Best Friend Bangle Bracelets

Remember all the “best friend” jewelry that was so popular back in elementary and middle school?  Remember how fun it was to wear your half of the heart and know your BFF was wearing one too?  It was like a special secret code and a reminder even when you were apart that there was somebody who had your back.  Recently, Erin and I decided that there’s no reason grownup BFFs shouldn’t have our own bestie bracelets too!  So, we broke out the metal stamping supplies, got to work, and made these…take a look!

When we were deciding what to write on our bangles, we chose a little saying Erin came up with a few weeks ago.  As individuals, although we do have some important things in common like a love for Broadway tunes, crafting, coffee, and Jesus, the two of us are total opposites in quite a lot of ways.  Erin loves camping while I prefer a four or five-star hotel.  She wants a big family and already has three boys; I am perfectly content with my only child.  She thinks bugs are cool; I see a spider and scream.  Erin owns one dress (and I (Erin) only own it because Amy bought me one) and rarely wears makeup; I love fashion and am a total girly-girl.  On the surface, it seems like we’re an unlikely pair, but somehow it just works.  Our differences compliment each other, making us quite a team.  Recently, Erin came up with the saying, “You’re the caramel to my mocha,” and vice versa, which I thought summed it up really well.  Caramel and mocha couldn’t be much more different, but they’re both fabulous on their own and even better combined!

Materials:
Note: I’ve linked to some of the exact materials I used in case you want to make a similar project. Some of these are affiliate links, meaning if you click, then make a purchase, you are helping to support this blog.
– 1/4″ x 6″ Silver Stamping Blanks
– Metal Stamping Hammer
– Texture Hammer
– Steel Stamping Block
– Painters’ Tape
– ImpressArt Juniper Lowercase Alphabet stamp set
– Black Permanent Marker
– Jewelry Polishing Cloth
– Nylon Jaw Bracelet Bending Pliers
– Dremel Micro 8050 and sanding drum {optional}

Step 1: Stamp your phrase.
You can choose any phrase you like that means something to you and your bestie!  Center the blank on your stamping block and tape it down on the sides to hold it in place.  Figure out what letter is in the center of your phrase and start with that one first.  Then, work your way out from there.  If you’ve never done metal stamping before, check out my Beginner Stamping Tutorial, which has step-by-step photos and instructions for this part.

Step 2: {optional} Add texture using your choice of texture hammer.
We used a dimpled one. All you do is tap your hammer all over the blank until you have the look you want.

Step 3: Color in your words using a black permanent marker.  Then, rub with a polishing cloth to remove any excess.

Step 4: {optional} Round the corners and smooth the edges of your blank.
If you don’t have a power sander, you can skip this step, but since I happen to have a Dremel Micro 8050, we went ahead and used it.  I like the look of the rounded edges, and it makes the bracelet more comfortable to wear.

Step 5: Bend your blank using nylon jaw bracelet bending pliers.
These pliers are seriously awesome.  They effortlessly make this straight rectangle blank into a perfectly rounded bangle.  They are one of my most favorite jewelry tools I own.

See?  Look at that!  It couldn’t be easier!  And the great thing about this bracelet is that it works for any size wrist.

That’s all there is to it!  Once your bangle is shaped, it’s ready to wear.  This is the one I made for Erin…{she’s the mocha}.

And here they are together.  You may notice in the photo that the one Erin made for me doesn’t have rounded corners {yet}…that’s because when I brought some supplies to her house, I remembered the Dremel but left the sanding drum at home.  Oops.  So, we’re going to pretend we did that on purpose to show you the two variations.  Right.

Ta-da!!  Bestie power!

I totally love the way they turned out.  They’ve got all the fun of the old school best friend jewelry, but they’re chic and sophisticated too.

Meanwhile, just for fun…our “yearbook photo” shot, circa 1990…hahaha! (Erin says, “All we’re missing are matching sweaters, cuffed jeans and scrunchies.Or maybe we should have grabbed our cats for the shot, like this now-famous guy.”)

Who would you love to make bestie bracelets with?  What would they say?