DIY Fabric Boho bangles look stunning and are so easy to make! Free printables link at the end.
Have you ever looked at some of the beautiful DIY fabric Boho bangles out there and wished you could make some?
Well you certainly can!
Following my last video where I demonstrated how to make stunning paper bead bracelets – I have more for you!
Inspired by the wonderful handmade items sent to me by Terri in Australia – these fabric bangles were born.
Terri made some beautiful DIY Boho fabric bangles and wrote down instructions on how to make them.
So I had a go at making my own and I filmed it so you can have a go too.
DIY Boho fabric bangles are truly lovely to make because the possibilities are endless.
For anyone like me, who collects pretty fabric but rarely uses it – this project is perfect.
You can watch the video by clicking here.
After my last video about making the paper bead bracelets with the magnetic clasp, I got a lot of questions.
As promised in this recent DIY Boho fabric bangles video, I will address some of those questions more fully here.
One question that comes up a lot is about waterproofing.
People often ask, are my paper beads waterproof.
Given that I usually use Mod Podge Dimensional Magic to seal my paper beads, the answer is no, they are not.
They are water resistant but not waterproof.
But the bigger question is, do I want my paper beads to be waterproof?
In an ideal world yes I would, but is waterproofing paper beads worth risking my health?
Is it worth risking anyone’s health?
No, of course not.
I am very careful about checking out products that might affect my lungs.
Most products claiming to be waterproof are solvent based and I avoid such products wherever possible.
The fumes they give off are not good for anyone to breathe in, even if they are low odour.
As someone who has been prone to chest problems from childhood, I look after my lungs really carefully.
This is why I’m not a great fan of resins either.
On the rare occasions that I use resin, I wear an industrial chemical mask.
There are way too may crafters who have become very ill from using resin without the proper ventilation.
I watched a YouTube video a couple of years ago by a resin crafter who was seriously ill from breathing resin fumes.
She was begging crafters to listen to her and understand the dangers of these types of products.
No matter how much I love my DIY Boho fabric bangles, or my paper bead bracelets, they are not worth harming my lungs.
People put far too much trust in dangerous products because they assume, wrongly, that they wouldn’t be sold if they were dangerous.
There are very many dangerous products out there that will harm our lungs over time and I avoid them.
Regarding waterproofing products, there are a few water based products that claim to be waterproof but they are not as durable as solvent based.
And they aren’t specifically for crafters, I’m talking about general waterproofing products that crafters might use without considering the health risks.
Many people have urged me to try using a wood hardener on my paper beads.
And I know many crafters who do use a commercial wood hardener on their paper beads.
But if you look at the Data Sheet for any of the commercial wood hardeners, it is clear they can be hazardous to use.
And I assume they are designed to be used outdoors.
So although I appreciate people telling me how good this product is for paper beads, it’s not for me.
My health is too precious.
So when I seal my paper beads, I only use water based sealers that have very little odour.
I use mainly Mod Podge products because I really like them.
And once they are completely dry, most of them are water resistant, in that splashes will run off them.
But you would not be able to submerge them in water.
Which begs the question, why would you want to?
One of my viewers pointed out that my paper beads are not water proof – ok, but it’s really not a problem for me.
She said, what if you sweat profusely?
Well that has never happened when I am wearing my paper bead jewelry.
And if it did happen, maybe on an unbearably hot summer’s day, I would simply take the beads off.
I frequently wash dishes while wearing paper bead bracelets and have had numerous splashes on them.
But they are always fine and I am happy with the level of water resistance my chosen sealers provide.
In this DIY Boho fabric bangles tutorial, I did use Mod Podge Dishwasher Safe sealer on one bracelet.
This is said to be safe on the top rack of the dishwasher and can be used on glassware, porcelain and ceramics.
It can also be used on many other surfaces.
Some people swear by it but others say it does not live up to the claims.
I have never used it on anything that would go into the dishwasher but I have used it on paper beads.
It is the closest thing I have found to waterproof in a water based product and I am very happy with it.
So that is my take on waterproofing paper beads – I am happy with the level of water resistance of water based sealers.
And I am not risking my health for the sake of having totally waterproof paper beads.
UPDATE TO THE WATERPROOFING ISSUE
A tip from Terri, who inspired me to make these bracelets and bangles – she has said that she has been using gloss tile and grout sealer on her paper beads (and her diamond paintings) as a sealer for eight years.
She said it works really well.
I have no idea about the possible chemical toxicity or odour from this but I am going to get some and try it.
In my DIY Boho fabric bangles video, I did mention the issue of sourcing the magnetic clasps I use on my bracelets.
Although I did put links to my Amazon storefronts to the ones I bought in the UK, a few people said they
were not able to get them.
These are the links directly to the listings:-
At the moment my Amazon storefronts only serve the UK and the USA.
So if you live somewhere else, you may not be able to access them.
But what you can do, is put this (see below) into a Google search in your country and see if anything comes up:-
Bracelet Clasp Magnetic Jewelry Clasps Stainless Steel Leather Cord End Clasps for DIY Rope Bracelet Necklace Buckle Jewelry Making Hole: 12x6mm 6 Pieces
I do have a few sets of clasps that I could put into my etsy shop if anyone wants to buy a minimal number of them.
If anyone wants to buy the magnetic clasps that I do have, leave me a comment under the video on YouTube.
Another thing I had questions about was the electronic cutting machine I use to cut my paper beads.
The one I use is called the Sillhouette Cameo 3 – but they are now up to the Cameo 5 I believe.
It is a massive time saver if you make tons of paper beads.
For adventurous crafters, they are a brilliant addition to your craft room because the things you can create are endless.
I do have them listed in my Amazon storefronts – the direct links to the machines are down below.
These links are a guide to what you can get. Please do your own research and shop around.
But above all, try to shop locally if you possibly can.
If you do buy through one of my links, I receive a very small commission – you can read my Amazon Affiliate statement here.
There were also questions about the cut file I used with my Silhouette Cameo to cut my paper bead strips.
Yes I do have paper bead cut files available to buy.
Just vist my etsy shop and you will find listings for paper bead templates – but make sure you look for the ones intended to be used with cutting machines.
Because they aren’t all for electronic cutters, some are for manual use.
After my previous video, I did receive a rather strange comment from a viewer because she could not immediately find the clasps on my Amazon page.
Not sure why as they are the second item listed on my UK page and the first item listed on my USA page.
I will be addressing that comment, and the issues it raises, in another post about my Amazon shops, which is coming up very soon.
So if you are interested in reading that, keep a look out for it.
Well I think that covers everything people have been asking me about.
I hope you enjoy the DIY Boho fabric bangles video – leave me a comment over on my YouTube channel if you have any questions.
And now for the free printables – there are four this time!
For more free printables – visit my free printables page.
Please read the Terms & Conditions to downloading and using my free printables – thank you.
See you next time with more free designs!