When I first started being “crafty” my big thing was jewellery making. I developed a real love for mixing and matching colours and shapes but really loved (and still do!) the beauty of Swarovski crystals. The range of colours alone was inspiring. The only problem I had, personally, was that I wasn’t much of a jewellery wearer! Over time though, I’ve gained my own style of jewellery for me – I love things that are a bit different, eye catching but not in a gaudy way. I love looking up the properties of precious stones and have even had a go at using PMC (Precious Metal Clay – it’s clay that has tiny particles of pure silver embedded into it that when fired, the clay burns away leaving a piece of jewellery that is 99% pure silver!). However, this is not a cheap hobby!
“Get to the point, Mary…”
“Sorry Babs!” Oops.
A little while ago, I made myself up a bracelet of crystals. Using elasticated thread and very tight knots and because I like to use lots of different colours, this sparkly thing goes with just about anything and any occasion 🙂
Fancy having a go? Well, we’ve put together some great little packages of mixed crystals for you to have a go without having to go to the expense of buying loads of crystals in order to get a decent mix of colours and a whole spool of elasticated thread!
Some useful tips when using elasticated thread are :
- Always stretch the thread before you start. This will prevent it from stretching later on and not having enough crystals or beads on your bracelet to fill it.
- Use a hair clip on one end of your thread to stop the crystals from falling off – believe me, I know, I have done this so many times!
- When you’re knotting the thread, stretch the knot between each one. Start with a simple double knot, stretch, then a couple of single knots.
- Leave a small tail of thread when you’ve finished.
- Using either a jewellery glue or a clear nail varnish, dab a drop or two onto the knot to help seal it.
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And that’s it! A simple, straight forward little project – great for girls to do (with supervision for the gluing) and a lovely stocking filler in either kit form or made up as a gift for a friend. We will be adding little kits of these onto the Shop very soon so keep your eyes open for them.
Enjoy. M x
