Wire Crochet Bracelet: Brianna

Hey, friends!  Remember Brianna, the second place winner from this year's One Crafty Contest?  She knows how to make a super-cool kind of jewelry I had never tried, so today she's here to share it with all of us...enjoy!

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Hello! I'm Brianna, and I blog over at CraftandRepeat.

Colorblocked Earrings

Hey, friends!  As I was doing some clean-up work on the blog recently, I came across an old guest post I did for someone else's blog back when One Artsy Mama was very new, and it occurred to me that many of you probably never saw this project.  I absolutely love these earrings, and color blocking is still a huge fashion trend for this Spring {I was ahead of my time!}, so I thought I'd re-share them with you today!  My apologies in advance for the crummy photos...it was before I had my new camera equipment and before I knew much about editing too...

They're really simple, so even if you've never ever made jewelry before, you can do it!  Ready?  Here they are!

I decided to make them a combination of magenta, orange, and yellow so that they'll really stand out with a black/neutral outfit or match anything that has one of those colors in it.  You can make them with any color beads you like.  Here's how to do it:

Button Votive Holder

Hi, friends!  I'm excited to share this week's button project with you!  I was looking for something fun and festive I could use for my Easter table, and came up with this cute votive holder.  You could do the same thing for a vase, a pencil holder, or anything you wanted!  Take a look...

Materials:

- assorted buttons

- wire {26 gauge or thinner}

- glass votive holder or vase

The specific buttons I chose for this project were:

- "Wilburn" {5, 12 mm}

- "Charmain" {5, 11 mm}

- "Carlos" {5, 15 mm}

This project was incredibly simple!  All I did was choose a pattern and thread my buttons onto the wire.  I threaded the wire up from the bottom through the left hole, went down through the right, and repeated until all fifteen buttons were on the wire.  Make sure you measure the circumference of your votive holder or vase first, so you know how many buttons to use and can adjust your pattern accordingly.

When I was done stringing the buttons, I twisted the wire ends together, trimmed them, and tucked them behind a large "Carlos" button.  Then, I slid the button ring down over the votive holder until it stopped.

I love how decorative this is and how it adds a fun touch of color to something very ordinary.  Plus, since the button ring is not permanently attached to the glass, I can remove it and replace it whenever I want!  I can use fall colors, holiday buttons...the possibilities are endless!  These would make pretty additions to wedding tables too, done in the bride's selected colors. 

I absolutely love these particular buttons; as soon as I saw them on the website, I had to have them!  The colors are fantastic, and the patterns are so much fun!  What about you?  What colors and patterns would you use?

Hugs & Glitter,

Amy Latta is the author of One Artsy Mama, where she shares a variety of project types including home decor, kids' crafts, sewing, jewelry, and more.  She is happiest when creating something and enjoys making all kinds of projects with her 4 year old "Little Crafter." In her spare time, Amy is a professional ballroom, latin, and swing dancer.  When not on the dance floor or crafting, you can probably find her at Starbucks.

Pearl and Crystal Memory Wire Bracelet

Memory wire.  A jewelry-lover's best friend.  Not too long ago, I discovered how incredibly easy it is to make gorgeous jewelry of all kinds using nothing more than memory wire and whatever beads you like.  So far, I made one to remind me of my "word of the year," and two with shell beads; one pink and one coral.

Recently, I had a formal event to attend {more on that later} and I wanted an elegant, blingy bracelet to go with my dress.  

Here's what I came up with, and how you can make your own.

Materials:

- memory wire

- pearls in assorted sizes

- small rhinestone crystals

- wire cutters and needle nose pliers

Step 1: String beads and rhinestones onto your memory wire.

I did mine in a completely random pattern of small pearls, large pearls, and crystals.  I'm a total perfectionist and I tend to always want to do things symmetrically, so it took all my self control not to make a pattern, but I think the effect is more fun this way.

Step 2: Cut wire on both ends and form wire loops to secure. 

That's really all there is to it.  No fancy tools or skills necessary!

The event I was attending was a ballroom dance showcase where my star students, Kristen and Nate, were performing an East Coast Swing!  So exciting!  And they did a fabulous job!!

Unfortunately, none of the photos actually show me wearing the bracelet, but I really was!  You can imagine how nice it looked, right?

What do you think?  Would you add a bracelet like this to your formal jewelry collection?

Hugs & Glitter,