Bracelets DuJour: Tutorial

Can Tab Bracelets

We collect Can Tabs at our house. We don't drink a lot of drinks from cans, but when we do, we try to save them. Our schools collect them for a local Ronald McDonald House.

Today I was at a Hallmark Store shopping for a birthday gift, and I spotted a Can Tab Bracelet for sale. I couldn't believe it! It occurred to me that I had never made these before but I wondered how hard it could be. NOT HARD AT ALL, apparently.

I made two and I will show them both here. The tutorial is easier to see using the elastic thread, so you'll see that first.


You will need to cut off about 2 feet of string and 20 to 25 Can Tabs - washed clean.

Take your first Tab and thread the string through the top and bottom holes. I tied it so that it would be easier to manage, making the Can Tab on the end immovable.


Take your second Tab and, keeping the rough side together with the rough side of the first Tab, thread the string through that one.


Then, alternating sides and overlapping (like brickwork), you need to add another Tab. See how I have the lower Tab, rough facing up, and the top Tab (rough down) is sort of off to the side? That is where the next Tab will go.

Place it rough side down next to the top Tab. Then, cross feed the string, like you thread a sneaker. Making an X.


Then you just keep doing it...

I found a random green Can Tab. How cool! I have no idea what it is from...


And then I had some interference...

He really wanted to play! I was holding the Tab chain for a picture.

Then it looks like this:

And this:

Then I made the one with the blue ribbon. Make sure you leave enough ribbon (at LEAST 2 and a half feet) because the ribbon is not stretchy like the elastic string used in the first one.



I hope you give these a try. They are so simple - Using my phone, I took photos of the ones at the store and was able to make them myself. Though they used a different material (wire, it looked like, wrapped instead of crossed) they look similar. My teenagers love them. The ones I saw at the Hallmark Store had a bead attached to them, so maybe I'll try that next.

The parties I'm linking to are below, so go check them out! I am going to indulge myself Wednesday night and take over the computer just so I can go and see what fun things everyone is making.

I hope you get the chance to be creative today!

Crafting while Traveling (no scissors allowed!)

Flying from Florida to Pennsylvania...

I am getting ready to head home tomorrow. My kids are SO excited to get Mom back! Tonight my husband said they weren't eating until 9pm, because he is trying to finish a construction project in time for me to come back. No wonder they are excited, lol.

I have been at my sister's house for the past six days and I haven't been able to craft. I've been visiting with my family, trying to help a little with the care for our mother, who is just out of the hospital and recently diagnosed with Alzheimer. I've been keeping my mother busy, engaging her in cooking and cleaning. Even in her wheelchair! Today I asked her to sweep and Swisher the floor of the kitchen for me. She was happy to, and I think she felt she was making a difference. Just as with your children, I just didn't tell her when I went back over it myself while she was napping...

My sister asks if I always keep myself so busy at home, and I guess I do.

On the trip down here I took a direct flight, but still I knew I would have to be distracted for the first hour of the trip, and my print books and ipod books would not be enough to contain my antsy feelings. To combat this, I brought along embroidery thread and began to make a friendship bracelet. While I did bring instructions, it was hard to read them on the plane, and I had a little trouble figuring them out. Of course, this meant I didn't get it finished on the flight - I dozed lightly while listening to a book from:

The book was free. I got it, along with a few others, when I signed up for a 30 day free trial of the site (I just have to remember to cancel it next week, unless I decide it was worth it. I'm still not sure, but I certainly have enjoyed using it for this trip).

I am embarrassed to admit what I was listening to. It was a book created from the TV show "Castle". Take a look at Amazon and check out this book (you can click the book to go straight to Amazon).

If you watch the show, it actually has the ACTOR as the real author ! So funny!

The weather on this end is calling for heavy rain, and in fact, we had a tornado warning tonight. It went over the house and blew on by. The weather back at home is calling for snow! So I'm preparing (I was a girl scout - plan ahead!) for a delay while hoping we don't have one. Now what can I bring on a plane if I'm stuck on the tarmac for any amount of time? I wish I had asked this question earlier, so I could have gotten some suggestions...

For now, I guess I'll have to just enjoy knot-tying again, and listening to my book.

Have a great day!