Brown Bag Handle Bracelet

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Brown Bag Handle Bracelet

Show off your stylish side with recycled jewelry crafts. A Brown Bag Handle Bracelet from Heidi Borchers is shockingly easy to make and so chic! Don't throw out those brown paper bags - repurpose them and create pretty bangles instead.

Brown Bag Handle Bracelet
 

Materials:

  • Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue in the Gold Bottle
  • Aleene’s Spray Acrylic Sealer Gloss
  • Brown grocery bags with handles (two handles for each bangle)
  • Scissors
  • Toothpick (to apply and spread glue)
  • Clothespins (to hold together while drying)
  • Jar (desired size is determined by desired size of finished bangle)
  • Rubberband
  • Acrylic paint (your choice of color plus black and/or gold)
  • Cosmetic sponge
  • Stencil (I use the mesh bags that you find many vegetables packaged in or the mesh that comes on the back of mosaic tiles)

Instructions:

  1. Remove two handles from grocery bags.

    Brown Bag Handle Bracelet
     
  2. To flatten handle into strip, run folds over scissors edge. (This would be similar to how you use scissors to curl ribbon.)

    Brown Bag Handle Bracelet
     
  3. Cut approximately 2″ from each end of strip to remove the stiff ends.

    Brown Bag Handle Bracelet
     
  4. To join two strips together, apply approximately 4″ of glue to end of wrong side of one strip (the side with the seam).

    Brown Bag Bangle
     
  5. Overlap to glue the ends of the two strips together ad hold in place with clothespins while glue dries.

    Brown Bag Handle Bracelet
     
  6. To create bangle, wrap strip around jar to determine overlap. Apply glue to one end of strip (approximately 4″).

    Brown Bag Bangle Handle Bracelet
     
  7. Bring other end around to start to form bangle. Apply a small dab of glue to unglued end.

    Brown Bag Handle Bracelet
     
  8. Press to join together.

    Brown Bag Handle Bracelet
     
  9. Slip onto jar and secure with rubberband. Leave undisturbed until completely dry.

    Brown Bag Handle Bracelet
     
  10. When dry, remove bangle from jar. To create a smooth final surface on the bangle, cut strip of brown bag approximately twice as wide as your bangle. Glue to outside of bangle, wrapping excess around to inside and glue in place. Use fingers to smooth brown bag. Let dry completely.

    Brown Bag Handle Bracelet
     
  11. Paint bangle inside and out. Let dry.

    Brown Bag Handle Bangle
     
  12. Select desired pattern to use as stencil.

    Brown Bag Handle Bracelet
     
  13. Wrap around outside of bangle and hold in place.

    Brown Bag Handle Bracelet
     
  14. Dab sponge in black paint to pick up paint. Do not oversaturate with paint – a little goes a long way. Dab over entire stencil area being careful not to let stencil move.

    Brown Bag Handle Bracelet
     
  15. Remove to reveal design. Let dry completely.Spray bangle with gloss to seal and add shine.

    Brown Bag Handle Bracelet

For a comprehensive video tutorial of this project, check out How to Make Brown Bag Handle Bangle Bracelets.

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Great way to upcycle brown paper bag and create something so pretty! The stencil technique works great. I am wondering if another option would be to glue on some pretty rhinestones, buttons, or glittery ribbon or ric rac! Another possible idea is to use the empty rolls from ribbon for a smaller child's version. Fun craft idea!

Lindas

Hi, I live in Australia , shame we do not have paper bags like those. Such a great idea

Very clever! Most grocery bags in our area (Central CA) have those carry handles. They could also be covered with fabric! Cute!!!

where do you get bags like that?

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