Decoupaged Bracelets with Postage Stamps

Decoupaged Bracelets with Stamps

It’s so easy to transform something that’s pretty ordinary into something fabulous, like these fun DIY decoupaged bracelets.

I don’t wear a lot of jewelry, but I do love to wear bracelets during the warmer months when they can be seen.

So when I saw a couple of $1 bracelets at a thrift store recently I grabbed them.

Sponsored: Decoupage product provided by DecoArt. This project idea, choice of product used, and all opinions are 100% my own. See full Disclosure Policy here.

Both these bracelets are metal and pretty good quality.

The link bracelet has an extender chain on the end, and the cuff bracelet just fits over my hand.

This is my first attempt at bracelet makeovers and these two are perfect for my trial run.

With all the fun I’ve been having creating with used stamps lately, with my decoupaged vintage magazine table and decoupaged vintage sifter, I thought…. why not?

Let’s go for it?

NOTE: I am not a stamp collector. I purchased these stamps specifically for crafting purposes.

 

For these decoupaged bracelet makeovers I used DecoArt Paper Decoupage Medium, and a foam brush. 

You’ll also need a fine grit sanding block, and a xacto knife. Pics of those in use can be seen later in this post.

 

How to Decoupage a Link Bracelet

I started with the link bracelet by filling the center area of one section with the decoupage medium.

That center area is textured, so it’s important to get enough medium on it so the stamps adhere well.

Be careful not to get the medium all over where you don’t want it.

 

 

I have a few floral stamps in my crafting stamp collection so I put the first one down in place, pressing firmly all over.

 

 

Once the stamp was in place I trimmed it with an xacto knife and applied  a top coat of the medium.

 

After doing the one link I thought it would be easier to create a paper template of the link area.

I measured the inside of the link and cut a piece of regular paper to fit.

 

 

Then I simply put the template over the stamps and cut around them.

Easy peasy.

 

 

I added the next stamp and used my xacto knife just to tuck in whatever edges weren’t a perfect fit.

Especially at the corners.

 

 

Once this decoupaged bracelet makeover was finished I I went over all the links with my fingers, making sure the stamps were well adhered.

Then I applied a couple of top coats of the decoupage medium, letting it dry well in between.

I didn’t have to sand the stamps because they were down nice and smooth.

But if you need to you can use a fine grit sanding block like I do in the next bracelet makeover.

 

How to Decoupage a Cuff Bracelet

 

This rather plain cuff bracelet was perfect for a decoupage makeover.

 

     

On this bracelet I quickly discovered that the stamps went on nicer at angles, rather than straight up and down.

I think that’s because of the rounded shape of the bracelet.

Letting the stamps extend over the sides of the bracelet will make for nice edges.

 

 

There’s really no pattern to this…. you just keep adding stamps, deciding what ones to use as you go along.

I decided not to use stamps with faces, opting for mostly buildings/scenes.

But that’s just a personal choice.

 

Once the cuff bracelet was covered all over with stamps I hung it on a teapot spout to dry.

 

Decoupaged Cuff Bracelet Finishing Touches

Then I trimmed the pieces hanging over with an xacto knife to make a nice edges.

Make sure your knife blade is very sharp. It should take no pressure at all to trim the pieces off.

 

At this point it’s important to give the bracelet a nice sanding with a fine grit sanding block.

This is to remove and paper edges that are not quite smooth.

 

   

And the body of the bracelet should be sanded as well, because of the layering of the stamps.

 You don’t have to press very hard at all with the sanding block, and you can feel with your fingers when it’s nice and smooth.

 

 

Then the bracelet should get two or three coats of the decoupage medium, with sanding in between each coat.

 

Here’s the before of both bracelets before their decoupage makeovers.

 

   

And here’s the after.

You could definitely customize bracelets like this by using themed stamps.

Themed by country, subject (like the flowers I used), color, etc…. whatever you love really.

I wanted the cuff bracelet to look different from all sides, and I purposely didn’t do the inside of the cuff bracelet.

The contrast of the aged silver metal with the stamps looks good to me.

Plus nobody will see the inside when I’m wearing it.

 

 

I didn’t have duplicates of any of the floral stamps, so I picked from what I had.

For me, using all different stamps makes it look more interesting.

 

I just love how both these decoupaged bracelets turn out, and they were so easy to do.

There will be more of these in my future.

 

Save this project for later by pinning!

Thanks so much for reading, and until next time…

keep on keepin’ on!

XOX