DIY Cuff / bangle form : Inexpensive & Quick

Hi !

When I started making bangles & cuffs , the first obstacle I faced was finding the right form to base my bangle around. I started making them using an empty soda can. I could wear it with a bit of discomfort , but I was finding it difficult to find a measurement that fit me exactly.

One way to find your size is by making a few bangles on different forms , such as tumblers , glass bottles and big sized cookie cutters. The drawback is that if the size is not right , you may have a few unusable bangles in your hand.And of course potentially wasted clay.

Then there are a few of us who find even this quite difficult because we cannot find the right sized form to use, even after much trial . This DIY is particularly for you.


MAKING YOUR OWN BANGLE/ CUFF FORM ( The lazy girl trick )
Please read the notes ( on the bottom of the post) as well before starting this project.

Supplies : Bangle , Caliper, Toilet paper roll & Aluminium foil roll. 

Materials Needed 

1. Aluminium foil
2. Toilet paper roll
3. Circular Bangle that fits you correctly 
                            or

    measuring tape / scale & string / Caliper tool

Time taken : Ten minutes

Measuring 

If you have a bangle that fits you right , measure the diameter of it (1st measurement) . Reduce 2.5 or 3 millimeters from this measurement ( 2nd measurement).

OR

My husbands hand for reference

If you do not have a bangle ,then take the string or measuring tape and keep it ready.

1.Measure around the widest area of your palm.Make note of the measurement.

In my case it is : 21 cm.
2.Divide this measurement by 3. ( 7 cm for me) - 1st measurement.
3.Now minus .5 cm or 5 millimeters from this measurement ( 6.5 cm for me) - 2nd measurement 


                                                                                                   Getting the form ready

Unravel the toilet paper roll , till the diameter of the roll is the 2nd measurement. In my case 6.5 cm.

Tear the aluminium foil to go around the ( now smaller roll) paper 2 to 3 times.

Holding the now aluminium foil wrapped roll, slowly tuck in the excess amount sticking out from either side , into the empty core of the roll.




Also:

• This measurement is for a bangle/cuff that fits snugly over your knuckles and falls to your wrist.If you regularly wear bangles , this would be correct for you.
• If you prefer your bangle to be of a looser fit around the knuckles, deduct .25 cm from your first measurement rather than .5 cm

                                                                                  OR

The truly lazy method ( which I use )

• Measure around your hand as in the picture I have attached.Make a note of the measurement. 
• Start tearing away the paper roll till it starts becoming thinner. periodically measure around it , so that the circumference of the roll is same as that of your hand.
• Tear away a few more sheets so that the roll circumference is a few millimeters less than your hand measurement.
• Tear the aluminium foil to go around the ( now smaller)paper roll 2 to 3 times.
• Holding the now aluminium foil wrapped roll, slowly tuck in the excess amount sticking out from either side , into the empty core of the roll.

That's it ! 

The total cost of purchase I incurred was around Rs. 90/-.
I have only used half a roll of toilet paper + a quarter roll of aluminium foil , thus  I actually utilized materials of about only Rs.40/-

Note : 

• Since the inside is tissue paper , I will not recommend using this more than few times.If you liked making bangles , and would like to do it regularly , it would be wise to invest in a form that is sold commercially. If that is not possible , try making a form similar to this , but only using aluminium foil.
• A kitchen roll could be substituted for the toilet paper roll. You might need to cut it down to size to fit in the oven better.
• The extra tissue can be used for armature building or for wiping down your work space etc.

If you have any questions , I would be happy to answer them.
Thanks for reading ! have a great day !

#2015PCChallenge : Week 32 : Colorful Rustic cuffs

Hi !

This time I made a simple, yet colorful rustic style cuffs.These are the first attempts of this style for me , so will be working on this style for the next two weeks as well.
I have wanted to make these ever since I bought the Rustic beads tutorial from the BlueBottleTree blog , but I kept putting it off.I was feeling rather "off" for the last month, so I thought I shall revisit the basics and this was the result.
While I am quite happy with them , there are quite few kinks to be worked out.
Just one pic with both the bangles this time.

Thanks for reading & have a great day !

Week 9 : Sunset in Lakshadweep & Bitter gourd earring

Hi !

My entry for #2015PCChallenge , week 9 is a simple chunky bracelet. Its based on the organic beads tutorial by  Ginger Davis Allman , from the Blue bottle tree. The primary piece : Sunset at Lakshadweep.

Lakshadweep is a group of islands in India. I had the good luck to travel there a few years back. The water is turquoise blue and the sunsets are a vibrant orange.I tried to take pictures showing the beauty of the sunset , but I only had a lousy 2 mp phone camera , and I could not capture all the colors.

The colour combination for this bracelet reminded me of those magical sunsets I saw.

My companion piece is the Bitter gourd earring. Its a simple ,rustic , bumpy earring .

Thanks for reading , have a good day :)

Week 6 : Polymer Clay challenge : Rustic sky bracelet

Hi !

So I think my challenge is spanning out to have 2 separate but co-related pieces.I did not plan it , but I like the idea of companion pieces , keeping each other company :)

So this is my companion piece for the rustic orchid necklace.Yup , that's the name I came up with.

I had a small blue based cane lying round which I further compacted and then put it on the round beads.

A note , easier to drill before painting the rustic beads.
Thats all for now :)
Have a great day!