Scrappy Fabric Bracelet Tutorial

We are starting a new swap at Craftster next week--the Fabric Jewelry Swap.  This little tutorial will show you how I make a scrappy fabric bracelet.  This is a great way to wear a favorite phrase!  You could also make a bracelet like this using just a single piece of your favorite fabric for the front.

1.  Decide on a color and gather some scrap fabrics.  Iron them, and start sewing them together!  Sew them in pairs, like this, and cut them at a wonky angle:

2.  Start sewing the cut-up pairs together.

3.  Straighten the edges so you can sew on more sewn-together pairs.

4.  Keep sewing, trimming edges, and sewing on some more.  For a 7" bracelet, you only need a section that measures 7 1/2" x 1 1/2", so keep your scraps small, and try to have a lot of "intersections" of fabric, concentrated in the center of the pieced scrap fabric.

This is a 1" wide ruler; I'm using it to get an idea of where to cut my bracelet fabric.

5.  When your pieced-fabric is big enough, cut out a section measuring 7 1/2" x 1 1/2" (that is for a 7" wrist; make yours bigger or smaller depending on your wrist measurement.)

6.  This shows the back of the bracelet fabric, and a piece of iron-on interfacing.  Cut the interfacing slightly smaller than your bracelet fabric, and iron it on the back.

7.  I use a light box to copy a phrase onto white fabric (using a phrase I printed onto paper at the computer).

8.  The edges of the "phrase" fabric will be left raw, so I just cut it out carefully, leaving a little less than 1/4" all around.  Find the center of the bracelet fabric and center the phrase fabric there; pin it in place.

9.  Sew the phrase fabric using the sewing machine.

10.  Using coordinating embroidery thread, hand-stitch around the phrase on top of the machine-sewn lines.  Pull out some of the  loose threads around the edges to make a fringe. (Don't worry, the machine sewing and embroidery will keep the phrase in place--I've worn mine a lot and it is still very secure.)

11.  To make a closure loop, tape a hair-tie in the middle and cut it in half.

12.  Choose a piece of fabric for the backing.  Iron it and cut it a little bigger than the front.  Place the bracelet front, face down, on top of the backing.  Pin the elastic loop, centered, at one end.  Sew all the way around the perimeter, using a 1/4" seam.  Leave an opening (about 2" or less) towards the end of one side.  When you come to the elastic loop, sew back and forth over it several times to make it secure.

13.  Trim the backing even with the front fabric in the seams, and trim the corners.  Turn the bracelet right-side-out, through the opening.  A pair of hemostats will be your best friend at this point!!

14.  Iron the bracelet flat (avoiding the elastic loop--you don't want it to melt!), then top-stitch all the way around, 1/8" from the edge.

15.  Sew on a button, and you are done!

Wear and enjoy!