How to make bracelets with hair ties

Make this fun hair tie bracelet DIY so that you can have those hair ties handy – without the ugly factor! You don’t need to know how to make jewelry to create these easy hair tie holder bangles out of air dry clay.

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. FolkArt paint in this post was received free of charge in the hopes I’ll use them in a craft and share!

If you’re like me, and you’re tired of not having hair ties when you want them, but don’t want to wear ugly hair ties, this hair tie bracelet DIY tutorial is perfect for you!

A while ago, I found these quirky hair tie bracelets online and thought they were brilliant! But why buy if I can have fun customizing and DIY?

I tried making these a few different ways.

• With lightweight air dry clay
• With polymer clay
• Using a straw to make the impression
• And using clay shaping tools to make the impression.

I also tried painting some and not others, glazing some and not others. In other words: I did all the experimentation for you with this hair tie bracelet DIY, so you can just pick your favorite and go with it.

Hair tie bracelet DIY with air dry clay vs. Polymer clay:

While I absolutely love the lightweight nature of the Sculpey air dry clay, as well as the convenience of not having to bake it, there was one big drawback: lots of shrinkage.

I had to try it twice to get it right (and since the first time used up my stash, I also had to reorder the supplies). The first time, I also accidentally reshaped it while moving it.

The hardest part of making your own hair tie bracelets is the sizing. It’s important to get the sizing right so that it fits like a bangle and has a wide enough opening to slip  your wrist through.

But you don’t want it so large that it looks ugly.

Ultimately, I got the hang of the sizing and I do prefer the look of the air dry clay over the polymer clay.

Hair tie bracelet DIY glazed vs. unglazed, painted vs. unpainted:

Glazing is an extra step but it’s worth it. It brightens up your piece, especially if you’re using polymer clay, which can naturally have a pretty dull finish.

For the air-dry clay version, you can go either way. The unglazed version has a pretty organic quality to it but the glazed once again has an extra shine. If you leave your piece unpainted, it can make it look a bit like plastic, so keep that in mind!

Whether you’ll want to glaze your piece or not will depend also on the paint you use. When I used the Color-shift paint, I found the finish to be polished enough that it doesn’t need the extra glaze. However, the brushed metal paint (here, in rose gold) can use a glaze.

As far as painting it: I used colored polymer clay, so I left those unpainted. For the air dry clay, I used mostly Color Shift metallic paints with a beautiful texture of their own.

An all-in-one solution: nail polish! This adds both the gloss as well as a durable painted texture.

Using a straw vs. using clay shaping tools for your hair tie bracelets:

This is the one part where I’ll say that it really doesn’t matter. Both worked, and when I repeated the craft, I did it both ways again.

The straw needs a bit more grunt work (a metal straw might work better). It made a more subtle, rounded curve.

The clay shaping tools were a bit less smooth, but went in easily to make the groove. The tools that I used made more of a rectangular indentation.

Another point I’d like to make regarding this hair tie bracelet DIY:

I have not long-term tested these yet. I will update here when I do.

But it’s important to know that clay creations are breakable. I used clays that are slightly more durable than some other options (for example, I wouldn’t recommend using kids’ air dry pottery clays, as those tend to need to be at least half an inch thick to not be brittle).

But even these clays dry like porcelain – if you drop them they’ll likely break. I’d also recommend using looser-fitting hair ties. If you go too tight with those, they may squeeze too hard. Getting the sizing right is important because if you try to stretch it to get it on your wrist it’ll break. If you just slide it on, it’ll be totally fine.

Other than that, with a bit of wear, they’re definitely working! Make them, have fun with them, and send over your feedback if you’d like!

Want to learn how to make jewelry out of anything? Get the book!

What you need to make hair tie bracelets:

(I whittled down this list to the top materials that I recommend after my testing.)

• Sculpey air dry clay
• A drinking straw
• Color shift or Brushed Metal paints
• Optional: clay glaze
• Ponytail holders, or elastic to tie your own

How to make hair tie bracelets:

1. Take a piece of clay about the size of a bouncy ball. Knead it between your fingers to soften in.

2. Roll it out to form a snake that comes just long enough to form a bangle for you, with an approximately 1.5 inch opening (depending on the thickness of your wrist).

3. Gently press a straw along the center the long way, forming a groove along the length. You may need to put some pressure into it, but start slow and work it.

4. Make sure that your groove forms a “ramp” off the ends. Smooth and shape your clay snake until you’re satisfied.

5. Lift it gently off your surface and curve it to form a bangle. You can measure up against a bangle of your own to help you size it. I found a bangle that fit like I wanted the final hair tie bracelet to fit and measured around it to allow for shrinkage.

6. Dry your bracelet. Make sure that the opening is a good size to slip your wrist through as you’re setting it on the drying surface. You’re better off erring on the side of “too big” since your ponytail holder will be keeping it on your wrist anyway. Dry your bracelet.

For air dry clay: allow it to air dry in a safe, non-humid spot for 24 hours.

For oven-cured Sculpey clay: bake on 275 (F) for approximately 15 minutes (for every 1/4 inch).

7. If you’d like to, paint and/or glaze your bracelet and let it dry completely.

8. Slip the bracelet and the ponytail holder separately around your wrist. Slip the ponytail holder over the hair tie bracelet. Wear and have your spare pony tail holder handy when you need it!

Depending on how you did your hair tie bracelet DIY, you may or may not be able to wear it as a standalone without a hair tie attached.

If not, don’t fret! You can just slip it onto a pocket or purse when you’re wearing your spare. But after you make a few, you’ll get the hang of the sizing and you’ll be able to wear them alone as well!

Have you ever tried a hair tie bracelet DIY? Which variation of this do you plan to make? Comment below!

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Estimated Cost: $1

Materials

• Sculpey air dry clay
• A drinking straw or clay shaping tools
• acrylic paint or nail polish
• Recommended: clay glaze
• Ponytail holders, or elastic to tie your own

Instructions

1. Take a piece of clay about the size of a bouncy ball. Knead it between your fingers to soften in.

2. Roll it out to form a snake that comes just long enough to form a bangle for you, with an approximately 1.5 inch opening (depending on the thickness of your wrist).

3. Either flatten it and use a clay shaping tool to form a groove. Or, leave it round, and gently press a straw along the center the long way, forming a groove along the length. You may need to put some pressure into it, but start slow and work it.

4. Make sure that your groove forms a "ramp" off the ends. Smooth and shape your clay snake until you're satisfied.

5. Lift it gently off your surface and curve it to form a bangle. You can measure up against the outside of a bangle of your own to help you size it. Measuring it against the outside will help account for shrinkage.

6. Dry your bracelet. Make sure that the opening is a good size to slip your wrist through as you're setting it on the drying surface. You're better off erring on the side of "too big" since your ponytail holder will be keeping it on your wrist anyway. Dry your bracelet.

For air dry clay: allow it to air dry in a safe, non-humid spot for 24 hours.

For oven-cured Sculpey clay: bake on 275 (F) for approximately 15 minutes (for every 1/4 inch).

7. If you'd like to, paint and/or glaze your bracelet and let it dry completely.

8. Slip the bracelet and the ponytail holder separately around your wrist. Slip the ponytail holder over the hair tie bracelet. Wear and have your spare pony tail holder handy when you need it!

Notes

Depending on how you did your hair tie bracelet DIY, you may or may not be able to wear it as a standalone without a hair tie attached.

If not, don't fret! You can just slip it onto a pocket or purse when you're wearing your spare.