Answer Post #2: Fandom Charm Bracelets
Dear Miss MacGyver,
My friends and I are going to our first Con, and we don't really have the expertise to dress-up or anything, but we wanted to make some charm bracelets that would show off our fandom love. The problem is that we've never beaded, and we don't have a lot of cash to buy a ton of stuff, and we still want to have some cute home made jewelry that would identify us as fans. Any suggestions as to where to start?
~Not-so-Charming
Dear Charming,
I get a lot of customers who come into the store wanting to make a specific piece of jewelry and have *no idea* where to start. So don't panic! There's a ton of options! Let's narrow down some of the more popular starting points!
Alphabet Stretchy Bracelets
Using Alphabet beads, you can string together some great fandom related words or names into a set of really cute bracelets that are economical and fun.
Supplies required:
-Alphabet beads (found in craft and beading stores everywhere)
- Stretch Magic stretchy jewelry cord
-some accent beads (optional) like seed beads
In the most basic of projects, all you need to do is cut a length of Stretch Magic that is sufficient for your wrist (exact circumference of wrist plus a couple of inches to tie is good enough) and start threading your beads on in the order that you like. See how it fits around your wrist and figure out where you need to tie off. Tie two knots and tighten carefully.
Most crafting sites will assure you that this will be sufficient to complete your project, but I've met a *lot* of people who come into the store wanting to know how to make sure their stretchy bracelets don't come undone anymore. Knots made in stretchy jewelry cord will come undone over time, no matter what anyone tells you.
The best product that we've discovered to fix this problem is a liquid jewelry cement called, Bead Fix Gel by Beadalon. It's a highly elastic cement that is resistent to heat and cold and is *meant* to be applied to jewelry metals and plastics. One bottle will set you back about 9$ but it's a worthy investment to make sure that your creations survive a wicked autograph session. All it takes is to apply a few drops to the knots on your bracelet and you'll be off to the races.
Simple Charm bracelet
Not everyone has the money to invest in a beautiful Italian Charm bracelet for all their favorite fandoms, and sometimes a compromise between our love and our wallet has to be made.
Luckily, a quick, cute, little bracelet is easy to whip together as a creative well-thought out plan, or a last minute project.
Supplies required:
- metal beading chain
- jump rings
- some charms that reflect your fandom
- a clasp (there's a great website on how to choose a jewelry clasp here)
- needle nose pliers
Basically, when starting this project all you need to do is figure out how long your base chain is going to be. Split the rings of the chain where you want it to end by twisting open the loops with pliers, or using a wire cutter.
This is the base of your bracelet. All you need to do now is add your clasp, and your decorations.
To put on the clasp, separate the two parts and place near the ends of your chain. Open a jump ring and use it to link one clasp part to one end of the bracelet. Close the jump ring. Repeat for other end.
Now you are ready to decorate! Using the jump rings, connect your charms to wherever you see fit on the chain. Always make sure your jump rings are closed as seamlessly as possible, they will hold up better to strain.
And that's basically it! Super simple! And if you take the time to look, most craft and beading stores have a ton of great charms that you can pick up for great prices.
Hopefully these simple ideas give you a great start in making up some great pieces for you and your friends to wear and show off.
Sincerely,
MM
There's a great post over at craftcritique.com about how to use Stretch Magic in simple projects
My friends and I are going to our first Con, and we don't really have the expertise to dress-up or anything, but we wanted to make some charm bracelets that would show off our fandom love. The problem is that we've never beaded, and we don't have a lot of cash to buy a ton of stuff, and we still want to have some cute home made jewelry that would identify us as fans. Any suggestions as to where to start?
~Not-so-Charming
Dear Charming,
I get a lot of customers who come into the store wanting to make a specific piece of jewelry and have *no idea* where to start. So don't panic! There's a ton of options! Let's narrow down some of the more popular starting points!
Alphabet Stretchy Bracelets
Using Alphabet beads, you can string together some great fandom related words or names into a set of really cute bracelets that are economical and fun.
Supplies required:
-Alphabet beads (found in craft and beading stores everywhere)
- Stretch Magic stretchy jewelry cord
-some accent beads (optional) like seed beads
In the most basic of projects, all you need to do is cut a length of Stretch Magic that is sufficient for your wrist (exact circumference of wrist plus a couple of inches to tie is good enough) and start threading your beads on in the order that you like. See how it fits around your wrist and figure out where you need to tie off. Tie two knots and tighten carefully.
Most crafting sites will assure you that this will be sufficient to complete your project, but I've met a *lot* of people who come into the store wanting to know how to make sure their stretchy bracelets don't come undone anymore. Knots made in stretchy jewelry cord will come undone over time, no matter what anyone tells you.
The best product that we've discovered to fix this problem is a liquid jewelry cement called, Bead Fix Gel by Beadalon. It's a highly elastic cement that is resistent to heat and cold and is *meant* to be applied to jewelry metals and plastics. One bottle will set you back about 9$ but it's a worthy investment to make sure that your creations survive a wicked autograph session. All it takes is to apply a few drops to the knots on your bracelet and you'll be off to the races.
Simple Charm bracelet
Not everyone has the money to invest in a beautiful Italian Charm bracelet for all their favorite fandoms, and sometimes a compromise between our love and our wallet has to be made.
Luckily, a quick, cute, little bracelet is easy to whip together as a creative well-thought out plan, or a last minute project.
Supplies required:
- metal beading chain
- jump rings
- some charms that reflect your fandom
- a clasp (there's a great website on how to choose a jewelry clasp here)
- needle nose pliers
Basically, when starting this project all you need to do is figure out how long your base chain is going to be. Split the rings of the chain where you want it to end by twisting open the loops with pliers, or using a wire cutter.
This is the base of your bracelet. All you need to do now is add your clasp, and your decorations.
To put on the clasp, separate the two parts and place near the ends of your chain. Open a jump ring and use it to link one clasp part to one end of the bracelet. Close the jump ring. Repeat for other end.
Now you are ready to decorate! Using the jump rings, connect your charms to wherever you see fit on the chain. Always make sure your jump rings are closed as seamlessly as possible, they will hold up better to strain.
And that's basically it! Super simple! And if you take the time to look, most craft and beading stores have a ton of great charms that you can pick up for great prices.
Hopefully these simple ideas give you a great start in making up some great pieces for you and your friends to wear and show off.
Sincerely,
MM
There's a great post over at craftcritique.com about how to use Stretch Magic in simple projects