Colourful Bracelet Collection
by Tamara Summers.
(Kitchener, Ontario)
Last week I was asked by a shop owner to make some fun, colourful bracelets. She had been shown my green lace and button bra strap and bracelet set, and loved them – especially the bracelet. She asked if I could make up more bracelets in that style, maybe something that would catch the eye of the younger crowd.
I had wanted to further explore that style of bracelet anyway, so it worked out perfectly! I kept her requests in mind as I worked, but I also used just supplies I already had on hand, and I did pieces that I was motivated to make.
Here’s a tour down the jewellery roll:
The first bracelet has a royal blue rose I made from part of an oriental fabric headband. I picked up the gold in the fabric by stitching it to a bead bracelet in the same tone. I added large crystals to the rose that also have a dull gold finish on the top. This makes the bracelet have a vintage look to it.
The next bracelet has purple chiffon flowers. Jacquie, the shop owner, loved the buttons on the green lace set and wanted me to include them in a few of the pieces. So I added a few deep purple buttons here, but placed crystals on top. The base was made from part of a lighter purple fabric headband (they often work wonderfully as a base, and come in a rainbow of colours and styles).
Beside it is a bracelet inspired by a pink rose I had in my inventory. It had the centre glass crystal already in it, but I wanted to make it more special so I applied silver sparkle fabric paint into the centre area and then sprinkled silver seed beads into the paint. That way, when it dries if there is a place where there is no bead, you see sparkle, not glue.
I used more of the green lace (with turquoise elastic attached to the back) for the next couple. She had really liked it and I had some left. For the first one, I picked up the turquoise by attaching a sequin and seed bead flower.
Again, I did some seed bead sprinkling (it’s my favourite technique for using those tiny beads!). I ran glue down the centre of the lace and then sprinkled turquoise seed beads into the glue, applying enough to cover the glue completely. I tap them down a bit, but not so much that the glue comes up over them. I also added green seed beads into the turquoise flower centre.
The focal of the next bracelet looks like a rose on first glance, but it’s actually a head of lettuce and a couple radishes (salad anyone?). Isn’t that fun? I added some coral coloured shell beads that look like the radishes, turquoise buttons, and red glass bugle beads to pop the colour.
At the end I was playing and came up with the little green lace finger bracelet pictured here (it informed me it was a finger bracelet, not a ring!). It was so fun to do – I’d like to do more of these. I sewed on buttons with bits of different coloured thread I had left over from my bracelets. Then I added some little crystals for sparkle. It’s a great use-it-up project for bits and odds and ends.
The last set I call my “raggy dot” set. The base of the bracelet is made from the bottom fabric-covered elastic of a dissected bra (the same bra I made my hot pink bra strap set from). I thought the dots were fun and would appeal to the younger crowd. I added lots of colourful buttons and some red howlite chips afterward. Then I took little strips of the dotted fabric from the bra (little rags) and tied them here and there. Then I just had to make earrings to match this bracelet. I thought copper earwires were a perfect choice.
All of these bracelets are stretchy. A fabric base requires a bit of sewing but eliminates the need for clasps. This makes them very easy to put on. I made them all standard size, but they will stretch larger.
Jacquie said she loved all of the bracelets. She picked her four favourites and bought them, and asked me for another of my business cards. If they sell she’ll buy more. Here’s hoping! 🙂
Tamara Summers
Pink Pearls by Tamara
