A metal cuff bracelet can cost a lot of money because, after all, it’s a large piece of shiny metal – possibly even gold or silver – and can have beautiful embellishments like an engraved motif, or even embedded jewels. If you love cuff bracelets, but are often shocked by the prices, look around your house for something you can make the cuff bracelet out of. A tin with a lid is a fabulous choice; the lid can easily be turned into a gorgeous bracelet you’ll be proud to wear.
It’s not hard to find an inexpensive tin and turn it into a stunning cuff bracelet. Tins are sold at dollar-theme stores, craft stores, and discount department stores. In a grocery store, you can find tins of cookies, tea, or even crackers. You’ll often have selections like holiday themes, outdoor scenery, or just plain ones with interesting colors. When you choose a decorated tin you’ll often find that the resulting bracelet is quite elegant. Measure around your wrist to get an idea of how long the tin – and lid – should be.
Use tin snips or industrial-type scissors to cut the lid of the tin. It can be a little difficult to get started since you have to cut through the thick lip of the lid. Once you cut through it, though, you can simply cut around the perimeter of the lid and remove the entire lip. That will leave you with a flat piece of metal for making the bracelet.
Cut the tin piece to be as long as you want for the bracelet, and as wide. There are tools you can use to bend the cut edges of the tin under, and make it safer to wear. It can, however, be a long and imperfect process. A quicker way to finish the tin, and give a nice accent to the bracelet, is to use colored tape. Whether you use metallic tape, or electric tape in colors of blue, red, or black, you’ll just cover the edges with it.
Tear a piece of tape to be the same size as one short side of the bracelet. Place half of the tape on the metal, then wrap the other half of the length behind the bracelet. Do this to both ends, and to both long sides of the metal.
After the sharp edges are all covered wrap the metal piece around a bottle, a candle jar, or another round object. This will help you shape it for your wrist. After you get the general shape, put the bracelet on, then further shape it to fit.
You’ll love the tin lid cuff bracelet project because you have millions of tin lids from which to choose. Plus, it’s so easy to make, yet looks so high-end and costly, that you’ll definitely want to own many.