Tuesday, August 9, 2011

How to Make Leather Wrap Bracelet Tutorials

It’s not often that something handmade individually by an artist will be less expensive than the mass-produced item that inspired it. But in the case of the leather wrap bracelet, the handmade alternatives are a lot more affordable than their Chan Luu counterparts. This may or may not be due to the fact that beaders can make their own versions without using dozens of gold vermeil and sterling silver beads!

These simple leather cords wrapped with beads are a bit of a sensation, and fun variations of them are showing up all over the place. All you need to make your own wrap bracelet are a few simple materials and some time to wind! Here are a few of my favorite leather wrap bracelet tutorials:

Wrapped Cord Bracelet Tutorial
This simplified, short version from FusionBeads.com uses the now-classic technique of winding a row of pearls between two cords,
but the project goes much faster when you make it to a standard bracelet length.



Dragonfly Roundup Bracelet
Artbeads.com also has a leather wrap bracelet tutorial,
in both a short and long version, inspired by mother-daughter jewelry. There are no photos with the tutorial,
but the instructions are very straightforward and easy to follow.



DIY Wrap Bracelet
And then there’s the chic cheater version.
This really inventive wrap bracelet design by Honestly…WTF uses plumber’s chain instead of loose beads,
and brightly colored linen cord. The results look almost identical,
but there’s no need to get out the needle and Fireline!





If you need a little extra help getting started with your own wrap bracelet,
there are also lots of video tutorials that show you, step-by-step, how to make them.

My personal favorite is this 7-inch wrap bracelet tutorial from Auntie’s Beads,
which covers every step of the process. Don’t forget to check out the blooper reel!





For a more vegan-friendly version, Tracy from the Make Bracelets Blog has a wrap bracelet variation using Irish linen instead of leather.
She recommends using 12 ply waxed Irish linen, or doubled 7 ply cord for the foundation.



Have you already made some of these wrap bracelets? What kinds of beads do you like to use in them?

Update: Check out the expanded wrap bracelet tutorials for even more projects and ideas!

Copyright 2011 Inspirational Beading
FusionBeads.com, ArtBeads.com and Honestly...WTF
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12 comments:

  1. I haven't made one of these but now I am HOT to try them! So cute and so quick. Thanks, Mortira!

    ReplyDelete
  2. LOL, Sally you are a hot mess! These are really cute, I keep seeing these in the stores and chuckling to myself, hey I can MAKE that! Thanks for the info Mortira!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I haven't made any, but they look like so much fun! Thanks for all of the tutorials.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the tutorial. I made a few bracelets. They are great.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for this step by step. Bracelets are fantastic.
    Greetings from Poland :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've made them & love doing them. I actually find it relaxing, while watching TV, etc. I''ve actually made about 20 so far, just haven't had a chance photo them & list them in my online shop Eclecticajewelry.arfire.com. Interestingly enough, if you see on Chann Luu's website, in the descriptions of many of the leather wraps, she in fact uses, silver plated beads!!! Yes, she does use the more $$ Swarovski beads that drive up her costs, but.....still, it's hard to justify charging $240.00 for a beaded leather wrap. Because of the time it takes creating one, a handcrafted artisan should charge appropriately. I've seen some on etsy sell theirs for $25.00/pc. (an infuriating pet peeve of mine) Way too low!! That in effect, lowers the value of their own work, and the work of the rest of us jewelry artisans. The whole point is we don't "mass produce", many of us do only OOAK pieces.....under/around $100, seems fair to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with you 1,000%....It makes me sick when people charge practically nothing for their work! Makes other artists look greedy when the fact of the matter is, You get what you pay for!!!!

      Delete
  7. Great Tutorial!One day i will also finds the guts to make this kind of tutorials :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Beautiful!!!

    Quiero hacerla!!
    Gracias por enseñar como hacerla!!

    Saludos desde Chile!!!

    http://browniesaccesorios.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  9. Has anyone made a wrap bracelet using 28g copper wire?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think I've seen it done, but in theory I think wire could work in place of the cord. You might want to go with a heavier wire, with two pieces shaped into a bangle with a space large enough for beads along the length. Once shaped, then you could stitch the beads on as usual.

      A very fine wire might work for the wraps as well. I'd recommend genuine leather for the cord, which can stand up to the extra weight, and perhaps an extra wrap or two around the cords between bead additions to prevent the wire from pulling the cord out of shape.

      Delete

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