Design and Make Your Own Boot Bracelets Using Recycled Jewelry

Boot weather is almost here and I am anxious to start wearing a new pair I bought last spring at a boot outlet store while on my way to Arkansas. This store had all kinds of boots, some designer, some no name, and all with hefty price tags. I finally settled on a discounted pair of Loredo Tan Kadi cowgirl boots for $75.00. They were comfortable and fit nicely, but were a little plain looking. I liked the plain look especially when wearing jeans, but when wearing the boots with a skirt, I wondered if there was any way I could dress them up a bit, maybe add a little pizazz to them without making any permanent changes. I thought about purchasing a couple boot bracelets, but having a surplus of jewelry craft items, and wanting the bracelets to match my personal outfits, I decided this would be a great craft project to do myself.

Items needed to make a boot bracelet

A chain, cording and a lock toggle are the three main items needed to make a boot bracelet. Other items are optional and depend on what you want to add to your boot bracelet. They may include charms, beads, chains, pendants, stones, and other pieces from broken and discarded jewelry. You will also need a few tools such as scissors, dressmaker measuring tape, jewelry or needle-nose pliers, and wire and leather cutters. The type of tools you will need depends on the type of material you are working with.

Making the boot bracelet (for these instructions I will be making a simple chain boot bracelet)

Depending on where you want your boot bracelet to be placed, top of the boot or around ankle, you will need to use the dressmaker measuring tape to measure around these two areas. Be sure to record and keep these measurements for future bracelet projects. I will be making a bracelet to go around the ankle area of my boot. The measurement for here is 12 inches, so I will need eight inches of chain and eight inches of thin cording. I will also need a small toggle or cord lock.

First, make sure that each end of the chain has a large ring so that the cording, when doubled, will be able to slide through easily. If the rings are not large enough, add a larger one to each end. Cut the eight inch cording in half and fold each piece in the middle. Insert the looped end of one of the cords through the last ring on one end of the chain. Then insert the two raw ends of the cording through the looped end and draw it up tightly. The cording should now be attached to the chain ring. Do the same on the other end of the chain. Insert the four raw ends of the cording through the cord lock and tie a small knot in the end of each one. The cord lock allows you to slide the boot bracelet down over the upper part of the boot and then tighten it to hold the bracelet in place.

To dress up the chain, add charms, beads or pendants. There are many more items you can use to make boot bracelets such as decorative straps of leather, feathers, and even belt buckles.

Sources: Personal Experience, J.D. Boots