Lace Bridal Cuff

Bridal season is coming up, and I thought I'd make a few of these to put in my shop for display.

I buy organic fabric and notions for making bedding and accessories, and noticed that they also sold beautiful organic cotton lace trim. I instantly knew I'd use it to make some lovely bridal cuffs and so ordered a yard. I threw away my Magic Spray starch and ordered two bottles of Natural, non-aerosol Spray Starch. Some organic thread to stay with the theme, : ) ... along with scissors, various pearls/beads/crystals, a seed-bead needle, and maybe a needle threader.

A seed-bead needle has a very small eye, and having a needle threader
will assist in getting your thread through that small hole.

Naturally you'll also need an iron and ironing board, some cheesecloth would be nice but not necessary, and some fray check(craft glue also works fine).

Fastener: You can use something as basic as crochet thread and yarn, or purchase small toggle fasteners to close your bracelet.

Time: Expect to spend a minimum of 30 minutes to make one, or about an hour to do three at once.

Something like this shouldn't overlap, in my opinion, but it can certainly have a bridge between edges for joining.

Cut edges so that they just meet or have a small space between, then trim away edges for a nice outline.

Give a good spray on one side, wait a minute for it to absorb, then iron on high heat for about 5 minutes. When it is ready, it should look mostly dry and will stop producing steam as you move the iron over the trim.

Repeat for other side.

Using two fine layers of cheesecloth gives a nice protective barrier for both the bracelet and the iron.

Apply fray check or craft glue to the cut edges of your trim.

Arrange pearls or crystals on trim in an attractive and simple manner. The lace should be beautiful enough on it's own to warrant only a slight addition of decoration.

Start sewing beads on, being diligent about good knots, several passes for strength and some slack in thread for ease.

For the pearl version, I decided to use a lace-up fastener. This is great for sizing different wrist widths. (Wow, try saying "wrist widths" 3 x quickly!)

You don't want too much dangle but enough cord to allow for tying the bow.

So I made "something like that".

Again, less is more.

With this bracelet, I experimented with a cute, toggle fastener, appropriately shaped like a heart.

I'll make more, probably some with colors that would reflect what bridesmaids are wearing this season.

Hope this inspired you to make some for any friends that are tying the knot in the near future!

I have entered this into the Bracelet Challenge and would so appreciate a vote if you think it deserves one.

~ Cynthia