zipper bracelet

Well the trend may have passed in blogland, but it hasn't gone out of style.  So yes, I finally made myself a zipper bracelet (inspired by Linda).  Finally.  Materials for this project have been sitting in my design room for, oh, about 6 months.  Yeesh.  Anyway.  Here's what you need to replicate this funky bracelet!

old bangle(s)
quilt binding or bias tape (or even a strip of fabric!)
tulle
heavy weight jacket zipper
embellishment for center of zipper flower (I used a pearl)
hot glue

First, cover your bangle(s) with the binding/tape/fabric.  This is exactly what I used:

What you use depends on the look you want.  The binding/tape has finished edges you won't have to worry about... the binding is thicker than the tape though.  Fabric with a freying edge is fun too, though.  And I say bangle(s) because you can get away with wrapping 2 thinner ones together if you want... that was what I had so that is what I used!  You know - make it do, use it up... whatever.  Or you can do a few bangles like the lovely Linda.  Anyway, wrap, and wrap, and wrap some more, around your bracelet(s)... use dabs of hot glue to secure as you go.

Then form your zipper flower.  Start on the inside, roll the edge a couple times like a cinnamon roll, and secure with a dab of hot glue.  Then wind around and around and continue to hot glue as you go, into a spiral shape.

Once completed glue onto some felt and then trim the felt down around the edges so that it isn't sticking out around your flower.  The felt will give you a flat backing to attach your flower with.

I added 2 leaves made from tulle to the outside of my flower.  I cut about a 4 in. strip (black) and folded it in half (2 of them, one for each leaf).  SO they looked like loops when I hot glued them down.  I glued them to the bracelet first, and the zipper flower on top/in between-ish (leave about a half inch space between your two "leaves".

Final touch?  A pearl in the center of my flower.

Voila!

Matches my fun shirt from Charming Charlie's quite nicely, don't you think?

Enjoy!

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