The weather is getting warmer and the sleeves are getting shorter. Exposed wrists are in desperate need of jewelry – some new, some old and some handmade. This season, I’m all about making these braided brass cuffs, inspired by Aurélie Bidermann’s Copacabana bracelet. The most complicated step to this tutorial is drilling holes through the cuff but if you’ve got a steady hand and a tiny drill bit, you’ll be churning these out before you know it.

You’ll need:

• 1/2″ blank brass cuff
• 6 skeins of embroidery thread
• 1 skein of metallic gold embroidery thread
• an embroidery needle
• a rotary drill
• a drill bit

Take 6 skeins of embroidery floss, 2 of each shade of a color to create an ombré effect. Cut them to about 2 feet each and gather, along with 3-4 strands of gold floss. Gather into a knot, leaving 2 inches of slack, and braid the length of the bracelet. Close it with a loose knot in case it needs to be shortened or lengthened later.

The next step involves drilling a series of small holes along the edge of the brass cuff. To get nice, aligned holes, I suggest putting a piece of patterned washi tape in the inside of the cuff. I just happened to have polka dotted tape, which was perfect to use as a guide. With your drill, carefully drill holes separated by 10-12mm.

Remove the tape. Thread a strand of gold floss through an embroidery needle. Double knot the end and thread it through the bottom of the first hole. Thread through the top of the middle of the braid and back under through the 2nd hole. Continue weaving.

Once you’ve reached the end, back stick the gold thread and tie it into a knot. Shorten or lengthen the braid by undoing the knot and adjusting it to match the other end.

Trim both ends.

And that’s all folks!

(images by HonestlyWTF; rings from Catbird & Jennie Kwon; bracelets from Campbell)