stuff your stockings saturday: anthro-inspired bracelet

I'm so excited to welcome Beverly from Flamingo Toes for our second Stuff Your Stockings Saturday.  She brings with her an amazing tutorial and a chance to make it or win it!  Check out the giveaway at the very end of the post!


Hi everyone, it's Beverly from Flamingo Toes!

I'm so thrilled to be here at Twelve Crafts for Stuff Your Stockings!

Elizabeth has really inspired me this year to make more of my gifts. There's something pretty wonderful about wearing or displaying something you've made, isn't there? It gives you that extra little "oomph"! I think handmade gifts are just the same - they're so much more personal and special.

Over at Flamingo Toes, I love to sew and embroider, make things for my home, and of course, I really love a great jewelry knockoff. In fact, I just did a week of Anthro Necklace Knockoffs. It was a lot of fun and they'd make great stocking stuffers too!

To keep with that theme, I thought it would be fun to do another Anthro knockoff - this time the super cute Willy Nilly Bracelet.

How much do you love that name???

Here's my version:

And here's the inspiration:

This is a great design because you can raid your stash to make up the different layers - pretty much anything goes. See? Willy Nilly. ;)

It's also a super easy bracelet to do.

You'll need:

• Assortments of beads. Enough for 3 strands of 3 different beads and 1 strand of whatever you have and want to throw in there.
• Scrap of fabric for tie
• Stretchy bead cord - I used .7 mm
• 8 crimp beads
• Needle nose pliers

Start by measuring your wrist. Add 1/2" to this measurement.

Then add three inches to that - and cut 4 strands of stretchy cord this length.
(So my wrist is 6 1/2" - I cut 4 10" strands.)

Thread the first style of bead onto one of the cords.

Continue threading your beads until the strand measures 7" (or the width of your wrist + 1/2").

Thread a crimp bead onto each end.

Tie a knot in the cording.

Feed each end of the cord back through a crimp bead.

Using the pliers (Grab hubby's if you don't have any. Manly tools work too.) squeeze the crimp beads so that they are tight around the cording.

Cut the loose ends of the cords off.

Repeat this two other times with two more different types of beads.

For the last strand, gather an assortment of beads. Make one small loop of beads just like the strands you've done, with only 4 or five beads.

Thread them on randomly, or willy nilly (I know. Enough already.) and finish the cording as before.

Cut a scrap section of fabric for your tie. Treat the ends with fray check so it doesn't fray away over time.

Layer the four strands together so the crimped ends are in line.

Knot the fabric around the crimped sections, tying all four strands together.

And you're done!

The possibilities with this bracelet are pretty much endless.  You could do different color combinations or bead styles, or you could do 2 or 3 small strands for the little girls on your gift lists!

If you'd like this bracelet for your very own, we're giving it away to a lucky Twelve Crafts reader!  I'll even adjust it to your wrist size.  So you can keep it for yourself (it will be our secret) or you can get started on your holiday giving with an Anthro Knockoff!  (How cool would that be? The Anthro version is $58!!)

Thanks so much Elizabeth for including me in the stocking stuffer fun! I hope you all enjoyed the tutorial. :)

Thanks Bev!  She has a ton of great jewelry tutorials and other crafty project and ideas that would make great stocking stuffers.  Here are a two of my favorites:

Ribbon and Bead Bookmarks

Lace and Pearl Bracelet

Or better yet . . . go check out her tutorial page to find your own favs.

Now, here's how you can win it:

*Leave one comment for each entry.*

1)  Be or become a follower of twelve crafts.

2)  Be or become a follower of Flamingo Toes.

3)  Link up an idea/stocking stuffer to the stocking stuffer idea page.

4)  Help promote Stuff Your Stockings Saturday by posting the button (code on sidebar) on your blog or on the stocking stuffer idea that you linked up.

5)  Leave a comment committing to make at least one homemade stocking stuffer this coming Christmas.  (Obviously, I won't be stopping by your house to make sure you followed through . . . unless you send me your address and travel money ;) . . . so this is an honor-system commitment.)

Giveaway will be open for entries until Friday, September 24, 2010 @ 11:59 PM (CST).

Craft on!