Word to your mother

I have been infatuated with making grown up friendship bracelets.  All week I have been making the old school ones with embroidery thread.  Will post on those soon.

I found myself back at the hardware store today buying more hexnuts for a project I did for a blog swap a while back with my sweet and beautiful cousin Shelley from Crazy Wonderful.  I love making these so much I thought I would repost it on my own blog.

I found the tutorial over at Honestly WTF.  It's a braided Hex Nut bracelet.  The best part: it cost around $2, and takes less than 10 minutes, plus all supplies can be found at a hardware store, or in your hubby's toolbox.

Supplies:  3 strands of twine (you could even use leather) cut into 1 yard pieces

                18 small brass hexnuts (but feel free to make it your own and use silver) 

                scissors

Gather the 3 strands and tie a not at the top, then braid it about an inch or so.  I stuck a safety pin in my bed to hold it firm while braiding (do at your own risk).

Once you get a good inch or 2 braided, start incorporating the hex nuts.  

This photo is courtesy of Honestly WTF

• Start with the strand on the left and holding the braid taught add a nut and push it to the base of braid.  You'll want to hold that nut firmly in place. 
• Then crossover that strand.  
• Before joining the right side, add another nut, hold firmly then crossover. 

 Follow this with the remaining hex nuts, then finish with another inch or 2 of braid, tie another knot and you are finished.  You can leave a long strand and tie it with a knot, or do what I did and find a nice clasp.  I hate wearing jewelry at home.  It's the first thing I take off when I enter the door...right before I put on my sweats.

This project was so fun and easy I made two.  One out of small hexnuts, one out of the medium.

pardon the paint on my hand...

I used a magnetic clasp I found at Joanns.

I enjoyed it so made much I did another one of their tutorials making "grown up" friendship bracelets.  I am totally addicted.  Here is the link to the other tutorial.

The top is an old bracelet I haven't worn in years.  The bottom is an old gold chain from back in the day when I was a true gangsta.  

 Close up of the necklace.

If you do this second project with a small chain, use about 1/2 as much embroidery thread and instead of using a bobby pin to pull the strands through, use a small piece of embroidery thread tied around the two strands you are working with.  It makes it much easier since a bobby pin won't fit through the small links.

Warning: just like friendship bracelets from the 80s, these are totally addicting and will have you remaking all your old jewelry.  

Check out the "I like to party" link and come and link your projects!