Zipper Bracelets – A Fun Craft For Tween and Teen Girls

(NOTE:Because of the skill level needed to make these zipper bracelets, this craft is best for tween and teen granddaughters. However, I don’t have granddaughters that age. So, I made these bracelets with my granddaughters ages 7 and 3. Even though I did all the putting together, they still had fun. Being with grandma is always fun, right?)

My friend told me about the zipper bracelets that she made with the girls in the youth group in her church.

They sounded so fun that I knew immediately that this was something that I had make and to share here.

They are great fun and my granddaughters and I had a blast making them!

Ready to make the bracelets?

Great! Here’s what you’ll need:

• metal zippers (that have polyester fabric around it)
• jump rings
• crimp ends
• head pins
• lobster claw claps
• assorted beads
• small tea light candle
• needle nose pliers
• regular pliers

First, cut the cloth away from the zipper. Cut as close to the metal as you can.

Next, light the candle. Hold the zipper above the flame but where the heat can melt whatever cloth you haven’t cut away. This melts the cloth so that it doesn’t fray.

Be careful that you don’t get too close to the flame. That will blacken the zipper and fabric.

Let the zipper cool.

Wrap it around your granddaughter’s wrist to measure how long the bracelet should be.

Cut the zipper to the needed length. Take a crimp end.

Put it over the end of the zipper that you just cut. Using the regular pliers, clamp the crimp end shut. This will keep the end that you cut from coming apart.

Next, get a head pin. Put your choice of beads on it.

Be sure to leave plenty of room at the top so that you can create a loop with your needle nose pliers.

Make up a couple of pin heads. Slip the loop end on your pin heads onto the jump ring. Put the jump ring on the crimp end.

Put the lobster claw clasp on the jump ring.

I did mine a little different because I had a big heart charm. I put the jump ring with my ‘charms’ on the heart. Then I put another jump ring onto the crimp end.

(The lobster claw clasp wouldn’t lay flat for taking a picture. I hope you can tell that it is on the crimp end.)

Ta da! You are done! When you want to put the bracelet on, open the lobster clasp and slip it through the hole in the end of the pull tab on the zipper.

Notice all of the dangly beads that my granddaughter on the left has on her bracelets. She loved all of the beads and wanted to make lots of ‘charms’ for her bracelet.

If your granddaughters are like that, put only two charms on a jump ring. If you put them all on one ring, the weight will be too heavy and they will pull the jump ring open and your little charms will fall off. (Voice of experience here!)