Sunday, July 12, 2015

knock-off Alex and Ani DIY bracelet


I am loving the fun style of these Alex and Ani bracelets, and see them everywhere. I was making them for my Activity Days group (group of 9 year olds from my church)  the other day. My daughter had a few friends over, and they all flipped out when they saw what I had made, and how easy it is! They were begging to have a craft day and make their own. Even my girlfriends that have seen them love them. I thought it would be fun to make them Utah themed, as we have Pioneer Days (our big State of Utah yearly celebration) coming up in a few weeks.


I like that you can wear a bunch of them, or just one, and the charms are free to float around the bracelet as they like. I also like the I can get 8 bracelets out of $4 worth of wire, plus the cost of the charms and beads I use. Alex & Ani run $25-$50+.

You will need:

Jewelry pliers - found at any craft store
Charms - craft store, Ebay, Etsy
I am doing this Utah Themed, like I said, but you can do any theme you like. I like to find my charms on Etsy and Ebay. I use Ebay if I can wait for shipping, and Etsy, if I need them faster. Also, Etsy sometimes carries things that Ebay doesn't, like the Utah charms. For generic charms, I prefer Hobby Lobby. 
Jewelry Wire - craft store
You will need 12 to 14 gauge craft wire. It needs to be sturdy. I like the thinner wire, because I could thread a few of my beads on it, and I liked the color better than the color of the thicker wire. The thinner wire is more fragile, and you will have to watch it when you wear it. I have been wearing mine for a few weeks now, and not had anything major happen.
Jump Rings - craft store (Thread your charms onto these.)



You will need to cut off 11 to 12 inches of wire, allowing the wire to bend naturally - don't straighten it out. Use your pliers to make a circle, and bend it sideways and up or down, so that you can push the other end of the wire in after you thread the beads and charms on.


Go nuts, and thread as many beads and charms on as you like! This picture is three bracelets sitting on top of each other, and I like it, but I also like the simplicity of just wearing one. And yes, I like to mix metals.


After you are happy with your design, thread the end of the wire through the hole you made in the beginning, and do the same thing to the end to close it off. Make a circle, and bend it sideways then up or down (depending on the way the first circle is sitting). Open it slightly to allow the wire to fit in, and then pinch the circle closed with your pliers. You can expand your bracelet to put it on, and shrink it after it is over your hand.


I wore this one to church today, and it made me happy very time I looked down!


I will be sharing more Utah themed DIY projects this week, in honor of Pioneer Day. The ideas I share can easily be made into your own theme taste and style. You will want to check back! This Friday, I will be on Studio 5 showing my round up of Pioneer Day Ideas!

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a Happy and Creative Day!

Risa




3 comments:

Unknown said...

Loved your segment on Studio 5! However, I'm having a hard time finding these charms on Etsy. Which Etsy seller did you buy them from?

restlessrisa said...

Thanks Cara, Just type, "Utah charm," in the search field. I bought them from, CharmsFindingsPlus. I got the wagon charms from, "loveittopieces." You can find more colors by typing, "wagon charms," in the search field. I hope this helps. If it doesn't, I can cut and paste the exact store when I am on my computer and not my phone.

alicia king said...

loved these too!

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