Comments on: What everyday objects can I turn into nifty bracelets?

Question: What everyday objects can I turn into nifty bracelets?

NoraReed — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:19:52 -0800

My girlfriend really likes bracelets made from ordinary objects. She has a fork bracelet and a bike chain bracelet already. What are other objects that I could turn into bracelets for her? Or, alternatively, what are some cool Etsy shops that make cool bracelets out of everyday stuff?

She likes them to be thick enough to cover a (fairly small) scar on her wrist, so nothing that only wraps partially around (or that's super thin).

By: Holy foxy moxie batman!

Holy foxy moxie batman! — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:22:03 -0800

knitting needles (if that's her sort of thing), or maybe a spoon to go with the fork?

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:22:06 -0800

A big nail.

By: exogenous

exogenous — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:22:36 -0800

Electronics!

By: fire&wings

fire&wings — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:23:49 -0800

Typewriter keys.

By: chococat

chococat — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:26:05 -0800

My daughter made a few bracelets out of safety pins and beads that are kinda cool. Similar to these.

By: yellowbinder

yellowbinder — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:28:06 -0800

You can mold a toothbrush under hot water!

By: fire&wings

fire&wings — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:31:24 -0800

Also, camera lenses.

By: lottie

lottie — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:33:57 -0800

You know what I think would be really cool? A little dictaphone cassette somehow suspended on a leather cord or bracelet.

By: Weaslegirl

Weaslegirl — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:36:06 -0800

I also had the electronics idea.... multiple coloured wires attached to a small alligator clip that would work as the fastener....like little jumper cables around her wrist :o)

By: misha

misha — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:46:34 -0800

Shains are very cool, designed with kids in mind, made from recycled stuff! You can put different messages on them.

She might be inspired by this bottle cap bracelet, these plastic bag bracelets and these cool charm bracelets made from "retro" stuff.

By: rodgerd

rodgerd — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:47:17 -0800

Strip down some flex from a power cord - nice braided copper core and you can expose the outer, inner, and copper layers as you please to create something nice.

By: radioamy

radioamy — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:53:13 -0800

In a slightly different vein, Green Kangaroo makes resin jewelry with all sorts of fun stuff in it...like sprinkles!

By: now i'm piste

now i'm piste — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:55:31 -0800

I know it only wraps partly around, but my GF has a penny bracelet like this that I think is pretty cool.

By: Metroid Baby

Metroid Baby — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:59:57 -0800

I made a soda can tab belt a few years ago - you could easily make a shorter version for a bracelet, perhaps with stretchy cord so it slips over the wrist.

By: Kellydamnit

Kellydamnit — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:02:43 -0800

I've seen belts made from old seat belts. Maybe a thick wrist cuff done the same could work? I don't think it would be much more uncomfortable than a large watch.

By: nadawi

nadawi — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:19:55 -0800

all the strings from a guitar wrapped around each other

By: cachondeo45

cachondeo45 — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:32:42 -0800

BUTTONS! More buttons!

By: piedmont

piedmont — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:38:31 -0800

To piggy back on nadawi's suggestion, I've always loved these guitar string bracelets used by rockstars. A little pricey, but the money goes to a good cause, at least in part.

By: Sweetie Darling

Sweetie Darling — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:44:53 -0800

In college, back in the olden days of the mid-80s, we made bracelets out of fishing lures.

By: min

min — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:47:32 -0800

Check out Individual Icons. I have one of her ruler bracelets and love it. She might like some of the earrings and necklaces there too, if she likes all kinds of jewelery made from everyday objects.

By: hurdy gurdy girl

hurdy gurdy girl — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:48:34 -0800

dominoes
Scrabble tiles
mah jongg tiles
Lego

By: fan_of_all_things_small

fan_of_all_things_small — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:19:58 -0800

Seconding yellowbinder; when I was in junior high I scoured the kid`s toothbrushes at Walmart for some super cute ones with Sesame Street characters on them, yanked out the bristles with pliers, and dunked them in boiling water. Then you just bend them to fit your wrist size. Very durable too.

By: pseudostrabismus

pseudostrabismus — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:03:46 -0800

Toothbrush bracelets are fun to make.

By: lannanh

lannanh — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:30:25 -0800

Vinyl record cuffs

By: indienial

indienial — Wed, 20 May 2009 01:54:53 -0800

tea-cups or mugs! cut them into slices, then you have bangles.

By: 1f2frfbf

1f2frfbf — Wed, 20 May 2009 06:20:10 -0800

Measuring tape

By: orme

orme — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:15:25 -0800

Cassette tape!

I think this was posted somewhere on MetaFilter not long ago...

By: carolr

carolr — Wed, 20 May 2009 19:57:10 -0800

Barbie pieces!

She's also on Etsy.

By: NoraReed

NoraReed — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:46:46 -0800

Excellent suggestions all! I marked the ones that I thought were coolest/most possible for me to make.