Make This:

Rhinestone and Ribbon Cuff

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This how-to is a method for making a cuff bracelet encrusted in rhinestones.  It’s the perfect way to display vintage or other special flat-back stones.  Since they aren’t glued in place you can make the bracelet, wear it for a while, and recover the stones later to use in another project.

Supplies:

  • wide ribbon – two different widths.  This is two shades of grey grosgrain.
  • narrow ribbon – 1/16″ or 1/8″ ribbon for button holes.
  • tulle
  • an assortment of flat back stones
  • buttons
  • needle, thread and pins
  • fray check

 

Measure your wrist, cut the wide ribbons to the size you want the bracelet plus 1 inch.  If you are using a lot of large stones add a bit more ribbon, large stones prevent the ribbon from wrapping as tightly.

 

Fray check the ends and allow to dry.

 

Cut a piece of tulle substantially larger than the narrower grosgrain ribbon.

 

Select a stone and place it where you’d it to be on the narrower grosgrain.  Put the the tulle over stone and use small stitches around the stone to hold the tulle in place.  Stitching neatly around the stone will hold it exactly where you want it and help the stitches disappear into the background.  Also take care to makes sure the tulle conforms to the stone and the background ribbon stays flat.

 

Continue sewing around stones in this way until you’ve filled most of the area, leaving gaps at the ends for the buttons and hemming the ribbon.  You can leave gaps between as I did, or fill the area completely.

 

Trim the tulle to about 1/2″ larger than the narrower grosgrain.  Center it on the wider ribbon and pin it in place.

 

Tuck the tulle under the narrower grosgrain and carefully sew the two ribbons together.  If you try to align your stitches with the “bars” in the grosgrain it will help them disappear.

 

Sew loops of ribbon onto one end of the bracelet as button holes.  Hem the end of the ribbon, again using tiny stitches.

 

Check for fit and determine where the buttons should be placed.  Sew the buttons in place, then hem that end of the ribbon as well.

 

Enjoy your bracelet!