Little Girls Love Jewelry
I have little girls, and like (almost) all little girls, they love jewelry. I’m not a fan of jewelry. I don’t wear it unless I’m off to some formal event. But kids love it, especially for dress up and playing with their friends. And my girls are no exception. So, like with most things in my kids’ lives, I have started making it for them, play jewelry that is. This way I’m not spending a fortune on plastic that can break easily. I’m spending money on supplies that can be used for more than one thing, as well as making more bracelets when these eventually get ruined. And that is how I came to make faux leather braided bracelets for my girls.
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How to make Faux Leather Braided Bracelets
Making these faux leather braided bracelets took about 15 minutes with my girls. They got to pick out the colors they liked, and they even picked out some for their friends.
What You Need:
- A reason to make bracelets (it can even be for yourself)
- Faux leather – this is the stuff I have – it is glittery, so a favorite for the kids.
- Plastic snaps – I use these
Let’s Begin!
Color Selection of the Bracelet Is Key
Pick out the color that you want. The pack I bought had a bunch of vibrant colors, so this part probably took the longest.
Measuring the Length of the Bracelet
You need to measure the wrist of the person, approximate size, so that you know how much material to use.
I just used a simple sewing measuring tape, but you can use a ruler or string or eyeball it.
It is important to remember that when braiding, the final length will be about 1/3 shorter than the original length. It can be even shorter if you are making a tight braid.
You will need to add about 1/3 of the size of the wrist to your required material.
For small kids, it turned out well that I could just use the width of the faux leather I bought.
Measuring the Width of the Bracelet
Once the color is selected, you need to measure the size of the bracelet width you want. As I planned to make braided bracelets, I needed to have the material a bit wider. I measured it to be 1.25″.
Cutting the Braid Strands
We are making a braid, so you need to measure the material to have 3 equal parts.
In my case, I had 1.25″ total width, so each piece needed to be 0.42″ each piece.
I drew it on with a pen and then cut.
Just make sure to leave about an inch at one of the ends of the bracelet as you will need this to attach the snaps.
Make the Braid
This part is where I got my kids to help out. They each got to hold the end of the bracelet while I braided. Otherwise, I would have to fumble with it. If you’re not able to get your kids to help, you’ll have to secure it somewhere to keep the braid straight.
Add the Snaps
The set I bought for the snaps comes with all the pieces and instructions on how to assemble them.
It’s really easy. There are male and female pieces. You press/squeeze the male end on one side of the bracelet with the pliers that come with the set. Then you do the same with the female pieces on the other end of the bracelet.
Just make sure you line up the snaps so that they are facing each other before you commit to installing them because there is no going back!
And That’s It! You’re Done!
Some Things I Learned
- It’s important to let your kids pick out the color of the snaps… even though the bracelet is glitter pink, doesn’t mean the snap will be pink… don’t make this mistake!
- Glitter/Sparkly Faux Leather can become itchy after a while.
- Snaps work great, but little kids don’t always have the strength and dexterity to open them with one hand.
Was this Tutorial Helpful?
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If you liked this tutorial, be sure to check out my other tutorials here
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