DIY ~ Wooden Color Cut Bracelet

Hi lovelies!  I've got a really fun DIY for you today.  I was inspired by this Kate Spade Saturday bracelet, which I can't find anymore and is sold out.  Although it's certainly not an expensive piece, it was so easy to recreate; I had everything needed on hand and my boyfriend helped out with the flattening of the beads. {How-to after the jump}

You'll need:

Determine how many beads you'll need by just loosely stringing them onto the cord - don't cut it - and wrapping around your wrist.  The first thing we need to do is flatten one side of the bead.  My boyfriend did this for me (so I could get a good pic, but he ended up enjoying doing it so he did them all for me!) by holding the bead in pliers and rubbing it against the palm sander, to which we affixed 60-grit sandpaper.  It only took about 10 seconds to get the desired effect.  Repeat for the remaining beads.

Use a piece of 220-grit sandpaper to smooth out the new flat edge.  This is important to do because there will be grooves in the wood from the rougher sandpaper which the paint will enhance.

I just emptied a squirt of paint into a small paper cup, and gently applied a nice even coat to the flat side of the bead.  Do it slowly, starting in the middle and dragging the brush toward the edge - kind of like painting your nails, kinda.

I only did one coat to each bead and then let them dry for about an hour.

Cut a piece of beading cord about 22" long - the longer it is the easier it will be to tie your knot so go longer if you need to - and fold it in half.  Insert the ends of your scissors through the loop end, and thread your beads onto the double string end.  This way your beads won't slip off the end!  Gently remove the scissors when you're done and tie the ends (loop end to double strings end) together in a triple knot.  Snip the excess cord.

I love how easy this was to make, and I really love the summery, geometric, natural feel this piece has to it.  You can switch this up by painting the rounded part of the bead a different color (I think white would look amazing), or maybe adding some stripes or another design to the flat part over the color or with no color.  When wearing this, I like to randomly turn the beads so that some are showing the color and some aren't.  It's a great, simple piece to add to any outfit, although I'm impartial to my 'summer uniform' of a white tee and denim shorts with flip flops.

Can't wait to make one?  Grab your guy and DIY it together!  I'd love to see what you make, so ensure to tag me on Instagram (@smartnsnazzy) so I can check out your creation!  What color will you make yours?

xo
Lia