Handmade Morse Code Bracelet Gift Idea #1

This post is going to be a little different from what I typically do…I’m a huge fan of DIY’s so this past Christmas most of the gifts I handed out were all handmade items and everyone seemed to love them.

Over this next year I’m going to feature one DIY per month. These will be gifts that you can keep for yourself or you may want to give away for birthdays or as Christmas gifts; some will be intense while other projects will be pretty simple. I would rate this month’s on the easy side.

January’s DIY will be: Morse Code bracelets

I’m going to provide directions on how to create these bracelets and I will have links available on where to purchase items.

These bracelets are pretty dainty, elegant, and unique given the idea that you’ll come up with a word that means something to you or whoever you might be giving the bracelet to, plus you can choose colors that give a subtle look or add a pop of color for a little extra flair.

Let’s get started!!

You’ll need:

Linhasita polyester cord (elastic stretchy cord works also)

Glass seed beads size 12/0

Glass bugle (tube) beads size #3

Flexible beading needles

Washy tape

A lighter (to finish the ends)

Scissors

Ruler

**the cost is anywhere from $10-$20 but this will allow you to make well over fifty bracelets; the bracelet shown below took under ten minutes to make.

Let’s get started!

First you will cut your cord to 12 inches to fit over a smaller hand or 14 inches for a larger hand. (Bracelets are adjustable but will need to slide over a closed fist).

Fold a piece of washy tape over the cord (toward the end of it) like this:

Choose two colors of beads: One color in the round beads (dots) and one color in the tube beads (lines)…If you want a subtle look choose colors that are similar in color, but if you want a bold look choose two contrasting colors.

Next you will decide what word you want to use and then find your letters on the Morse Code chart.

I grab my dots and lines from the container as I string them onto the cord (not ahead of time) and then string one at a time.

For my bracelet I chose the word ‘strength’ because my favorite Bible verse comes from Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

As an example: I would start with the letter S and pick my three white dots from the container and then string them onto the cord, next I would move onto the letter T and pick my gold tube (bugle) bead and immediately string it, then move on to each of the remaining letters.

Now you will center align the beads which can easily be done by sliding the washy tape toward the center area.

You will then want to tie a knot at the end of the beads like the photo below:

Next you will slide the washy tape off of the cord and tie another knot at the beginning of your bead-word so that your word is held in place by a knot at the front of the word and one at the end of the word:

The next step is to add a clasp or closure bead by slipping it onto one end of the cord:The other end of your cord will need inserted in the closure bead as well and can easily be done by using a wire bead stringer (but you’ll want to be sure this bead fits VERY snuggly):

To finish adding the closure you will need to pull the wire through the closure bead with the cord end following through as well.

Your bracelet should now look similar to the photo below:

Now it’s time for the final touches by adding a bead to each end and tying off the ends, paying particular attention to evenly lining everything up:

Lastly you will trim the very ends just a bit and then carefully using a lighter lightly melt the ends to keep them from fraying and to give a nice finished look!

That’s it!! You’re done!!

***Hobby Lobby is a great option for beads, especially because they often do half-off on beads, and then Crafts and Beads USA on Etsy has great string options…If you are using those teeny tiny beads you’ll want to make sure you get .5 mm cord size or else the beads will not fit on the cord!! Trust me I made the mistake!

Enjoy! And if you end up creating a Morse Code bracelet let me know! Message if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions!!

***The photo below shows stretchy cord as another cord option which actually comes from Walmart and is super durable, plus when you go this route you don’t have to play with fire to finish the cord ends!! ***You’ll also notice the cube beads from Hobby Lobby (3.5 mm) which work great for your bracelet closure because the inside hole is very tiny, ensuring that your bracelet has a tight closure.