As I mentioned in the most recent “Inspiration Spotting” post, I’ve always had a thing for metal elements. From brass to silver, even just a touch of metal can add some dimension to a piece. With my new found adoration for hardware stores, I’ve been searching for ways to incorporate these elements in an interesting way. Today’s project uses metal braces to create a chevron pattern on a clutch – love!
Metal braces are available in different sizes – I used 3″ zinc plated braces, which I purchased at Home Depot. They were $3.27 for each pack of 4. They are normally used for adding support and reinforcement for flat surface right angles, but apparently make a great embellishment, too.
Keep reading to check out the step-by-step tutorial:
Supplies:
– Large rectangle over sized clutch
– 3″ flat corner braces
(I bought mine at Home Depot. They’re available in packs of 4; I used 9 total. You may use more depending on the size of your clutch)
– Strong craft glue, such as E6000
– Optional: Circular iron on studs or flat back studs, and a jewelry tweezer to handle them with.
1) Determine how you will position the braces. I did 3 rows of 3, with the indents of the holes facing up so that I could later place the studs in them.
2) Add glue to the back of each brace, taking care around the holes and edges.
3) Continuing gluing the braces, pressing firmly as you go along.
4) If you’d like, glue an iron on stud into each hole. Iron on studs have flat backs, making them ideal for this project. I happened to have brass iron on studs from M&J Trimming on hand, which also happened to fit perfectly!
You can also use rhinestones 🙂
5) Continue gluing the studs in the holes. The plastic jewelry tweezers really came in handy for this.
Let dry overnight.
Here, I paired the clutch with my favorite extremely bright neon coral leather jacket, and a band tee. Super comfy, but still makes a statement.
Hopefully this project will help you look at the hardware store in an entirely new way. Click here for past hardware store themed projects at s&p!
Xo, Kirsten