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Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Craft Project: Tea Canister Cuff Bracelet

I made this bracelet out of a tin tea canister. It was an experiment and it came out pretty good, not perfect. It could use a little improvement in that the cuff is not perfectly smooth. I'm still going to post directions below in case anyone is curious how I made it. Perhaps some of you can share your tips for working with tin. Directions below.

Starting with a tin canister, take it apart with needle nose pliers and craft scissors. I recommend wearing gloves when you do this to protect your hands.

* a good source for tin canisters is the thrift store

Cut out a piece of tin with some heavy duty craft scissors. Decide how wide you would like the cuff then add two centimeters. For length, measure your wrist or another bracelet you own.

Cut the tin piece into the shape of the solid lines. Fold on the dotted lines. Basically you're folding the edges in so there's no rough edges. To fold the metal, score the fold line with a ruler and sharp object (I used a knitting needle). Use needle nose pliers to fold the metal. Cover the metal with a bandanna when folding to prevent marking up the tin. The folded edges should be in the inside of the bracelet.

Last, bend the bracelet into a shape of a cuff. I recommend bending it around something round like a small jar or pole. When bending, make sure not to kink the metal ( this was the hardest part for me). Done.


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15 comments:

Lauren said...

Simple, but very cool! I would try lining it with a little fabric just to avoid any nicks from the metal, or do you roll it so there's no edge touching the skin?

zakkalife said...

It's rolled so there's no edge touching the skin.

junko said...

I love it! You are so so creative!

Violet LeBeaux said...

That's a really cool idea. My grandma has heaps of these, I might have to show her!

Shannon said...

What a cool idea! Love it! Had to do a post on it, should be up tomorrow :)

Ashlee said...

I love it! You are so creative.

Ayie said...

You're always edgy with your ideas kawaii crafter and looking through all your works opens my mind more into exploring my crafts. That's a really cool cuff bracelet. I personally don't like cuff bracelets because it's too wide but something so unique like this is something I'll be proud to wear.

Diane Gilleland said...

What a cool idea!

You might try placing the cuff face down on a piece of wood and then gently hammering the back along your rolls. This should tend to flatten out any kinks and encourage the metal to curve smoothly.

Rhonda Greene said...

I love this idea, very original and cute! I am going to write a post about it tonight!!

~ Rhonda
www.craftybitch101.com

Vone said...

Thanks for picking my blog for your Friday Facebook Fan.

Michelle Frae Cummings said...

oh man...I so want to try this! very very cool!

Rachel@oneprettything.com said...

Oh I love this! I have a bunch of these that I used to use for storage. Bracelet time!

BrendaLea, the Prpldy said...

Great bracelet and w wonderful way to up-cycle all of those tins. Thanks for the tute!

Anonymous said...

I'm from Russia. It's very pleasantly to see russian text on this tea canister. Спасибо!))

Unknown said...

If you have 'unattractive' tin, you could cover it in leather or other sturdy fabric too, or glue on beads or jewels.

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