DIY Braided Charm Bracelet

This is another very simple and easy DIY, however you'll need to buy some basic art/jewellery making supplies. Don't worry though, most of them can be found around the house or are very cheap to buy :)

What you'll need:

• Pliers
• Fake leather chord
• Charms
• Jump ring (little hoops to attach the charms with)
• Tape

Optional things that close the bracelet:

• Jewellery clasp
• Glue

I used solvent glue for extra strength, but it's not necessary

1. Measure out your leather chord, (mine came braided so I didn't need to do that but if yours doesn't measure each strand roughly four times around your wrist as when you braid it, it will get shorter.) If it's braided, measure roughly three times and a half around your wrist, as you can always shorten it later.

2. Before you cut the length of chord off put some tape on both ends so they don't unravel (I used black insulating tape because it was the only one I could find). Then cut off just after the tape.

3. Open a jump ring using the pliers (When the hoop is facing you, if you push one end away from you and pull the other towards you, rather than pulling the ends away from one another as that weakens the hoop and may cause it to snap.

4. Place the open jump ring through the middle of the braid and then put the charm on the ring, now, close up the jump ring and your first charm is done. Check that your charm faces the right way when the bracelet's on.

5. Repeat with the rest of the charms and you can choose to finish there, and simply tie it closed, but I find the bracelet easier to use if there's a clasp on it :)

6. On one end, open a jump ring and put the clasp on it, then close it again. Now just put the ring through the end of the braid.

7. Then simply fold over the end of the braid and glue two pieces of braid that are touching each other together.

8. For the other end just place a jump ring through the end of the braid and glue

I love this DIY as it's so cute and really easy, it also makes a great gift and you can personalise it by choosing which charms you want :) Another gift idea is that you leave the jump rings empty and you can buy the person a clip on charm each birthday, one more for each year you've been friends <3

I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you did I'd be so grateful if you helped me by following this blog by email, subscribing or telling a friend 

Thank you so much <3 Alice x

DIY Vintage Style Frame Fillers

This is my first post and it's a really simple DIY but gives a very professional effect.

The only things you'll need to have are two frames, black paint. plain white paper, a teabag, a computer and a printer. (My frames are from Ikea)

1. Take a piece of paper and a small bowl with a teabag and hot water in it, then use a paintbrush to brush the tea water onto the paper.I found it easiest to do a few thin coats as this gives a very nice layered effect and won't give you a huge waiting time.

2. While this is drying you'll want to find a piece of music on the internet, I used Mozart's 'Duetto uno Violino e Viola'. I chose this as I wanted a fairly complicated looking piece of music, and I thought having both instrumental parts gave it a very nice effect.

I don't own copyright of this image

3. Shrink the image on your computer (I used Microsoft word) to the correct size to fit your frame. Then copy and paste it so you are printing two copies of the music score.

4. Take your tea stained paper, which hopefully is now dry and put it in the printer. I would suggest bending your paper to get rid of any stiffness so it goes through the printer easily. Remember if you only stained one side to place it in the printer so it'll have the music on the side you want.

5. Print out the word document onto the tea stained paper.

6. Find a bird outline on Google images (or a few similar style bird outlines) and place the image on the word document and then delete the music score images. Remember that you'll be cutting these out so probably don't choose the most intricate image.

I don't own copyright of this image I found it here: http://cocalores.blogspot.co.uk/

7. Place the tea stained paper with the music score on it back into the printer (remember that your printer might print on the opposite side to the one showing up when its in the paper tray)

8. Take your scissors and cut out the music score without the bird outlines on it and place it in your frame, the first one is done and you're nearly finished :)

9. Cut out around the bird outlines from the other music, this is where it helps if the outline is fairly simple.

10. Cut out a piece of paper to fit your frame, I chose white because it's simplest and matches my desk best but any colour could work.

11. Now Paint on some branches in black paint (I used watercolour). I would suggest practising painting a few before to decide what style you'd like. If you like even thinner lines you could try using a black fineliner.

12. Now all you need to do is glue the musical note birds onto the branches, frame it and hang up both projects and its all done :)

I really love how simple this is and how few things you need to buy, I hope you enjoyed this and might try it out :) <3