Wrap it up Thursday - Linen Wrap Bracelet inspired by Chan Luu

Inspired by a catalogue, I set out to create a casual bracelet to wear with my summer linens.  I think I will continue to experiment with silkier and brighter threads and maybe even tighter wrapping of the strips.  I'd like to try some different lighter weight fabrics as well.  Really, the sky's the limit.

My inspiration came from the Garnet Hill spring catalogue and these awesome Chan Luu wrap bracelets.

1 - Start with a strip of linen 1.5 inches wide and 26 inches long.  

2 - Iron it in half and sew a .5 inch seam from fold, creating a tube.

3 - With a safety pin, turn the tube inside out (unfinished edges now on inside)

4 - With bright pink embroidery thread, wrap one end as a point, wrap entire piece with thread, stopping every quarter inch or so and wrapping a few times as you make your way along the entire length of the tube.

At the other end, create a loop and wrap the ends tightly with thread for about half an inch.

I love linen with a touch of hot pink and I can think of all sorts of spring outfits this would work with.  The girls think I am too matchy matchy so I plan on going through my fabric stash and coming up with other combinations.  This is almost a reason to visit the fabric store :)

Wrap it up Thursday - Wrapping up a Bracelet

I am being a little sneaky today.  Wrap it up should really be about packages and wrapping ideas but I am feeling uninspired today - and the weather isn't helping.  But - I still think these WRAP bracelets, made by us,  still sparkle in the low light.  I can't tell you how exciting it was - last month when my husband was away for work- and the girls and I crafted.  It's been awhile but we were so motivated by the great tutorials we found - how could we not help ourselves.  I was in heaven.  Watching movies and making things - with my girls.  It happens less and less these days and so this meant the world to me.  And it is so easy, effective and relatively inexpensive.

For friendship bracelets all you need is a embroidery floss and a clipboard. Cheap.  For the other bracelets - from our local bead shop - soft leather cording (about a foot a yard), waxed thread (a few dollars a handful), sweet unusual buttons (50cents), bottles of beads (about $1.75 to $3.75 depending on the type of bead) and finally from the hardware store - hex nuts at 15 cents each and brass and silver ball chains at around 50 cents a foot.

For a few dollars each you can create these ...

1 - This is where we began.  You can make this bracelet with different coloured threads and really change the look.  This is from makebraceletsblog video tutorial

2 /4 /6- These are from Honestly WTF  and they are simple to make and gorgeous

3 - This is another version (Honestly WTF)- on our to-make list

5 - This occupied everyone's time after camp this summer.  This purl bee tutorial is terrific.

7/8 - Finally another on our to-make list from Honestly WTF using the hex nuts, all on their own.

So there you have it - a good movie, popcorn and a few supplies and you can wrap up a wrist-full of bracelets.  

Thanks for letting me diverge from the plan today- just a little :)