DIY Buckled Friendship Bracelets

Here is a snapshot from of a page from my look book which is filled with all the inspiration for this DIY project. The original idea came from the friendship bracelet buckles I saw in the recent spring 2012 HnM catalogue. I really like the idea because they make friendship bracelets seem more clean and expensive. I still love the messy authentic friendship bracelets with loose threads hanging out at the ends but why have an occasional change?

This bracelet does not necessarily have to be made using a friendship bracelet, I used it because it was a part of my inspiration. You could use fabric, rope etc.

Stuff you need:
A buckle
Needle and thread
Fray stop/Glue
Friendship bracelet/Fabric/Rope etc. ( This material will need to be able to wrap around your wrist 1.5x)
Pin

1. Use the pin to make a hole near the end of your bracelet.

2. Place the pointy part of the bracelet through the hole.

3. Push both parts of the bracelet that are on either end of the buckle through the buckle.

5. Trim the excess fabric or string and sew them both together.

6. Trim the excess string on the other end of the bracelet too and create a few holes on that end using the same technique used in step 1.

And that is it :)

p.s. These look best worn in bulk.

TOMS

Blake Mycoskie visited Argentina as part of the amazing race in 2006 and what he saw changed him. Along the streets of the entire country he saw many children walking around barefoot! People who walk around without shoes are likely to suffer from soil-transmitted diseases that could possibly lead to death. So he asked himself how could he fix this?

The idea that followed soon turned into a worldwide phenomenon, TOMS. After seeing the local farmers and polo players in Argentina wear these shoes called alpargatas, Mycoskie knew people would love them. TOMS, comes from the word tomorrow and Mycoskie says ‘the idea is that you buy one today, we give one to a child tomorrow.’ That is the one for one program. TOMS does not only provide shoes for children in Argentina but also Cambodia, USA, China and South Africa among other countries.

I first read about TOMS a while ago in my teen vogue handbook and have craving a pair ever since. After doing a school project on them I found out a lot more about TOMS and now I finally have my own! There is such a wide range of styles, I was quite overwhelmed and didn’t know what to choose. In the end I settled for the classic black ones. Once I get bored of the black I will probably spray paint them or something, add my own flair. Yes, I will put it up here when I do :)

I have heard about all kinds of fake TOMS and copies but I think people should just buy the real ones. They may be a little more expensive but it’s worth it. Why? Because they are just so insanely comfy and they're for a good cause.

Before I end this post I really want to say this because it is the title of the TOMS section in my teen vogue handbook: excuse the pun, Blake Mycoskie is a good sole.

DIY Nicole Miller Inspired Textile Bangles

I first spotted these bangles in my December/January edition of Teen Vogue and knew they would be perfect for a DIY tutorial. That's why I love Teen Vogue and Vogue and almost any other fashion magazine, they are always stuffed with inspiration for DIY.

Here are the Nicole Miller versions:

And here is mine:

Stuff you need:

Wooden/plastic bangle

Long strip of patterned/printed fabric

1. Leave about 12 cm of excess fabric.

2. Wrap the fabric around the bangle.

3. Once you have finished wrapping the bangle tie a bow with the excess from the end and the beginning of the fabric.

Ta-daa!