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

spiral carpet pad cuff bracelet 3692

The third in the series of conceptual carpet pad designs this piece is made from a 1" strip of pad that has been laid out on a mold with the edges aligned, then edge stitched together using a heavy black waxed thread. The effect is more etherial and definitely lighter weight than the bolt bracelet and less massive than the layered cuff.

The pattern on the exterior reverses but the ridges align nicely where they meet.

 The thread and connecting knots are concealed in the soft edges of the pad fabric giving this bracelet some mystery as to how it holds together. The bolt bracelet is fastened with force, the layered bracelet has visible stitching but this one has a hidden structure.

7 1/4" (183 mm) .7 oz (21 g)


Available here ARTiFactSite



design and photographs © copyright 2015