My 3 Monsters: "Pinch-Proof" St. Patrick's Day Bracelet

Pinch-Proof St. Patrick's Day Bracelets at /

Hello, friends! St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner. Have you figured out what you're going to wear yet so you won't get pinched? I remember that being such a BIG deal when I was a kid. Some of us {ahem, possibly me} liked our green to be obvious, so everybody could clearly tell you were obeying the "rules" of the holiday. Others liked to be a little sneaky about it and wore green underwear or tiny little green earrings so people might think they had a chance to pinch you, but were stopped in their tracks at the last minute. Either way, you wore green FOR SURE on March 17th and it was fun!

Over the years I have kind of let that fun tradition slide. I don't really even have anything green in my wardrobe anymore so I made this little bracelet to wear and be "pinch-proof" all day long this year!

"Pinch-Proof" St. Patrick's Day Bracelet Tutorial

Supplies:

10 ½-inch round wood beads {if you have smaller wrists, you will need fewer beads}

green paint

bamboo skewers

coordinating fabric scrap

1¼-inch round washer

metal stamp set

hammer

black Sharpie marker

needle and thread {I used clear nylon thread so it wouldn't show}

1. Begin by painting the wood beads. I wanted the paint-dipped effect, so I poured a small amount of paint into a paper cup, then inserted a bamboo skewer into the center hole of each bead and dipped them halfway into the paint. Gently tap the skewer against the side of the cup to remove any excess paint, then place the skewers bead-end-up in a glass or vase to dry.

2. Stamp your washer charm. You need a really firm surface to stamp on to make a good impression in the metal -- doing it on the table or on my carpeted floor never gets me the desired result, so I always go outside on my concrete patio to stamp washers. Lay out a thin dish towel before you start stamping to keep the metal from getting scratched. Line up each individual letter stamp on the washer and tap it 5 or 6 times with a hammer to get a good impression. Follow the curved edge of the washer to help with placement. If you have never stamped metal before, you may need a few extra washers to practice on to get the hang of the spacing. {The one I used was my third attempt, and I have stamped a bunch in my day.} Don't expect perfection. We're going for a very hand-stamped look!

Once you have your washer stamped, use the black Sharpie to fill in each of the letter impressions. Really get the ink down in there! It's OK if you get ink on the surface of the washer where you don't want it. That WILL happen. Just use a cloth rag to buff the metal until the Sharpie comes off the surface, but remains in the grooves. This helps your lettering to stand out.

If you have boys, you could stamp the washer and fill in the grooves with green Sharpie. Then just hang the washer from a simple ball chain necklace or piece of green baker's twine that fits over their head for a simple way to keep pinchy-fingers at bay!

3. Assemble the bracelet. Tear a strip of fabric about 1-inch wide by 20-inches long. Use a small piece of tape to form one end of the fabric into a point {like the end of a shoelace} to make it easier to feed it through the center of your beads. Feed the beads onto the fabric strip, centering them so you have an equal amount of excess fabric on each end. Tie a knot in the fabric right up against the end bead on each side. Fit the bracelet to your wrist, leaving it loose enough to slide on and off over your hand, and tie the fabric strips together in a knot so the bracelet holds its shape. Tie the ends into a bow to make it cute and trim the fabric ends to the desired length.

Using a needle and several layers of clear nylon thread or beading thread, sew the washer charm to the center of the bow just as if you were sewing on a button.

I love my cute little "Pinch-Proof" charm bracelet and can't wait to wear it! What will you be wearing on the 17th to keep yourself free from pinches?