I was in charge of coming up with arts and crafts for Girls Camp for my church this summer. On Day 3 we embellished wood bracelets using Mod Podge and DIY Bangles. This is seriously the easiest project to make and perfect for a large group with limited craft skills.
My main goal for the week was to show them how much fun it can be to create something beautiful. My secondary goal was to teach them how to use different textiles in different purposes. Therefore we made:
- Duct Tape Purses ~ to use
- How To Make a Duct Tape Bow
- Paper Embellished Frames ~ to display a memory of camp
- Fabric Covered Bangles ~ to wear
Girls Camp Craft ~ Make A Bracelet
Tip: When purchasing the bangle bracelets, do not buy the Smalls. Only purchase a few Mediums and mostly Large and Extra Larges. The Medium bangle fits my hand and wrist which is on the smaller side. The majority of my girls fit the Large size.
Materials to Embellish 1 Bracelet:
Wood Bangle Bracelet ~ I bought the 1″ flat bangle at DIY Bangles
Mod Podge
Foam Brush
2″ x 10.5″ Strip of Fabric
Scissors
Black Paint
How To Organize The Craft
We had around 50 girls each hour to teach how to make the craft. So to keep things organized, I had one table with the bangle bracelets arranged by size. First, they tried on their bracelet to make sure it fit.
Next, they went to the other side of the table to pick their piece of fabric. I had all of the fabric strips pre-cut and in gallon sized Ziploc bags according to color. This way when the girls came into the craft room they lined up to receive their bracelet and fabric. It worked smoothly.
Prep The Tables
At each table we had scissors, pencils, foam brushes, Mod Podge, and candy all laid out for them. We also had baby wipes on hand for the girls to wipe their sticky hands at the end of each craft.
Tip: This craft can be a little messy. If you have the budget, consider covering each of the tables with a disposable table cloth for easy clean up.
Ready. Set. Craft!
Give A Few Tips To Set Up For Success
1. Once all the girls have arrived, briefly give the girls an overview of the craft as well as a few tips to set them up for success. Such as:
- Do not over-think this craft. It’s easier than it looks, so have fun with it and take your time. It does not need to be perfect and it will still look amazing!
- Write their first and last name on a triangle piece of paper plate where they will place on the table while it dries.
- Cut 1/2 ” slits on both sides of the fabric to allow it to easily fold into itself inside the circle.
- Paint the Mod Podge onto the paper NOT the bangle bracelet.
- Hold the sides of the fabric down with both hands for 45 seconds on each side in order for the glue to dry. Any less than that and the fabric won’t stick.
- Once the fabric is dried, we had the girls take the bangle up to the main table and the YCL’s {youth camp leaders} painted the inside black to polish it off. Only the YCL’s were allowed to use the black paint for cleanliness and organizational purposes.
- If they have any questions to raise their hand at any time and a YCL {youth camp leader} will come to help them.
Hand Out Bracelet & Fabric
Our camp theme was “A Jungle Out There” and therefore I chose to use animal print fabric to embellish the wood bangle bracelets.
2. Have each girl write their first and last name on a triangle piece of paper plate where they will place on the table while it dries.
3. Each girl was given: a wood bangle and strip of animal print fabric.
Cut The Fabric
4. Cut 1/2 ” slits every 1 to 1 1/2 inches or so to allow the fabric to fold into itself and make a nice round bracelet. Allowing 1 1/2 inches in the middle of the bracelet where the wood will be glued. Be sure not to cut too deep because when you glue it to the bracelet the fabric will pull away and show the wood of the bangle.
Tip: Encourage the girls to not over think their small cuts. It does not need to be perfect and it will still look amazing!
Glue Using Mod Podge
5. Use the foam brush to paint the Mod Podge sparingly onto the fabric not the wood bangle. If you paste it onto the frame the wood frame will absorb the glue and the fabric will bubble up. Use the glue sparingly as it just needs to get a little damp. A lot of glue will take a long time to dry and make a mess. So make sure the girls know that a little goes a long way.
Have the girls brush on the Mod Podge on the entire fabric piece, especially the sides. If they do it all at once it makes it easier later. If they decide to only do the inside and not the outside slits ~ it doesn’t mess anything up ~ it just takes a lot longer to complete the craft.
Tip: If you have the time, you can also add Mod Podge to the top of the fabric to seal the bracelet. It gives it a nice polish, however it’s not necessary.
Attach Fabric to Bracelet
6. Wrap the damp fabric around the bangle. You can cut the extra fabric at the end if you’d like. However, it’s not necessary. It’s better that the fabric is too long than too short. {wink}
7. The trickiest part of this craft is getting the sides of the paper to stick properly.
When gluing the sides, do adjacent sides of the bangle as the same time. For instance, hold down the inside and the outside of the bracelet and hold for 45 seconds to give the Mod Podge time to dry. If the fabric comes back up then hold it down for 15 more seconds. Rotate the bracelet a bit and repeat. Encourage the girls to just be patient.
Paint Black Into The Center
8. Once the fabric is dried, we had the girls take the bangle up to the main table and the YCL’s {youth camp leaders} painted the inside black to polish it off. Only the YCL’s were allowed to use the black paint for cleanliness and organizational purposes.
Tip: It only takes a small amount of black paint. Steadily use the brush to draw a thick line along the frayed edge of the fabric inside the bangle. Then flip it over and do it on the other side. Paint in any places that you missed.
This is what the finished bracelets will look like! Aren’t they cute?
Here are a few pictures of the finished frames that the girls made. Each one is completely unique and I loved seeing how they added their own personal style to each one.
A HUGE thanks to Mod Podge and DIY Bangles. Their products are amazing! Here are the links to their blogs for more ideas on fun things to make.
More Girls Camp Craft
- Duct Tape Purses ~ to use
- How To Make a Duct Tape Bow
- Paper Embellished Frames ~ to display a memory of camp
- Fabric Covered Bangles ~ to wear
{After working them to the bone – I treated my YCL’s to a shaving cream fight.}
I have also got to thank Jordan {one of my YCL’s} who took all of these lovely pictures for me! Holy Smokes didn’t she do such an amazing job. Seriously, I don’t think they would have turned out as nice if I took them myself. I’m just so grateful for all of my YCL’s who worked their buns off this week and helped the girls learn a new skill. Thank you YCL’s! I just adore you and had the most amazing time.
My shirt? {giggle} Girl you are cracking me up. I think I got it at New York and Company last summer. I’m not sure. Either that or Target. My YCL’s had an entire conversion if that shirt was a t-shirt or not. it’s T-shirt material but not in a traditional cut. I do have to say it’s one of my favorites.
Laurie {Tip Junkie}
Laurie! Those are awesome! and your shirt, love!!! Where did you get? and if you tell me you made it(here’s to hoping), there better be a tutorial somewhere! 😉
how fun! you’re so cute! i miss being in yw’s. that was the best calling ever!!