Tom Brady isn’t the only thing Gisele Bundchen has had on her arm lately! Along with countless other celebs, Bundchen has been seen wearing a stylish wrap bracelet.
Wrap bracelets come in all different styles and colors, and seem to be extremely popular among collegiettes™. As soon as I saw my friend wearing one of the bracelets, I knew I had to have one–but I also knew that I didn’t want to spend a fortune. So, I decided to make my own! The steps are incredibly simple and the supplies cost next to nothing.
To make a bracelet, you will need:
Beads of your choice (make sure the hole is big enough for a needle to fit through)
Leather cord
Thin sewing needles
1 Button (I went with a large, silver one)
Heavy duty sewing thread
1 Clip to hold bracelet in place while making it
Tip! Visit a Boston Bead Company or A.C. Moore location for supplies
1. The first step is to measure your wrist. For a single-wrap bracelet, multiply the length of your wrist three times. For a triple-wrap bracelet, multiply the length seven times. Cut the leather cord to the calculated length. Make sure you leave a little extra for tying the ends!
2. Once the leather cord is measured, fold it in half.
3. Take the middle of the leather cord (where it is folded) and tie a knot, leaving a hole at the top of the cord. Make sure the hole is big enough for your button! The button will be the clasp once the bracelet is finished.
4. Now it’s time to measure the string! I’d recommend cutting 10 feet of string for a single-wrap bracelet, and around 20 feet for a triple-wrap. Leave some extra like you did with the leather cord.
5. When the string is measured and cut, fold it in half. This part can be tricky because the string is so thin, so make sure you’re working in a big space. Once the string is folded, take the sewing needle and put it in the middle of the thread. Tie the two loose ends of the string together with an overhand knot. Folding the thread in half makes it more durable and stronger. It will hold up better when you’re wearing the bracelet.
6. At this point, you should have both the leather cord and the sewing thread folded in half. Take the knotted end of the sewing thread and tie it to the left side of the folded leather cord. When this is done, the thread should hang loosely from the left side with the needle at the bottom.
7. It’s time to start beading! Once both the cord and thread are tied together, you can attach the cord to something so it won’t move while you’re working on it. I usually use a binder clip to secure the top of the leather cord to a notebook. Clipboards work well, too.
8. Move the thread between the two sides of the leather cord. Take one of your beads and put it on the needle, over the thread.
9. Push the bead all the way down the thread to the bottom so it lies between the two pieces of leather cord. It’s time to make the first stitch now!
10. Take the needle and go over the piece of leather cord on the right. Then, loop around and pull the needle under the same piece of cord. After the needle is under the piece of leather cord on the right, pull it through the bead. After the step, pull the needle and thread over the leather cord on the left side, then back under the left side.
11. You’ve successfully made the first stitch! Now start from step nine and continue that until your bracelet is at the desired length. Make sure to keep checking its fit around your wrist so it doesn’t end up too long or too short.
12. When the bracelet is at the desired length, tie the thread off on one of the leather cords. If you’d like, you can buy some rubber cement and put a dab of it on the beginning and end of the thread to make sure the knot doesn’t come undone.
13. Slip the button onto the end of the leather cord and tie a knot so it stays in place. Cut any extra leather cord.
Your bracelet is now ready to wear! Put it on and enjoy all the compliments you’ll definitely get!
Here’s an example of a three-wrap bracelet: