Looking for bracelets with a lot of cool, funky beads

October 7, 2013 8:49 AM

Someone recently sent me a bracelet from MiaLena. Who else makes stuff like this?

I would like to give such bracelets as gifts, and probably will get some from this same company at some point, but I'm not up to commissioning a custom bracelet right now and the ones for sale on the open market are kind of plain compared to the one I got. (The custom ones on the page I linked to all seem to be sold out; there is a simpler line you can order from.)

So who else makes bracelets along these lines? What I like is the wide variety of beads, many of them irregularly shaped. The construction of the bracelets is pretty awesome too; the setup with the loop and the button is surprisingly secure and my bracelet never opens up/falls off. But mainly it's the funky eclectic beads. I'm having fun browsing on Etsy but it occurs to me that someone here might know exactly what I am looking for. Thanks!

posted by BibiRose to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)

Best answer: Can YOU make similar bracelets yourself? They don't look hard to make or complicated at all. Why don't you look for interesting beads to buy and then make your own? You'd spend WAY less and they would probably be more meaningful for whoever you're giving it to.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 9:41 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]

Best answer: go to craft shows in your area. I have never been to a craft show that did not have at least one booth selling such bracelets. Prices are generally very reasonable for these.
posted by txmon at 9:43 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: As PuppetMcSockerson says, these would be very easy to make. I have seen most of those beads in my local bead store (I'm not talking Michael's Crafts, I do mean bead store, but mist metro areas have several of those). Stores often have a workspace and tools that you can use to assemble things in-store, and they'll walk you through it. I bet if you went into a bead store armed with several photos, they could help you assemble something very very similar.
posted by aimedwander at 10:30 AM on October 7, 2013

Best answer: Check out beaded button bracelets on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/search?q=beaded%20button%20bracelets&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US

You might want to try different keywords to search.
posted by bessiemae at 11:35 AM on October 7, 2013

Best answer: Here is someone who will do custom work and also has tutorials on how to make various pieces. You could contact her and ask if she could provide what you want in the way of beads.
www.AlbinasJewelry.etsy.com
posted by mermayd at 2:21 PM on October 7, 2013

Response by poster: Thanks for all the advice! I happen to have a lot of nice inherited beads that I sometimes try to make bracelets from. I can never get them to be as robust as the MiaLena one, which has stood up to heavy wearing ever since it arrived. I love the ideas for getting some help with this.

The pointer about googling is really helpful too; the button closure is one of the big things I like about the MiaLena bracelets.

Big thanks, everyone!
posted by BibiRose at 7:20 AM on October 8, 2013

Best answer: If you're thinking of making your own, you might enjoy kumihimo, which is a form of Japanese braiding. It's easy to make interesting patterns, they're sturdy, and you can make your own cardboard braiding disc to start off with! There's all sorts of different ways to braid beads in to the bracelet, or you can just use it as a cord for larger beads.

Etsy is also great for beads, fittings, you name it. I'm no artisan, but I've made some nice stuff just with braiding, and beads and bits from Etsy. I didn't spend a penny on books as there are tons of kumihimo videos on YouTube.
posted by danteGideon at 8:31 AM on October 9, 2013