13 February 2012

Make a Pretty Charm Bracelet for Just $10!

A couple of years ago Wayne and the kids gave me a Pandora bracelet with one gorgeous bead on it for Christmas. Since then, they have added to the bracelet with a new charm for each special occasion - birthdays, Christmas, Mother's Day, our wedding anniversary, when my second book was published and it was almost full.

Then on New Years Eve I had a fall and landed on the bracelet and it broke. Looking back it was rather funny - there I am, lying face down on the verandah, winded, bruised, fast developing an egg on my forehead and all I can see is Wayne and my dear friend Debbie scrabbling around trying to catch the beads and charms before they fell through the decking! They know me so well - I'll mend but those beads cost a fortune - catch them quick!

They found them all and I have almost mended, my broken toe (it was a really good fall) still isn't fully healed, but I haven't yet replaced the bracelet and it has been bothering me. I don't wear a lot of jewellery, but I love my bracelet if for no other reason than that the people I love most in the world have given it to me.  I'll replace the bracelet, or see if my jeweller can repair it, soon.

All this has absolutely nothing to do with today's craft except that it's about charm bracelets.

Before Christmas Hannah was looking for gift ideas for her friends and she decided on charm bracelets. We looked around and there were some pretty bracelets in the shops but they were rather expensive. Disappointed she was going to choose another gift when she wondered if she couldn’t buy the bits and bobs to make them.

We already had quite a selection of beads and crystals and spacers in the craft cabinet. What we needed were some glass beads and of course the actual bracelets.  It was a case of eBay to the rescue. There are so many different sellers on eBay, and a lot of different prices. We chose sellers who offered free postage, with excellent feedback.

We bought:

50 Sterling Silver Murano glass beads for $11.99
3 lots of 5 sterling silver murano glass beads @ $3 each (these were themed beads)
5 sterling silver starter chain bracelets @ $5.95

Total cost $50.74!

The bracelet Hannah made to (temporarily) replace the one I broke - Cost $10!
Each bracelet had 13 charms or beads on it, making it full enough to be pretty with room to add more beads or charms later on.

These aren't genuine Pandora bracelets, and they're not meant to be. These bracelets are costume jewellery to be worn for a little while and then recycled or passed on.  Hannah made them all individual, to suit each girl's personality and they were a huge hit. Since Christmas she's made a few more for gifts and sold some that were "special requests".

They make pretty and inexpensive gifts, and only take a little while to create. Pop each bracelet into an organza bag or a pretty gift box for spectacular presentation.

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