https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/plastic-bottle-cuffs • Posted by erica@recycledfashion
I do not condone the purchase of bottled water, but if you can find a used plastic bottle (there are plenty found littered), this is a tutorial to show you how to reuse a plastic bottle to make a pretty bracelet cuffs.
I do not condone the purchase of bottled water, but if you can find a used plastic bottle (there are plenty found littered), this is a tutorial to show you how to reuse a plastic bottle to make a pretty bracelet cuffs.
Gather your supplies. Make sure your empty bottle is clean and dry. You can use any type of fabric you desire, little pieces of leftover fabric is great to use for this project. For your embellishments you can use buttons, lace, doilies, sequins etc.
Cut into your plastic bottle with scissors to your desired cuff shape. Cut open a gap and curve each corner to avoid sharp bits. Worth noting that one plastic bottle can make three cuffs. This shape will be the base of your cuff.
Trace around your plastic cuff base onto your piece of felt, marking with chalk as you go. To do this, you will need to trace around one end, and slowly roll your plastic bottle base along the length of your felt.
This is what you will get
Cut two
Use your glue gun and stick your two pieces of cut away felt on the front and back of your plastic bottle base
Cut away excess felt
Now you will do the same tracing technique with your chosen fabric. This time you only need one piece of fabric, and make sure you cut around your traced shape leaving lots of excess fabric to wrap around the inside of the cuff (see next step before doing this)
Wrap your fabric around the outside of the cuff, and sew in place on the inside, with a needle and thread, pull in tight as you sew. Start one end, and finish the other.
Your chosen color of thread doesn't matter as it will be covered.
Take your chosen embellishments, and play around with their positioning on your cuff until you are happy. I used a doily that I'd used from a previous craft project for my decoration.
Swap threads and use ‘invisible thread’ to sew your lace / doily / ribbon in place. You can actually sew right through the plastic with a sharp needle to secure in place. You could use your glue gun with heavier objects such as buttons if you wish.
To hide your sewing on the inside of the cuff, use felt to cover it. At this point I actually used an alternative, suitably matched felt, but you don’t have to. Trace your cuff onto felt using your chalk to get appropriate shape, and trim to size. Use your glue gun to stick to the inside of your cuff. If you have your own label, you can glue that to the inside too.
You are done! Your cuff is ready to wear. Will anyone guess you are wearing a plastic bottle?