One of the things I constantly run into when shopping for jewelry is that bangle style bracelets never fit my wrists. I tried to make it work with the ones I've collected over the years from thrift stores. It does not work. They hang awkwardly on my hand and get in the way. I am also deeply in love with African print fabrics and have a ton of them in my stash. With fashion and functionality in mind, I made bracelets that are flexible and do not fall out of my hand.
It's the season of giving, so I suggest you make a few for yourself and a few to give away. If you don't have a fabric stash, you can reuse old clothes, curtains, sheets, etc.
DIY AFRICAN PRINT BRACELETS
Supplies
- Ankara fabric
- Leather cord
- Scissors/rotary cutter
- Ruler
- Hair pin
- Fabric glue (optional)
Step 1 : Cut 2" wide strips of fabric. I highly recommend cutting on the bias (diagonally) so the fabric has more stretch and can fit the curves of the cord. It's a little more complicated but the fabric will look better laid.
2nd step : Hide the raw wires by folding them inward towards each other. Iron in place.
Step 3 : Measure around the wrist, at the height of the thumb joint. Double this measurement and cut the cord. Form a circle with the cord by making two loops.
Step 4 : While holding the loops together, wrap the fabric around the entire bracelet, slightly overlapping each roll. I didn't use glue but if you want a little more stability you can add a little glue every few rolls.
Step 5 : Once you have wrapped the bracelet where you started, fold the fabric into a point and cut off the tail end. You should end up with about 1 inch of fabric sticking out.
Step 6 : Place this piece inside one of the rollers using the bobby pin. I bought a bag of metal assortments which turned out to be the right tool to use. A bobby pin should do the trick. A sewing needle may damage fingers and fabric, so it is not recommended. It's done !
Well that was it for this little tutorial friends. Don't hesitate to share in the comments if you liked this post and especially how difficult or easy it was to make your own wax bangle. I also invite you to discover our small catalog of ankara bracelets ! See you next article!
