What to Do with Scraps of Felt, Part III: Make a Cute Bracelet

This one is super-easy and perfect for Spring (which I trust will arrive any day now). Keep it simple and unrestrained or bump it up a notch with a few extra steps for a more sophisticated look.

Materials


  • Scraps of felt cut up into squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, or what-have-you
  • Elastic stringing material such as Stretch Magic or Elonga; I used 5 mm but 7 mm would also probably work, depending on the size of your felt bits
  • Scissors
  • Needle
  • Beads (optional)
  • Fabric glue (optional)
  • Thread (optional)

Steps
Decide whether you want a more or less restrained final piece. If you go the less restrained route, simply thread your needle with about one-and-a-half to two-times the amount of stringing material you need to go around your wist, tie a knot in one end, and begin stringing the bits of felt onto it. When you've got enough to go around your wrist, pull the knotted end of the stringing material away from the felt so that you have enough loose material on either end to make a knot (I used a modified square knot; click on the Elonga link above for a great illustration). Wear it as-is, or trim away some of the shagginess with a scissor.


If you want a slightly more restrained (but no less festive)-looking final product, select bits of felt that are of roughly equal size and alternate their colors. Add some beads at regular intervals for even more variation. I used felted beads in the sample above but most 7-10 mm glass, stone or plastic beads would also work well. Just be sure the hole is large and smooth enough to fit your stringing material without shredding it.

Finally, if you're feeling really ambitious, or if you want an even more polished final product, you can stack your bits of felt in different color combinations and either glue or sew them together to make your own beads. String them alone or with a few accent beads in-between.


Easy-breezy Springtime fun, both to make and to wear!

Until next time -

Enjoy!


Linda

Favorite Tools: Webbedware

Today's installment of Tools on Tuesday features Courtney Webb of Webbedware. Courtney makes cuff bracelets and (coming soon to her shop) necklaces. Courtney's trademark is the use of textiles or other fiber in her designs.

Courtney's collection of "tiny tools" --- mini versions of standard hardware store stock -- enable her to achieve a level of craftsmanship that would be impossible otherwise. More specifically, her tiny ruler, tiny drill bits, tiny file and tiny scissors allow her to make precise cuts of leather for her cuff bracelets, teeny holes in shapes to attach to jump rings and chains for her soon-to-be-introduced dove and butterfly necklaces, and smooth edges on said shapes. They are her favorite tools not only because they're easy to use and perfect for the job, but also because "they're so darn cute!"

Now, to illustrate:

First, using the tiny ruler to measure and precisely cut the leather for cuff bracelets. The bracelets are metal, and the leather goes on the inside as a liner so that the cuff is comfortable to wear.

Next, using a tiny drill bit to make holes in the shapes for attaching to chains and jump rings. The hole has to be drilled in exactly the right spot for the shape to hang properly. As you can see, the shapes are so dainty that there's not a lot of room for error---nor really for the hole itself! Talk about precision!

And then, using the tiny file to smooth out the edges of the metal shapes before fusing the fabric to them.

Followed by trimming the excess fabric off of the metal shapes using the tiny scissors. Once the fabric is in place Courtney coats the pieces with acrylic to enhance the color of the fabric and to preserve its condition.

Put it all together with a dash of style and you get Courtney's distinctive couture-inspired accessories. Nice work, Courtney!

Until next time --



Fall/Winter 2010-11 Jewelry Trends

The Fall/Winter 2010-11 fashion season includes luxe fabrics, natural materials and textured surfaces in an earth tone palette. Looks that combine fabrics (shearling, lace, faux fur, velvet, knits and leather) are central to this season’s style. Jewelry designs for the season by members of The {NewNew} team build on and complement this direction. Be on the lookout and choose:
Waterlily Necklace
$32
AdornmentsNYC
Hexagon Necklace
$45
NKAlexan













Natural Materials and Metals - Look beyond gold and go for silver, copper, bronze and steel. Textured surfaces including hammered, aged, and scuffed add dimension and added interest to pieces this season. Natural materials such as stone, wood, and colorful, but not precious stones, hit the mark this Fall/Winter. In line with this season’s color palate you’ll notice jewelry designers have dialing down the brightness of colors, opting for more rich colors with depth.
News To My Ears
$27
7oh1Jewelry


Recycled, Alternative Materials - The shift away from gold and polished metal has opened use of more and more alternative materials in jewelry design. We are seeing more and more jewelry and other fashion accessories made out of recycled, alternative or repurposed materials.

Suede Pouch Necklace
$35
ACommonThread
Skeleton Key Necklace
$26
MadebyMoe
Lack of Uniformity and Less Structure - Designs with different textures, natural elements, asymmetrical and free flowing forms will compliment this season’s fashion nicely.












Have fun choosing the latest styles from The {NewNew} Jewelry Designers. Whatever you are wearing this Fall/Winter, you are sure to find the perfect jewelry to go along with it from this talented group.