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As part of our 4th of July celebrations, we've been doing a little crafting at our house. Check out these darling washi tape bracelets! These little guys are easy to make but they do require a bit of lead time, so you'll want to plan ahead.
What you'll need to make your own:
jumbo craft sticks
Mod Podge
foam brush
scissors or an xacto knife
a narrow cup, bowl or vase
STEP ONE: Soak your craft sticks in a tall glass of warm water. These float, so you'll need to cover the top of the glass with something that will keep them fully immersed.
You can rush on to step two in as little as two hours, but I had MUCH more success letting my craft sticks soak overnight. Step two is a little tricky so you want your sticks to be as pliable as possible.
STEP TWO: Next you are going to bend your craft sticks into the shape of a bracelet. I was terrified they would break when I did this, and I did end up snapping a couple when I tried to rush through the process. My advice is TAKE YOUR TIME.
Take one stick out of the water and start to bend it back and forth. Start in the center and work your way toward the ends. When you feel like you've prepped the stick enough that you can bend it, place it inside your narrow cup or vase. I used the curve of my cup to help me get my bracelets in (center first, then sides) and make them the shape I wanted them.
Remember not to use a cup that is too wide, especially if you're making these for little ones. There's nothing more frustrating than a bracelet that keeps falling off!
You need to leave your craft sticks in this position until they are fully dry . Again, I left mine overnight just to be sure. Here's how they looked when I took the bracelets out the next morning:
Pretty amazing, no? I had no idea you could shape wood like that!
STEP THREE: It's time to decorate! Choose your colors and your pattern and get to it. Be sure to press the tape down firmly to make sure it gets a nice grip on the wood. You're going to apply more tape than you need and then cut off the excess with scissors or an Xacto knife.
If any of the tape pops up while you're cutting off your excess, just stick it back down and apply a bit of pressure and you should be good to go. I find that washi tape sticks better to the wood than it does to itself, so I tend not to overlap my tape where possible.
STEP FOUR: Brush on a thin layer of Mod Podge over the top and sides of your bracelets. This will ensure a good solid bond and keep your tape from catching on your clothes or other objects as you're moving around.
As soon as the Mod Podge has fully dried, you're done! Now it's time to show off your masterpieces.
Happy crafting!
Be sure to check out the other posts in our H&C Summer Crafting Series and look for more coming soon!