When you buy safety pins it’s kind of like when you buy paper clips. They give you a zillion of them – way more than what you probably need. If you’ve got a pack of safety pins at home you should know that they can be turned into a nice cuff bracelet that features beads and metal. Use silver safety pins, and turquoise beads, to make a Native American bracelet. Or, use neon beads to create a fun cuff bracelet for a young girl. It will take a lot of pins, and a lot of beads, but you’ll end up with a nice bracelet that won’t look at all like safety pins – unless a person looks closely.
Just because something takes a good amount of time to make doesn’t mean that it’s hard. It will take some time to make the safety pin cuff bracelet but it’s easy enough for a child to do. You’ll start by using approximately 75 safety pins. However, a child’s bracelet will take less; a large wrist might require a few more.
Safety pins are available in various sizes and, nowadays, in many different colors. Use any color you want but purchase pins according to the design you want for the bracelet. Purchase small safety pins for a child’s bracelet but pins that are at least two inches long for an adult’s cuff.
Open each safety pin and slide on tiny beads. You can take the time to arrange various patterns on the assorted pins, or you can slide on beads of all one color. Leave a small area at the point of the pin without beads so that you can easily close the safety pin.
After all the pins are filled and closed, begin threading a stretchy cord through the holes. Thread on one pin by going through the large end of the pin, then thread the next one on by going through the bottom hole of the pin. Continue alternating the pins – one up and one down – until you have them all strung tightly on the cord. Tie the cord in a tight knot and use a dot of glue to secure. Tuck the knot inside the hole of the last pin. Run a stretch cord through the opposite end of every pin, and tie a knot, to finish the bracelet.
The safety pin and bead bracelet might take a little time to make but it sure is beautiful. Since beads and safety pins are really cheap you can make several bracelets for the price you’d pay for one nice cuff.