5, but it lasts for AGES. So I'm not sure how to break out exactly how much each bracelet costs, but it's definitely less than the $225 Chan Luu. The beads are typically the most expensive thing depending on how nice they are, etc. (I have also been making earrings lately, so I am starting to catch onto the whole supplies cost thing. I think Etsy supplies is going to turn out to be a better bet than Michaels, but we'll see...and I'm digressing...)

SO. The bracelets. I made two double wrapped and two triple wrapped bracelets. The hardest thing to find was a bead that could work as the closure, like the ones above. Also, leather choices were slim to none. Out of the bracelets I made, I liked working with the 2 mm round leather cord the best and 2 mm or smaller beads (as the tutorials point out, your leather and beads should be of similar size/weight). So I think in the future I will use those sizes the most. The Chan Luu ones above seem even smaller, I couldn't find the supplies for that, but plan to check Etsy at a later date. So here are the finished products:

The pictures aren't the highest quality, I apologize. It's hard to take pics when they are on your arm!! Oh, the little single bracelets are just beads on this strand called "Stretch magic". It's translucent and slightly elastic. You just put the beads on, double over-hand knot the ends, and then I placed a crimp bead (the little silver ones if you can see them) over the knot to hide it. Super easy, and they should be fun to layer with the wrap bracelets.

Anyway, I just wanted to share because it was easy like WHOA to make these. I'd say it takes about an hour per bracelet, and once I got the hang of how to weave it I could make it while watching TV. A few tips: Make the threading lace a LOT longer than you think it needs to be (and it will be annoying to deal with, but just deal with it). Also, the suede seems like it would be pretty (bottom pic, farthest right bracelet), but it's kinda hard to deal with and doesn't lay quite as well as the round leather cording. Make sure you choose beading thread or cord NOT wire, and don't buy the translucent plastic kind, it kinda sucks. I bought black Beadalon Wildfire beading thread, and it worked out great.

Ok! So there ya go, a nice little craft project. Not really sure when I'll get to WEAR all these bracelets, but hey, I have 'em if I want to!