No-Sew Upcycled Denim Bracelet

This month's upcyclers' creativity challenge item was simple: "OLD PAIR OF JEANS!"

Interested in more info and my entries for other month's challenges?  Click away!
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012

 

Inspiration: This awesome book given to me by a dear friend - 99 ideas for upcycling jeans!  Amazing!  I pretty much picked the easiest one because I was feeling lazy, but I plan to try out many more in the future.

 

Here's the idea I picked.  I altered it a little.  They recommended cutting an empty water bottle to get your bracelet form.

 

I found a pair of old, raggedy, dirty, too-small jeans, and the cardboard center ring from a roll of tape that I had been conveniently saving for bracelet-making!

 

I superglued one end down with gel superglue and then started wrapping my denim strip around the cardboard ring.  I glued down the other end when I got to it.  You could also probably use hot glue.

 

It looked a little bland when I finished, so I cut some strips from this old t-shirt that I was originally planning to use for a scarf.  I glued and wrapped those too, and added a red button.

 

Done!  Chunky, fun bracelet.

 

I'm planning to wear it over sweaters this fall/winter.

 



Wrapping it up with a senior picture style pose.

I just love these challenges, not only because it forces me to think outside of my usual comfort zone, but because I get to see everyone else's awesome ideas too!  Check out Team Upcyclers and check out everyone's entries (which will be posted around the end of the month) on the Upcyclers Creative Challenge Board. 

DIY Washer Necklace

This project isn't actually complete yet, but it appears to be in the pictures, so I'm going to share it now!  I found this pin about making a washer necklace.  Really cute.  I followed the instructions, using a mustard yellow nail polish that I got at the dollar store to paint the washers.  Then I connected all the washers with jump rings, in the same configuration as the tutorial.  Very proud of my work, I picked up the necklace to find all of the washers folding in on each other and flipping over to reveal the unpainted side.  I don't have a picture of the pinstrosity, but it was not cute.  So, I took it apart and connected the rings in a long row instead.  Not quite the look I was originally going for, but it still turned out to be a fun necklace:

After I wore it, I realized that the washers still tend to flip themselves over, so I'm going to have to take it apart again and paint the backs of the washers.  I hope I get to it soon because this was intended to be a fall necklace!