Share your work with the hashtag #affinitybracelet!
This week -> May 19th: Finishing
This week we'll show a couple of different ways to finish these bracelets.
May 26th: Your Design Ideas
This week we'll share some of your projects and design ideas.
Remember: Email us with YOUR Affinity Bracelet design and/or material ideas and post pictures using the hashtag #affinitybracelet on Instagram!
(Find last week's lesson here.)
The finishing of these bracelets should be super fast and easy: no clasps, no sewing in ends, no hard work! That said, if you want to finish these in a more complex way: Go for it! (And be sure to share your ideas with us!)
(Skip to the end of this post first if you're using a Saffron Pocket Loom)
Finishing:
Removing the piece from your loom: Either loosen your tension and remove your warping bar or cut your piece from the loom. If you decide to cut the warp, make sure you have at least 6 inches of warp on either side of the bracelet for finishing.
Trim the ends (including the wefts with the long ends that you began and ended with) on either side to the desired length.
Braids: The classic way of finishing one of these bracelets is the easiest: Braids. After you've removed your bracelet from the loom, weigh down one side and braid the other, tying a knot in the end. Do the same on the other side.
Rope: This is similar to the braid method, but a little fancier. After you've removed your bracelet from the loom, weigh down one side and then separate the warp ends into two halves. Hold tension on both pieces and and carefully roll the left piece counterclockwise and then bring it over the right piece so it is now on the right. Now, roll the piece on the left (the piece that was on the right) counterclockwise and bring it over the right piece so it is now on the right. Continue to do this and then tie off at the end.
This video might be helpful if you're having a hard time picturing how this works. It's easier to do than it seems!
Adding Beads: Use the needle and thread method we mentioned last week to string large beads onto the ends of your bracelet!
Tie knots/double knots to hold on the beads.
Tying: As with a friendship bracelet, this bracelet can just be tied onto your wrist.
Ribbon/Bead Clasp: To make it easier to get the bracelet on and off, you can instead tie a ribbon around the crossed ends of the bracelet, so you can pull the ends to tighten it onto your wrist and loosen it easily.
Alternatively, if you have a large bead you can string that onto the crossed ends before tying off the ends for a snazzy-looking clasp!
Braids, ropes, beads, ribbons... there are so many ways to finish one of these bracelets and we can't wait to see what ideas YOU come up with!
Remember: We need YOUR help with next week's lesson! Email us with YOUR Affinity Bracelet design and/or material ideas and post pictures using the hashtag #affinitybracelet on Instagram! We'll be sharing some of these ideas next week!
-------------------------------
Finishing on The Saffron Loom:
Finishing this piece on the Saffron Loom is very easy! Simply weave to the top of your loom to finish and tie off your last weft thread with a long tail as you did with you first one. (As noted in last week's lesson, we recommend weaving a half inch or so down from the top of the loom when you get towards the end of this piece. It makes getting in those last couple of rows easier. You may also want to loosen your tension slightly when you get towards the end of the piece.)
Next, loosen the tension on your loom and carefully slide your piece off of the loom. Now, you can finish as shown above!
