Colorful adult fun, friendship necklaces

Remember friendship bracelets in grade school and junior high? Girls, this takes it to the NEXT level. Possibly also because Finland's pricing on embroidery floss is insanity, but this is why crafters work. Bring on the color.

Cheerful pom-pom garland

This is soooo inspiring, I have to make one! Good thing I have both a craft club & wine meet-up and my daughter's birthday coming up. Even paid way too much for a Novita plastic pom-pom device, which broke on the first use. The clasps that hold it together came off, one permanently. Of course I no longer have the receipt, so I'm stuck with the broke one, for better for worse.. But lose faith not. I am still determined to make this cool garland.

Started winding the yarn

Got it attached before it fell on the floor and broke. I was surprised by how much yarn it ate up, I have to dig deep into my stash. If you're coming to the craft club bring your own yarn stash.

TG it stayed together and I got the yarn tied around it

Yeesh!! 25 or more (if I can't stop) to go... :)

I love coming home and seeing this above our apartment door

How to DYI you own braided leather cuff

I am a super leather cuff buff, here are some of my favorites:

I now have a new favorite, my first braided cuff

I used the instructions from this Finnish magazine to make it:

But this is pretty much the gist of it:

- You start off by cutting a strip of leather that is about the width you want your cuff and about 7 cm longer than the circumference of your wrist.

- Using a exacto knife (or a surgical knife if you happen to be in the medical profession) cut 2 slits into the middle of the strip, so that you leave 3 cm on each end and the middle is in three parts. You can trace the lines into the back of the strip with a pencil.

- You then start braiding the three strands together until you get about half way down. The other end of the strip will bunch up. Untangle the tangle by feeding it through the tangle. Do this until the braids are top surface up.

- Then drive in closures et voilah. Or, like in this magazine clipping, you can punch in holes and tie it together with a string... which has it's own charm.

You can also add a clasp instead

But if my tutorial is a bit unclear, then the tutorial on this site http://images.melissaesplin.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/braided-Leather-Bracelet.pdf is great.

Here's another idea that's pretty easy, wind some leather around a bracelet you have.