Impressive Gift Making for the Less Ambitious

One year not so many years ago I had to make 27 teacher, teacher’s aide, therapists and administration gifts. Do you believe me? It sounds a little far-fetched, I know. Even I think, no one has that many educators and therapists to give gifts to and in a perfect world, that is true. For me, it might as well have been 27tycabillion because I didn’t have hundreds of dollars to spend, even though my love for these most excellent people was deep.

I decided to make them 3 bracelets each. Online I bought bulk wooden beads (size 10mm), stretch magic (thickness 1mm) and charms (different words and signs like INSPIRE or peace signs and “jump” rings because charms come with no way to put on bracelets) and silver beads. I had colored beads already. I set out to make 81 bracelets.

I must admit, I hated wood beads for a short time after this project.

As a matter of helpful advice, at 10mm beads, I needed 23 per bracelet. That is pretty large because it’s comfortable on me and I like an 8″ bracelet when it’s really a 7.5″ bracelet world. Also, a little smaller bead like 8mm or 9mm would be good too but I couldn’t find 2000 beads at a good price in those sizes. These 10mm were on sale! All the supplies cost about $100 bucks, so under $1.25 per bracelet. Not bad. There are many a beaded bracelets available online including some that the stars wear that I found at $100 per set of three, but you know, those were just a little out of my Aiming Low budgetary requirements of cheapness, like this little project.

I sat in front of the TV and made several each night for a week. Tape stretchy cord and bead away!

Tie the ends in several knots. Clip the ends tight to the knot and they’ll be hidden in the beads. Even a few years later I still see many of the bracelets being worn today.

Impressive, right? I’m all about the impressive for a buck and a quarter each.