Bracelets Have Lots of History
For thousands of years, humans have adorned themselves with jewelry. From earrings to necklaces, armbands to rings, we've been making jewelry a part of our lives for far longer than many think. Bracelets and other jewelry can clearly be seen in the murals in the Pharaoh's tombs in Egypt as well as in many pieces of art from various societies throughout the world. It's no wonder that these pieces of personal expression have retained their popularity through the centuries.

Meant to be worn by just about everyone, bracelets come in a wide array of styles and materials. From woven bracelets made of thousands of tiny seed beads to 24k gold intricately designed chains, there is truly a bracelet style for everyone. There are many great shops where bracelets can be purchased, but you only have to go as far as your local craft store to make your own unique designs.

Unique and Cheap, an Unbeatable Combination
If you're looking to make your own bracelets, there are about a million different ways to get started. You'll have to decide which materials you'd like to use, the type of design you're going for and the primary theme for each individual or group of bracelets. From leather to embroidery thread, you can make your bracelets out of just about anything. Some creative individuals even use re-purposed or reclaimed items as the basis for making their bracelets.

When you make your own bracelets, you'll be saving a lot of money, too. These handmade wonders make incredible (and cheap) gifts, and the recipient will surely appreciate a gift made with your own hands. You can tailor each individual bracelet to match the tastes of whomever you'll be giving it to, as well. This is often greatly appreciated and wholly missing in store-bought gifts.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
The most difficult decision you'll be making is probably going to be your basic material. There are several popular styles of handmade bracelets, including leather, beads, woven seed bead cuffs and others. If you choose to go with leather, you should be aware that there are wider strips and slim strips of leather in various colors. The wider strips can be used in stamping or leather burning projects, while the slim strips can be braided. This is especially attractive when done with an eye-catching variety of colors. If beading is more your style, you're going to need to choose the type of base material to string them on, be it jewelry wire, thread, stretchy cord or any of a number of other options. Beads can range from very small to very large and exist is such a wide range of styles and colors that to list them all would take pages and pages. Remember that charms are very popular, too. Charm bracelets are actually one of the most popular types of bracelet today and are incredibly easy to tailor to a specific person.