Nessa- Ayzee Kay Rubber Bracelets Tutorial

Am I the only one who has a bunch of these rubber bracelets lying around? I literally have a drawer full of them. When I saw these bracelets, I was stoked. 

I was kind of tired of wearing them in that looped knot that was popular a couple of years ago. I think it was supposed to mean something if you wore certain colors together (probably not good things!), but I just always wear two black ones because they match everything I wear.

Now, this clever idea of the Nessa bracelets' connector had me thinking; what a good way to spice up these boring plastic rings?!

So, with my love of sparkle, I used up some random Swarovskis I had lying around to make a connector (the Nessa ones are 14K gold, and the bracelet ensemble costs $196). Do not fret my friends, because you can make yours for nothing, using up stuff you probably have lying around.

Use wire scraps, bead odds and ends, and just some headpins for a cool cluster connector. I think these are even better than the Nessa ones, because they have movement and sparkle. 

A definite way to upgrade these boring plastic bracelets to something chic!

Use a combo of pearls and crystals for an ultra-femine look. Use african trade beads for more of a boho style, or just use the bead soup you have lying around.

Make them in any color you want; you can even use a combo of plastic bracelet colors within a connector for a tie-dye look. The possibilities are endless here people.

Step 1: Gather materials. Needed are rubber plastic bracelets (I used 5 per connector), pliers, wire (gauge is not totally important, just make sure it isn't thin and bendy), beads, and headpins. Simple enough. You will also need a jump ring (not pictured)

Step 2: Cut about 6" of your wire. Make a small loop at one end. Now, twist your wire around a pen or nail polish brush top a couple of times. Pull off so you have a spiral like in the last pic.

Step 3: Pull on either end of the spiral to loosen it a bit. Place your group of bracelets inside the last notch, and gently twist wire around to thread the bracelets through the entire spiral. Gently push the spiral together again, without losing its shape. The bracelets should be held inside the connector now. The right end (cut off in pic) should be just straight, extra wire.

Cut this extra wire on the side and loop the end to look like the first pic. Now, gently bend the one loop over to meet the other one, as seen in the pic. 

Get all your beads on headpins. I used one 5mm crystal and 5 3mm crystals (the 6th one shown was too much so I took it off).

Step 4: Thread a jump ring through both loops and shut the ring. Attach all your beads to this jump ring in the order you like!

That's all it takes folks. Look, you're $196 richer than the others. And you've got a more stylish bracelet.

Wear one at a time, or a cluster of them! This would be a great accessory for a party with friends; I'm sure they would all want one! 

Grade school bracelets go glam!

All photos and instructions copyright Allison Cooling for Quiet Lion Creations.

If you share/use/post this tutorial, please link back to me. It is much appreciated!