Free Wrap Bracelet Tutorial

 Wrap bracelets are all the rage right now.  You see them all over.  I have made a couple of different styles and I am sure this one is not an original design, it is just my way of making one.  It took a little playing around with the crochet to get just the thickness of cord I wanted.  Any way here goes.

 You will need a small crochet hook. This one is a size 3. Some kind of crochet thread, pearl cotton, or craft cord.  And a button or disc type bead to use as a closure.  I also needed a needle which I forgot to put in the photo. 

 Form a loop with your thread and make a chain stitch, leaving a nice long tail about 7 to 10 inches.

 Crochet a chain that is about 60 to 65 inches long.  If you want fewer wraps you just make this chain shorter.

 Crochet enough more chain stitches to make a loop that will fit over your button.  This loop needed to be 15 stitches long.  Slip stitch back into the foundation chain forming the loop.

 Slip stitch in each chain of the loop and then continue to slip stitch in each chain of the foundation chain back toward the beginning.  Before you go very far do check to make sure your loop fits your button nicely.  You do not want it too big.  It should just slide over nicely.  When you reach the end of your chain cut a nice long tail and pull both of the tails through the last loop.

If you are using a large hole bead as your button you will want to slide on a size 6 seed bead then take the tails through the hole of the bead.

 Put a size 8 bead on each tail then take the tails back down through the hole of the bead and the size 6 seed bead.

 Using your needle run the tails through the base chain one going each direction.  I then like to take one of the tails and go back through and do this all one more time.  I just like the look of three beads in the center rather than two.  I am sure two would hold it on there I just like three. 

 Take your two tails and tie them in a knot around your base chain a couple of times then work the tails back through the chain to hide them.  After going back a couple of inches I cut off the excess.

Now just wrap the crocheted chain around your wrist several times, put the loop around the bead and you are ready to show off your new bracelet.

 If you are using a shank type button you just need to take your tails through the shank and the base chain several times then tie the knots around the base chain and again work in the tails.

Now all you have to do is wrap the bracelet around your wrist and button it.  Ready to go.  This length could be used as a necklace as well.  Have fun make several they are fun to wear together.

Finishing.........

................up some special orders from the last couple of shows.  Not getting home until the first of last week makes me feel like I have left things way longer than I should have.  It is a nice feeling to be almost finished with them all.

These are some row counter bracelets.  I want to make more but these were what I have gotten done so far.  Stitches Midwest is coming up in August and I want to be ready.

Just a few photos

 I have been trying for a week to get Blogger to work on my phone.  It has worked just fine in the past and now for some reason it won't upload photos at all.  I just wanted to check in and show you a photo of my booth from the Stitches show in Atlanta.

 And these are some photos from our drive today.  We are headed towards home and actually are in Omaha NE right now. 

 As always water towers seem to end up in at least one of my pictures and I do so love the solarize option on my phone.

We did have to drive in some rain  but nothing like the mess we drove to Florida in two weeks ago.  I swear that storm was following us all the way south.

At last............

.............I could say that at last I finally changed this blog, but instead I will say......it's finished. The beads for this piece were made months ago when Jodie and I spent a weeks challenge of making beads just to use ourselves. They have been sitting on my work table ever since. I wanted to take this piece with me for the next couple of shows and I just made it as we leave tomorrow. I after thinking about it all day I have decided to call it The Red Queen.
If you would like to see it up close and personal come by Saturday in Omaha NE, at the Westside Community Center as I will be there for the bead show and the following week we will be at Stitches South in Atlanta GA.

Stick earrings

My friend Jodie Marshall put this great tutorial on her blog for these stick earrings. I have wanted to try and make a pair ever since she finished it up. I have to tell you they were so much fun to make and frankly I want to make another pair right now. I think that the fun of pulling out the beads to go into the mix was the best part. They work up so quick that you want to plan another pair right away. Check out her blog and try out a pair for yourself you will so be addicted.

Spring has sprung.......

..............and so has a new necklace. These are more if the new Alice's Garden beads and while the other two necklaces had titles this one does not yet. I am sure it will come to me.
It is really nice around here these past few days nice and sunny and shirt sleeve weather when we could be having snow. I am truly loving it.

Always late.

This is my March button. It has been done to this point for several weeks. I just have not finished the back yet. I was going to wait until I did to show it off but I have not had time. March has been a month of running the roads. Driving all the time. So my theme this month is the road. (I should say last month since it is now April.)

And I should tell you that April's button will probably be late too. I will actually be gone most of this month as well.