How to: Make a Jigsaw Piece Bracelet

This is one of those projects that I did ages ago, and completely forgot about until recently. I rediscovered my extensive collection of jigsaw bracelets and knew that I would have to post a tutorial here. These jigsaw bracelets are really fun and kooky, and I think are perfect for spring/summer.

I love making jewellery from everyday, unexpected items. The end result is always quirky and a great talking point. Jigsaw pieces make perfect jewellery - you can use pieces as part of a necklace, or just one for a statement ring - and today I'll show you how to make a jigsaw piece bracelet. You'll need to use jigsaw pieces that are either made from wood or cork for these - unfortunately cardboard ones don't quite cut the mustard. Keep your eyes peeled for old wooden jigsaw pieces, as they often have really lovely designs on them.

You Will Need:

• Wooden/Cork Jigsaw Pieces
• Jump Rings
• Jump Screws
• Lobster Clasp
• Pliers
• Small length of chain
• Acrylic Paint
• Quick Dry Varnish

You'll need jigsaw pieces like the ones ^above^, the pieces that have the two sticky-outy prongy things (technical term). Think about how many pieces you want to use - depending on how long you want your bracelet to be and also on how large your jigsaw pieces are. I'm using four, but you can use however many you want.

Using pliers, screw in a jump screw to each "prong" of your jigsaw pieces. Each jigsaw piece should have two jump screws - one on each prong. I didn't need a drill to do this, as my jigsaw pieces were made from a soft cork, but other jigsaw puzzles are probably different.

FYI - I found a long thread discussing what to call the sticky outy bits on jigsaw pieces, after Google failed me. It seems a lot of people have the same problem! We should come up with a word, pronto - or contact Susie from Countdown. I bet she'd know which word to use.

I decided to paint my jigsaw pieces, to give them a more uniform look. This is optional, and if you have a jigsaw puzzle that is really pretty, I'd recommend just giving your pieces a quick varnish to protect them. I also varnished my pieces after the paint had dried, just to prevent the paint from chipping.

^These are a few designs I came up with, but experiment to come up with your own.

When your jigsaw pieces are dry, link them together using a pair of pliers and jump rings.

Using your pliers, attach a lobster clasp to one end of your bracelet, and a small length of chain to the other, so that you can now wear your bracelet. Dancing around whilst singing the theme tune to New Girl is optional (but I'd totally recommend it).

These are some of the jigsaw bracelets I've made using the same technique. They're just so darn happy and summery, non?

As always, I'd love to hear from you if you try this, or have made anything else using jigsaw pieces!