Acrylic Bracelets

Tired of the same old bracelets? Get out your sketch book and start dreaming up some shapes we are gonna get bendy with plastics!  we are going to TechShop to get our fashion on! Woot! 

Things you will need: 

TechShop Membership
Paper
Pencil
Scissors
Ruler
Acrylic
gloves

Step Number one:  The first step is to Measure your wrist. We will do this by Cutting out a mock up shape. Your shape should be no shorter that 8 inches because we want to make sure your hand can slip through the opening and over your wrist. 

Step Two: After cutting out your shape curl your mock up shape and fit over your wrist. If you curl your hand up and wrap the paper around your hand this will insure that you will be able to wear your bracelet :) 

Step three: Make your shape in illustrator! (be sure to make your stroke line .003 so that the laser will know to cut through the acrylic.) Turn on your rulers so that you are sure your shape is the correct size!  (command+R)

Choose your acrylic and set yourself up on a laser. Print our your shapes and see your shapes come to real life! 

Please wear them for the next step so you don't burn your fingers off! 

So this step you want to WEAR gloves because things are about to get HOT! Use the heat gun and heat up your plastic shape. Once the plastic is heated up you wil slowly be able to bend the plastic. Form the plastic to the shape that you would like your bracelet. Be sure not to bend it too tight so you can fit your hand through the hole! Don't worry if you don't get it the first try you can keep heating this guy til you get it right! Just don't over heat, because the plastic will start to burn...and that doesn't smell too great! 

Hold the shape until the plastic cools. Once cooled you can try the bracelet one! If your like me and totally inpatient you can run the bracelet under cold water to cool it off quicker. :) 

Wear your bracelet! Make some more! Make some for your friends! Make some fancy and do a cut outs in the bracelet! Woah. Strike a pose!