Upcycle Thrift Store Belts to Beautiful Bracelets in 4 easy steps!
Upcycle – yep, that’s what we do here folks! Because, it’s fun, it’s a challenge and it’s great to help out community thrift stores (charity shops)! It’s also an addiction. I still haven’t done anything yet with the goodies I found when I was in California at the swap meet (video here). It’s all a work in progress. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming or crafting I should say. This jewelry craft project is a take on my Upcycled Jewelry: Bags, Belts and More book.
I’m so glad that my daughter loves to go junking too! Maybe it’s because I bribed her with lunch at her favorite tea room? I’m not quite sure.
Watch the video here on youtube
We didn’t find a whole lot of goodies to upcycle, but I did find was some gently used belts that were perfect for recycling into cuffs. Some of the belts were leather and others were made from synthetic material. It didn’t matter to me. I was more interested in the design and the pattern and what it would look like after I made it into jewelry.
In 4 Simple steps, here is my upcycling idea on how to make a leather bracelet from a belt:
You are going to need:
- Upcycled belt – Preferably leather
- Leather snaps and appropriate snap setter
- Hammer
- Very sharp durable scissors
- Embellishments of choice
- Leather circle punch or a Crop-O-Dile
- Paint in any color you like if you want to change the color.
- Adhesive – a durable silicone based low odor adhesive. (Lately my adhesive of choice for this is Clear Adhere)
- Tape Measure
Here’s how:
- Step 1: Measure your wrist and add two inches at least. You want your cuff to overlap.
- Step 2: Cut the belt to this length and round off edges
- Step 3: Mark hole placement and punch
- Step 4: Set the snaps into place with a hammer. Follow the instructions on the package or you can watch my easy technique video here – which is how to set rivets, but essentially the technique is very similar.
Add any embellishments you like to the center of the bracelet using a little adhesive and let it dry.
I love to Upcycle and I love to give back to the community. This particular charity thrift shop supported local battered women and children. It’s just a small way to make a difference, but it all adds up.
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Happy Wednesday!