DIY Network

Shirt Cuff Bracelet Create these cool cloth bracelets. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-311

Harvest an old dress shirt for a new bracelet with this fun how-to from Michele Beschen. She shows how to convert a shirt cuff into a bracelet then dress it up with trims, buttons and fabric paints. Scroll down to B. Original with your own shirt cuff bracelets.

Your bracelet can be formal...

Or fanciful with this project.

advertisement

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

Shirt Cuff Bracelet

Materials:

dress shirt
scissors
clothes iron
needle and thread
ribbon, trim
decorative button
fabric paints and inks

• Start with an old dress shirt that has cuffs with buttons. This is a great project for thrift store shirts or ones with worn-out collars or ink-stained pockets.

• Cut the cuff off the shirt with a pair of sharp scissors, cutting right along the seam (figure A). Be careful not to cut into the stitches.

• Press the cuff flat with a hot clothes iron.

• Leave the cuff unbuttoned and place it around your wrist, adjusting for size. Michele Beschen adjusts the size by moving the button instead of the button hole – it makes for much easier sewing. Determine where the button needs to move for the cuff to fit comfortably and mark the spot.

• Remove the cuff button and stitch it to the cuff in the new location.

• Trim the excess fabric from the cuff. To finish the raw edge, either sew a straight stitch on a sewing machine or add a piece of ribbon or trim.

• Dress up the cuff further by adding a large, decorative button. Sew it next to the button hole to cover the "working" button (figure B).

• Choose trims that contrast with the cuff (figure C). Try upholstery trims, metal chains or bracelets. Stitch these in place by hand (figure D).

• Embellish with fabric paints and inks if desired.

Remember, you can get two great bracelets from one shirt. So B. Original and start cutting up some shirts today!