Blog hop: {DIY Handmade Gifts} + 15 Handmade Christmas Ideas (kraft&mint)

Today I’m participating with 15 other bloggers on a Handmade Christmas blog hop. I’m honored to be party of this project! Please read about my blog hop experience below and don’t forget to check out the 15 amazing handmade ideas all the blog hop participants designed to share with you!

Hello! A couple of months ago, lovely Havala from “Sisters, What!” blog invited me to be part of the “Handmade Gifts” Blog hop. I love creative exercises such as this. The only “rule” for the bloggers participating in the blog hop was to make a handmade gift.

So I went for it and designed a simple leather bracelet with a “statement” stone. Ever since my first project using leather, I’m semi in-love with this material and crafted a couple of leather accessories.

Please take a look at the tutorial I’ve put together for you. With the right tools, this bracelet is very easy to put together. Even if you haven’t made a piece of jewelry before, if you can measure and cut a few strips of leather, you are well on your way to making these bracelets.

Tutorial

You will need a soft leather hide in white, statement stone beads, white leather cord, pliers, crafting glue and long silver pins. Begin by cutting 12 inches by 2 inches rectangles of white leather. Cut rectangles in four strips, (1/2 inch wide). Fold the ends of the strip and make a hole with a screw punch. Apply glue between the folded “ends” of the strips. Put these aside and let glue dry for an hour or so.

Put a pin through a statement stone bead and make and twist the pin to create a small “loop.” The top of the pin has a “loop” already, so once you twist the other end of the pin you’ll have a “loop” on each end. Set your stone bead aside.

Measure six inches of white leather cord and put it through one end of the leather strip’s hole and one end of the bead’s loop. Make a knot and secure knot with glue. Repeat the same process with the other bead’s “loop” and leather strip.

Enjoy your new creations and maybe keep one for yourself?