Tutorial: Leather and Lace Bangles

To celebrate my two year blogging anniversary, I thought it would be fun to recreate one of my most-read posts from the past two years. The popularity of my decoupaged bangles was a huge (and happy!) surprise. I originally posted them in celebration of my 50th post, so it seems fitting to bring back a new version to celebrate another blogging milestone. These leather and lace bangles incorporate some of my favorite things: they are romantic and tough at the same time, with great texture and a little hint of luxury. Plus, you can make both in less than an hour - I love quick crafts!



To make leather bracelet:
What you'll need: a bangle blank (I used wooden bangles from the craft store, but this is also a great way to use old plastic bangles - just rough them up a bit first with a piece of sand paper to make sure the glue will stick), a few strips of leather 3/4" wide and about 6" long (mine was cut from an old pair of leather pants, but you can also find pieces of leather for sale at the craft store), glue (I like Fabri-Tac because it holds well and doesn't run).

Step 1: Using a small dot of glue, attach the end of one of your leather strips to the inside of your bangle. Be sure to attach it at an angle, so that the leather will wrap cleanly around the bangle without any puckers.


Step 2: Begin wrapping the strip around your bangle, attaching each wrap with a dot of glue on the front and back (you might want to use a toothpick to apply the glue precisely).


Step 3: When you come to the end of your strip, glue it down on the inside of your bangle (trim the leather if you need to). Glue a second strip alongside the edge of the first, and continue wrapping and gluing.


Step 4: When your bangle is completely wrapped, glue the end of your last strip on the underside and trim off the excess. That's it!


To make the lace bracelet:
What you'll need: a bangle blank, a few strips of silk (or something similar) 3/4" wide and about 6" long, a piece of alencon lace (or a similar flat lace) long enough to circle your bangle and wide enough to wrap all the way around it, glue, a small pair of scissors.

Step 1: Using strips of silk, cover the bangle following the steps outlined above for the leather version.


Step 2: Trim your lace to remove any harsh edges.


Step 3: Wrap the lace around the bangle, overlapping the short edges. Use small dots of glue on the underside to hold it in place.



There you go, leather and lace bangles at your service. Thanks for being a part of OPB's first two years - I hope you'll stick around for a third!