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Three Fast, Easy Cuff Bracelet Makeovers – Tutorial

by Rena Klingenberg. © 2003-Present Rena Klingenberg. All Rights Reserved

These cuff bracelet makeovers can be temporary or permanent. They’re easy to add to the bracelet, and fast to remove when you’re ready for a different look.

Here’s how to create these stylish looks:

Cuff Bracelet Makeover Tutorials

For these projects, you’ll need a cuff bracelet – either handmade or purchased.

I’m using the cuff we created in my Rustic Cuff Bracelet tutorial:

Makeover 1: Boho Brooch Cuff

To create this rustically romantic look, I’m using a strip of raw-edged cotton fabric lace and a brooch salvaged from a sweater.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• A brooch that’s a good size for the top of your bracelet.
• A piece of lace that’s long enough to wrap around your bracelet as many times as you wish, plus about 8″ (20 cm) extra for tying it onto your cuff.

Thread one end of your lace through the back of your brooch, underneath the pin:

Slide your brooch to the center point of your lace strip, and place the brooch on top of your cuff bracelet:

Holding the brooch in place with your fingers, turn the bracelet over and tie the ends of your lace into a firm knot on the underside of the bracelet, to secure the brooch in place:

Now turn the bracelet right side up again, and then wind each end of your lace around the cuff as many times as you wish.

When you’re done winding the lace, tie the ends together in a nice firm knot underneath your bracelet.

You may want to leave long tails of lace streaming out from your bracelet:

Or you may prefer to skip the long tails of lace:

Either way, this is a fast and fun way to transform a plain bracelet into to a lacy boho cuff!

Makeover 2: Rustic Artifact Cuff

To create this archaeological look, I used a rugged faux-turquoise donut, a small wooden bead, and a strip of leather cord.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• A donut that’s a good size for the top of your cuff bracelet.
• A small bead (optional) that will accommodate two strands of your leather cord at once.
• A leather cord that’s long enough to wrap around your bracelet 5 or 6 times, plus about 12″ (30.5 cm) extra. (See my tutorial on how to straighten and distress leather cords.)

We’re going to start by using your leather cord to create a lark’s head knot through the hole in your donut. Here’s how:

Fold your leather cord in half lengthwise, and thread the folded end of the cord through the hole in your donut.

Then thread both ends of your leather cord through the folded end of the cord:

Now tighten your lark’s head knot firmly around your donut, and then thread your small bead through both ends of your leather cord.

Your small bead should now be resting against your lark’s head knot:

Place your donut on top of your cuff bracelet, and pass the leather cord ends under the bracelet, so they extend out of the other side of the bracelet:

Now take the leather cord ends and thread them up through your donut:

Pull the leather ends to anchor the donut firmly against the cuff bracelet.

Now wind the cord ends around the cuff a few times, underneath the donut:

Then wrap one of the cord ends around the cuff one additional time, so that one cord end is now above the cuff, and one is under the cuff.

Pull the cord ends tight and tie them together in a rugged knot at the bottom of your donut; trim the cord ends to a nice length:

Enjoy this “rustic artifact” style on your cuff!

Makeover 3: Burst of Color Cuff

To create this colorfully fun look, I’m using buttons and a piece of black Artistic Wire, 24 gauge.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• Buttons or beads in a color scheme that’s a nice contrast to your bracelet.
• Wire that will fit through the holes of your buttons / beads. You’ll need enough wire to wind around your bracelet several times, plus about 6″ (15 cm) extra to anchor the wire ends.

Start by winding one end of your wire once around your cuff bracelet.

Then, on the underside of your bracelet, anchor the wire end in place by twisting it in artistically messy way around your first wrapped strand of wire:

Now wrap your wire once or twice around the cuff again, and then string one of your buttons onto the wire.

Arrange the button where you’d like it to be on the top of your cuff, and then wrap your wire around the cuff again:

Continue wrapping your wire around the cuff and adding buttons, until you’ve wired all of your buttons to the top of your cuff:

Now wrap your wire once or twice more around the cuff; when you’re done wrapping, the end of your wire should be on the underside of your cuff.

Make an artistically messy twist that anchors this end of the wire to the last strand of wire you wrapped around the cuff.

Enjoy wearing this colorful party on your wrist!

Thoughts on
These Cuff Bracelet Makeovers:

If you don’t tie or anchor these “makeovers” too tightly to the cuff bracelet, you can carefully slide them off the cuff and re-use them later.

These makeovers take such a small amount of supplies that you may already have everything you need to make your own variations of these ideas.

They’re also a great way to use up your scraps or odds and ends!

On the “Burst of Color” makeover, create extra pizzazz by choosing some buttons that are a complementary color of your cuff.

I chose a purple button and a purple-ish blue one because purple is the complementary color of my yellow brass bracelet.

Do you have a favorite of these three cuff makeover designs?

My fave is the Rustic Artifact Cuff, with the turquoise donut and leather cord.