You Can Make Amazing Accessories Out Of Twine

Who knew the world's most basic craft supplies could be so stylish?

1. Twine Clutch

This tutorial by Michele Ng takes the DIY twine lantern a step further by transforming it into a chic twine clutch. Repurpose your old twine lanterns or create your clutch from scratch. (You can use jute twine for a raw natural look, and cotton twine for a sleeker finish. For this tutorial, jute twine is used.)

Gather your materials.

Thick twine, thin twine, white glue, a balloon, scissors, multi-surface paint, a foam brush, and a regular paintbrush.

Blow up the balloon.

The widest part of the balloon will be approximately the width of your clutch.

Wrap the balloon with twine.

Tie a knot at the end to secure. Leave some additional twine to hang the balloon for drying later.

Cover the twine with white glue.

You can use a foam roller or a brush to apply the glue. A faster way would be to dip the twine in a mixture of glue, cornstarch, and water (if you don’t mind the mess!)

Dry the balloon overnight.

The glue should dry clear and the twine should become very stiff. Then burst the balloon. You can use anything sharp, like the edge of a scissors or a pin. It'll be downright thrilling.

Extract the pieces of popped balloon.

If you have some excess glue bits on your twine, don’t worry, as most of them will fall out as you work on your clutch.

At this point, you've made a twine lantern, so feel free to stop and enjoy your creation as is.

And if you happen to have a surplus of twine lanterns already (because who doesn't, really?) you can take it from this step onward to make a clutch.

Carefully press into the center to flatten the twine ball.

You can press it as far as you’d like your clutch to be flat.

Cut a semi-circle out in the front of the twine ball.

This will form a closing flap for your clutch from the remaining portion at the back of the ball.

Press the flap and sides down to form the shape of your clutch.

If you want it simple and natural, you’re pretty much good to go with this as a clutch. To add a little sturdiness and color, continue on by tying dead knots around the joints at the base. This allows your clutch to support heavier items. You can do this using thinner twine or string.

Tie a dead knot in the upper corner of your clutch pocket.

Continue looping knots to hem the edge.

Loop knots around the entire edge of the clutch pocket.

This makes the clutch neater and provides more stability.

If you dig the way it looks, you're pretty much done!

Or continue on to add a dash of color.

Paint the base.

Two or three coats will give it a more opaque color.

Let it dry, and you're done.

A unique and edgy accessory that would look great with a simple summer dress.

2. Twine-Wrapped Bangles

Dom from Get Crafted used colored twine to make this super easy bracelet.

Collect your materials.

You'll need an assortment of colored twine, a wooden bangle, scissors, and strong fast-drying glue.

Apply some glue to the inside of the bangle and attach the end of your first piece of twine.

Be sure to apply enough glue to hold a few wraps.

Wrap the twine around the bangle five times.

Then cut and stick the end of the twine to the inside of the bangle.

To keep the inside nice and neat, glue the start of the next piece of twine alongside the end of the one before.

Continue this process, alternating colors, until the whole bangle is fully covered.

All done!

These make quick and easy gifts, and you could make a whole collection alternating the thickness of the twine and bangles you use.