Thibra Fine is a great tool for making any kind of quick costume jewelry or as a custom gift for a friend. This bracelet took only a few minutes to make, looks much fancier than it is, and if you get tired of it in the future, you can just melt it back down. Super easy!
To make this bracelet you’ll need:
- a couple silicone fondant molds (one with a border trim, one for details)
- A heat source (either hot water or a heat gun)
- Thibra Fine (about 4” x 6” piece should be more than enough)
- Heat resistant working surface
- Acrylic Paint (I used Tommy DIY paint)
For this project, build your parts first by heating the Thibra to 120º F using either a heat gun or hot water (not quite boiling).
Warm Thibra will be warm to the touch but not scalding hot, and easy to shape like a soft putty.
While it is nice and warm, squish the wad of Thibra Fine into the fondant mold. If the Thibra has cooled down too much it may feel hard to press and not pick up details. Simply heat it again.
Avoid having extra Thibra hanging over the edge of the mold. If it looks like there’s more than you need, just pinch off any extra and save all scraps! You can use every little piece in the future.
Build up all your parts and let them cool, keeping the long wrist part flat for now. To cool Thibra faster you can dip it in cold water. Move the parts around until you like the look.
Once you’re ready, heat the wristband first and shape it around your wrist (or a form that it won’t stick to).
Warm Thibra Fine will stick to itself. To keep details looking best, try to re-heat only the area to stick, meaning, the back of the leaf and the front of the wristband, or the back of the flower and only the area of the wristband where the flower will attach.
To cool Thibra faster you can run cold water over it for a few moments until it hardens up. As soon as it is cool it is ready to paint. Pat it dry before painting.
Thibra Fine can be painted without primer, sanding, or other prep as long as an acrylic paint that sticks to plastic is used. To get the look shown here a dark Antiquing Coating was put on the Thibra first, then Copper Metallic was dry-brushed on. A hint of Silver Metallic was added to just enhance it slightly. If you want, you can seal it with a glossy coating to really protect the finish, otherwise, this piece is a great accent for any outfit.
