Tutorial Tuesday- 10 Minute Fabric Bracelets

I have been seeing fabric bracelet patterns for sale and I think they are super cute, but I figured I could probably figure out how to make them myself.  Turns out they are super easy!  Even if you've never sewed before you could make yourself some of these stylish bracelets. 

I've been working on these for awhile to get them just perfect.  Every time I wear one I get tons of compliments!  I just use scraps of fabric that I have left over from other projects and I end up with tons of cute bracelets to match every outfit.  Which is great because normally I'm terrible at accessorizing.  Plus accessorizing can be expensive!

Supplies:

- A fabric scrap (2 1/2 inches x about 15 inches, and make sure it's preshrunk!)

- A piece of 1 inch thick elastic, around 7 or 8 inches long

- Coordinating thread (some of the seams will show in the back so be sure it matches well)

Steps:

1) Hold the elastic around your wrist and adjust it until it you find your desired size.  You do not need a seam allowance for the elastic so go ahead and cut it right where it meets.  Mine was about 7 inches long, but your length will vary depending on your wrist size and how loose you like to wear your bracelets.

2) Now you're going to cut you fabric.  You'll want to cut it 2 1/2 inches thick and about twice as long as your elastic.  I cut mine just under 14 1/2 inches long.

3) Fold your fabric in half, right sides together, and iron it flat.  Then sew together using a 1/8 inch seam allowance. 

4) Turn right side out.  The easiest way to do this is secure a safety pin to the top of the strip, shove it down inside, and work it through.  If you aren't familiar with this technique Ashley at Make It and Love It wrote an easy to follow tutorial on it.  Click here to go there.

5) Iron your bracelet flat.

6) We are going to use the same technique mentioned in step 4 to work the elastic into the bracelet.  Make sure to stop as soon as you get the elastic completely covered.  Do not continue to work it all the way through- the end without the safety pin should be near the opening of the bracelet like seen below.

7) Now you are going to sew the elastic to the headband. Adjust the elastic so it is just 1/4 inch inside the bracelet and sew right along the edge of the elastic like so:

8) Now that the elastic is secure on that side, continue working the safety pin through the bracelet until it emerges on the other side.  The fabric will begin to bunch, this is good, it makes it cuter :)  Adjust and sew the elastic on this side just like you did the other (1/4 inch inside the bracelet).

9) Fold the bracelet in half like so.  There are no right or wrong sides here so it doesn't matter which way you fold it. 

10) Sew the bracelet together.  You do not want your elastic to be in the seam this time so sew it right off the edge of the elastic like so:

Your bracelet will now look like this but all you have to do is iron your seams down inside (picture #2) and then. . .

but all you have to do is iron your seams down inside and then. . .

You have a beautiful finished product!

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