I’ve been very into jewelry-making these days. So much in fact that Simon felt it appropriate to deem me “Gypsy” because I started pulling tools, beads and other goodies randomly out of my bag one day. This newfound hobby of mine is scarily addicting. The family room table is now my work station and sprinkled with loose beads and other materials, as is the rug underneath. I don’t think I sat anywhere else in the family room these past 2 weeks! As soon as I started feeling parched for new ideas, I luckily stumbled upon this DIY piece from Honestly…WTF and had to try it out.

Using nuts in place of beads? Genius! And perfect for those running on a tight budget. The best thing about using brass nuts is that the color is hardy yet subtle, giving the piece an aged look to it. Last week I bought some “gold” beads at Joanns and a lot of the gold PAINT melted off after minor contact with water. I guess I got what I paid for but how annoying. I think that’s part of the reason why I’m so happy to have found this alternative. Here’s how my bracelet turned out!

I followed the basic steps on how to make the bracelet, but added by own flares here and there to really make it my own. I used a nude-pink leather cord in place of twine and I’m so happy with how it turned out! Also, rather than simply tying the two ends together around my wrist, I made a loop on one end and a knot on the other so that it hooks together.

This next bracelet is daintier than the first. I loved the leather + nut combination so much that I made another right after. You can’t tell much from the photo but the nuts I used for this one are a lot smaller than the ones I used for the braided bracelet.

Be sure to visit Honestly…WTF for a step-by-step tutorial!