Free project - Turning Leaves

It's no secret that I am a spring and summer girl. I love the warmer seasons, and although I love the holiday season, I always feel sad when it starts to get colder, the days get shorter and the winter coats come out. The city I live in - Manchester in the UK - is a rainy one, and that takes all the fun out of any season for me.

However, when the sun does come out during Autumn, what a glorious season it is. I always enjoy seeing photos in particular of New England in the Fall; the wonderful turning leaves, the stunning array of colours. I imagine jumping in a pile of crunching, burnished gold leaves, the sun low in the sky and a fresh crispness to the air. The best type of Autumn day. Inspired by this, I have created a new project for you to make, 'Turning Leaves'.

 Ingredients:

Falling Leaves connector bracelet bar

Oxidised copper oak leaf toggle clasp

Fallen Angel Brass headpins and etched jump rings

Fallen Angel Brass charms - swallows, acorn bead cap, pine cones

Czech glass flowers, teardrops and frosted matte faceted rounds

Waxed linen cord in Light Rust

20g antique copper wire

A few seed beads or crystals for the swallows to clutch

1. Cut 30cm of waxed linen cord and knot onto one side of the bracelet bar, leaving a 4cm tail. Knot on a selection of faceted rounds and orange flowers, finishing with the leaf of the toggle clasp, until you have the full length of your bracelet, minus 1cm

2. Pass an etched jump ring through the empty side of the bracelet connector. Link the loop of the toggle clasp to this. Add a selection of charms to the etched jump rings.

3. Using small etched jump rings, add a series of beads and charms at various points around the bracelet. Add a seed bead or crystal to the beaks of the swallows, and use copper wire to wrap the teardrops as briolettes. 

A happy bracelet, perfect for Autumn, or Fall, full of colour and movement.

You can find the original bracelet here.

Rebecca is a Scottish jewellery designer and singer, currently living in Manchester, England. You can read more about beads and singing at her blog, songbeads.blogspot.com and see more of her jewellery at songbead.etsy.com.