Create Your Own Cross Stitch Bracelet

Who said that you only can embroider on fabric? I like to embroider on all kind of materials, leather, wood, plastics. Today I ‘m going to show you how you can make a leather bracelet with cross stich embroidery. I like to combine necklace and bracelet so why not both embroider your own necklace and bracelet? In another instructable (link below) I show how you can make a pendant with embroidery on wood.

https://www.instructables.com/id/Embroider-your-own...

But let now start with the bracelet.

Measure your wrist. The leather band should be one inch longer for overlap of the bracelet with the fastening. Take care that you have some extra space as you don’t want to have your bracelet to tight.

Cut the leather at the right length. You can use a leather belt or cut the bracelet from another piece of leather. Once I did a bracelet of the leather from the back of an old chair which would be disposed. It is important though that the back of the leather is smooth and not “hairy” otherwise you will get problems with the embroidery. It will be difficult to see where you should put your nail on the back of the bracelet. My wrist measures 6.3 inch (16 cm) and I cut the bracelet with the length of 7.7 inch (19.5 cm). It is 1.4 inch (3.5 cm) wide.

Fasten your Snap fasteners. Drill a hole. You can also use a hollow punch tool or a leather hole punch. The size dependents on your snap fasteners.

Fasten your snap fasteners on both sides. How you should fasten your fasteners is depending on which brand you have chosen. If you feel unsure than look on the internet there are loads of instruction videos which show you how to fasten just your type of fasteners.

Start to draw the pattern. I decided to do a rose but you can choose whatever you want.

Before I started to draw the pattern I reduced the size of the squares in a copier to about 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch (3mm x 3mm)

Tape the pattern on the leather with scotch tape and mark holes with a bodkin. This will make it easier to drill. Drill the holes (I used a 3/64 inch, 1mm drill) I have access to a pillar drill but you can easily do it with an electric screwdrivers. I drilled with the highest speed and the bracelet lay on top of a bit plywood. I did't clamp the leather but press it down with my hands on the plywood surface underneath.

It take some time to embroider your bracelet but what a great feeling when you are done. You will have a unique, beautiful bracelet. And if the yarn is worn out you can easily embroider your bracelet again.

Start the embroidery. I used DMC Cotton Embroidery Floss and separated it into two threads. It doesn’t matter if you start your cross stitch going ‘////’ or ‘\\\\’ as long as you are consistent with this pattern over the entirety of your project. Use the same direction to create every X in the stitch. Read more about how to do cross-stich in link below

http://www.wikihow.com/Cross-Stitch

http://www.stylevila.com/how-to-make-cross-stitch-...

When the bracelet was ready I found out that the overhanging ends were a bit too long, so I cut off a little bit at both ends.

Enjoy and feel pretty with your new bracelet (and necklace ?)

Did you like this instructable? It competes in the bracelet contest.

Have a nice day/Amaries

An other cross stitch bracelet.... little more inspiration.