soft thick rope grommet bracelets 4078

Found some nice soft cotton rope which is about 1/2" diameter, three ply construction. The fibers are a white cotton (probably bleached) so it's really well suited to making traditional grommets. The cotton is very soft so it's a comfortable finished bracelet that has some natural stretch to enable these to fit on over a larger hand.

They are finished with traditional coach whipping detail at the overlap.

 Here's what these look like when worn. The larger size material makes a nice nautical style statement.

Here are some other grommet bracelet designs you might like:

ultra-slender rope bracelets

collection of colorful grommet bracelets

really BIG rope grommet bracelets

Three closely spaces sizes were made in this initial run:
7 1/4" (184 mm)
7 1/2" (191 mm)
8 1/2" (226 mm)

More grommet bracelets in the ETSY shop in the grommets section (color, size, variety…something for everyone here!)


design and photographs copyright 2016

salvage cord rope bracelet 4080

Found materials are always a source of inspiration for making something out of scrap or other discarded stuff. So it is with this wider design (13x9x2) plain weave slip on cuff.

The cord was found along a roadside construction zone. Lengths of this cord were used to guide large concrete placement machines. A series of vertical rods with adjustable outriggers supports a length of this cord. A guide wand on the machine follows the string ensuring that the shape of the concrete pour matches the exact shape of the stretched cord.

 The cord was soaked in a vinegar solution to remove the cement residue then washed and dried. The cord is somewhat stiff as the braid is a tightly laid synthetic probably some kind of polyester or polypropylene.

Size is 8" (203 mm) inside circumference about right for an adult hand - no natural stretch to this one due to the high density cord.

A bit of this cord remains in my collection for custom work.

Here are some other designs made using reclaimed or recycled materials:

fiber bangles 

carpet pad bracelet

up cycled plastic fiber bangles


design and photographs copyright 2016

black and blue adjustable bead bracelet 4087

 Hand twisted hemp four ply cord and two oversize glass beads make a simple adjustable bracelet (or anklet).

The hemp cord is made on a small rope machine like this. The glass beads have large oversize holes that can accept two passes of the cord.

An overhand knot secures the loose ends.

 The adjustment is simply a matter of sliding the beads on the cord to achieve the desired size. This design can expand to 13" (331 mm) and shrink to as small as 6 1/4" (158 mm) so it can fit over a smaller foot to be worn as an anklet or an average wrist.

More examples of handmade rope here

Similar hemp cord bracelet

beaded hemp toggle bracelets 

This and similar designs are available in the ETSY shop in the toggle bracelets section or you can request a custom design.





design and photographs copyright 2016 

button toggle rope bracelets 4074

 These simple rope bracelets were designed for a custom order and a series were made out of the yellow ochre cord- the custom dye process always require some additional material to test color outcomes…

A heavier four ply cotton cord is used. A small button is secured to the open ends of the cord with  high strength nylon thread.

The loop is formed and secured with a waxed thread coach whipping detail. A second coach whipping is added near the button

 Finished size is 8" (203 mm) inside circumference about right for an adult male wrist.

This versatile design can be produced in a variety of sizes. Button design and color can be matched to a wide choice of dyed cord.

The coach whippings can be made with the traditional wax thread as in this example or cotton floss can be substituted using the same concealed end technique.

Some other designs you might like:

Fishtail braid bracelet

Suede pillow bracelet

wrap bracelet with dragon tooth button

Check the ETSY shop in the toggle bracelets section for availability of this design and other related designs.

design and photographs copyright 2016

double loop rope bracelets made from hand twisted rope 4061

This double rope bracelet is an example of what can be made with a firm four ply segment of handmade rope. The cotton yarns are rigged on the rope machine and held under tension while twisted hundreds of times, then laid (plyed) together using the spreader tool to control the lay.

The four strands are themselves composed of a pair of yarns so the finished rope is made out of  eight cotton yarns. (Spinning a yarn may be slang for how a story is told but it also is the technical description of rope manufacturing.)

Controlling the tightness of the lay so that the finished rope has some stiffness means these little slip on bracelets hold their shape quite nicely. The thickness of the finished rope is about 4-5 mm.

The cotton yarns are compressed evenly so the finished rope is round in section. The overall segment length is about 74". This is a convenient length for my basement workshop, greater lengths are possible with more time and patience.

The finish is a traditional coach whipping detail here made with a pleasing light yellow ochre waxed thread. The loose ends are relayed around the barrel of the whipping and fed through parallel to the rope, then trimmed off.

Look for this and similar designs in the ETSY shop soon.




design and photographs copyright  2016