Janet of All Trades

Sometimes you buy something at an Estate Sale and you don't know what you have until you get it home and look thru it. That is what happen to me a few weeks ago when I purchase a coffee can full of vintage wooden and bamboo beads.  Surprise! the beads are fun and remind me of summer camp, so I knew I needed to create a piece of jewelry with them.  I started with some Stretch Magic Cord in black and clear in 1mm thickness. I had never used Stretch Magic before and was happy to read that it is made in the USA and is very easy to work with. I first cut a piece about 12 inches long since I had decided to make a 7" bracelet and would need a little more on each end to knot. Now you will need to Pre-Stretch the cord as per the directions, which means stretching it about 2 or 3 times with one end in both hands. Then I started stringing my beads which is super easy and if you have a bead stopper it helps to keep the beads organized. After a few trial and errors with I figu...

I have seen these bracelets everywhere and came very close to buying one. But I knew I could possibly make one for much less and it didn't look that difficult.  I started by purchasing 2mm leather cording and the beads came from my stash. I tried to figure it out a few times on my own but then I found this awesome tutorial on Make It/Fake It with step by step images to guide you thru the process. I used beading thread instead of fishing wire since that is what I had on hand. You start with a button and the top and start your bead. It went along pretty well, but it does take time to perform the beading correctly. I taped the top and the bottom of my cording to the table so it was easier to wrap the thread around and bead without everything rolling around. Once I was done I tied off the thread and made the super easy closure. Just knot where you end and make sure you loop fits over your button (I had to take a few beads off to make mine fit). Then my bracelet...