Heart or Gecko Plastic Canvas Bracelet

Use your imagination to create a plastic canvas bracelet. This is a good craft for middle schoolers. You create a design on graph paper before making a bracelet.

Cross stitch plastic canvas (14 mesh)
Friendship bracelet, cotton thread
Graph paper

The holes on some plastic canvases are larger than others. This project works best with canvas with larger holes.

Markers or colored pencils
Scissors
Needle

Color pencils work well because they are erasable.

Using graph paper and markers or colored pencils, create a design. Color pencils work well for designing because you can erase mistakes.

Determine the length of your bracelet. Mine was 8 1/4", 2" more than my wrist measurement. Experiment by wrapping the canvas around your hand to make sure you can slip on the bracelet.

Using your pattern, determine the width of your bracelet. Add extra rows if you do not want your design continuing on the edge of the bracelet. The gecko pattern is 9 squares wide, and I cut the plastic 11 squares wide. Take care to cut a smooth edge.

Using needlepoint technique, stitch your design with diagonal stitches. Start by leaving 1" thread on back that is woven under first stitches. When finishing thread or adding new thread, weave through back stitches.

Overlap bracelet ends by two holes. Stitch together with using diagonal stitches with straight stitches on the top and bottom for reinforcement. I used thread similar to my canvas color to make the connection less noticeable.

Stitch another row to cover the loose end edge of the plastic canvas.

The same technique can be used to make a label for a round container. This frosting container will be used to store q-tips.

Because the holes were smaller on the white plastic canvas, I used cross stitch technique for this band, making x's instead of just needlepoint diagonal stitches. This also show how you can add a border to your bracelet.