beading gem's journal

Book Review & Giveaway | DIY Wrap Bracelets

Wrap bracelets have been around for ages but they never seem to lose their popularity. Perhaps its because of the tribal look. Or the ease in which they can be made. Whatever the reason, they are comfortable to wear and have infinite possibilities in terms of colors and style. Many people love wearing several together.



DIY Wrap Bracelets by Keiko Sakamoto is a book all about this style of jewelry which I received for review.  The English edition publisher is Fons & Porter Books.  The author was a florist for over 10 years before launching her bead cafe where people could learn to make jewelry in a relaxed atmosphere!

Beaded Square Knot Bracelet
The book consists of 28 projects divided into 4 sections : Wrap Jewelry, Friendship Jewelry, classic Jewelry, Global Jewelry.  Some of the projects are very similar to tutorials found on the internet especially the wrap and braided bracelet styles. They are popular with craft bloggers!  But what makes this book different are the variations and ideas and all in one convenient volume.

Wave Bracelets
For example the Wave bracelets are refreshing takes on the ever popular basic wrap bracelet style.  I also liked how the designer came up with the look of loom beading with the Woven Bead Cuffs design idea.


The techniques used in the book included wrapping, braiding, macrame, and beading - easy ones for beginners and up. There were also a few necklaces. For example, the necklace version of the Sparkling Chiffon bracelet below had an additional chain section.
 
Sparkling Chiffon Bracelet (braided)
One particular technique I liked was the beaded wire wrap for bracelets and a choker below.  The beads were prestrung on wire before it was wound around the bracelet or choker base.  Simple enough but very effective for designs. Different seed bead colors and their relative placements makes for individual designs.


The Beaded Brooch bracelet was all about making a bead embroidery piece.  But what is clever is the use of just a length of ribbon for changing each brooch into a bracelet.  The designer included instructions (in the Tips and Tricks section) on the 2 different ways to tie on the ribbon, single handed.  Seeing how ribbons can so easily be worn on the wrist will make converts out of those who shun such materials.
Beaded Brooch Bracelet 
One of the prettiest designs was the Crystal Wrapped bangle.  The embroidery floss is used not just to hold the crystal cup chain together but also to add color to the design.

Crystal Wrapped Bangles
The book presentation is a bit unusual and somewhat inconvenient.  Final project pictures were displayed at the beginning of each of the four sections.  So it requires some flipping through to find each of the full project instructions further along in the book.

Having said that, it is a delightful book for those who love the wrap style of jewelry.  Makes for a perfect gift for a younger beader you might know.

Giveaway

If you'd like to win a copy of DIY Wrap Bracelets please make a comment below. Make sure you leave contact info below if you do not have an online shop or blog.

Email subscribers need to scroll down the post they receive, click on Share Comment and enter your comment. Pick Name/URL. If you don't have a store or blog, leave the URL blank.

This giveaway is international. 
If the winner has a non-post box US address, the prize will be a physical book.  Otherwise it will be an eBook.

Extra entries if you become or are a blog subscriber or follower etc. If you also do shout outs about this giveaway, those will count as additional entries too! Please say so in the comments.

It ends in a week's time at 6 pm EST Monday, December 21 , 2015 . I will pick the winner randomly and announce the results as soon as possible after. So be sure to leave a contact email if you don't have an online link or make sure you come back and check! Otherwise I will redraw in a week. Good luck!

Disclosure
I receive books and products for review.  I do receive a small fee for any products purchased through affiliate links.   The opinions expressed are solely my own.  They would be the same whether or not I receive any compensation.

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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
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