Introduction: DIY Cherry Blossom Watch Strap

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About: Hello welcome to my profile , I'm an electrical engineer, painter. My hobbies include gardening, baking, crafting and trying different things.. instructables is a good place to show case it

Hello All,

This instructables is about designing your own fancy cherry blossom strap that will mesmerize people when you were it, is it a bracelet or is it watch, if its a watch where is the ordinary metal strap, inside this is covered fully covered with graceful flowers. Let's see how its done, every step is clearly explained.

Supplies

Ingredients for our fantasy watch,

1) Watch dial - bought it from local shop

2) Copper wire (silver coated) - 0.4 mm or 26 gauge wire

3) Copper wire (silver coated) - 1mm or 18 gauge wire

4) Cutter - Mini & large

5) Round Plier

6) Flat nose Plier

7) Mandrel

8) Half cut pearls - 3mm in dia

9) Uv Dip resin

10) Uv resin

11) Pigments - Pink & Dark green& Pearl white

Step 1: Skeleton of Design

Cut the 1mm dia size in required length(your wrist length x 2 ) , Hold folded end of the wire with plier(strong grip) and start twisting the wire evenly, since this is manually twisting you may find slight bumps in the process, it comes out evenly and perfect with little practice.

Pro Tip: separate the wire in opposite direction so that twists are evenly placed

Step 2: Fit Check

Use the untwined ends to connect with watch dial hook, make sure to blunt the wire ends and connect it, wrap the wire cord you wrist and see the fitting. so it fits well and good

Step 3: Wire Flowers

You'll need 26 gauge wire cut in three sizes, we are going to make two size flowers with one style leaf. So big flower 23 cm in length - 4 nos, another one 20 cm in length- 4 nos and for leaf 10 cm - 2 nos (this quantity is for wrist length measured, it varies based on base wire cord. I have used mandrel here, its approx circumference is 2.5 cm. Hold the wire, twist it twice, role it around the mandrel, twist two times, repeat it five times.

Step 4: Petal Spread

we are making five petal, keeping real cherry blossom flower as inspiration. Spread it, turn it and twist the last petal to first petal using vertical wire.

Step 5: Shaping

For making cherry blossom, use flat nose plier with slightly pinch in each petal, two ways. shape all five petals.

Step 6: Small Cherry Blossom

Now we are gonna make small cherry blossom, in exact way as above but we are gonna next size circumference i.e., 2.1 cm one for 20cm length wire, to get five petal and bottom holding space (later used for connection), repeat the making process

Step 7: Flower Bloom

connect by forming a mini inner circle, tie the last petal wire (vertical) to the first petal and complete the circular look. Convert the round shaped petal to cherry blossom style using flat nose plier. Image 5 given for size difference between these two

Step 8: Leaf Making

Leaves add very touch to finish, So fold the wire, twist it, slightly pull out in the middle and in clearance open the sides to give cherry blossom leaf structure, so now we have 4 big flowers, 4 small flowers and 2 leaves

Step 9: UV Dipping

There is big difference between, UV dip resin and UV resin. Major difference is Dip resin is very thick in consistency unlike UV resin which has flowy consistency. so specifically we need dip resin if we are gonna fill up the wire space petal with resin. Trust me i have tried multiple way with UV resin, i didn't work. So i'm saving you a lot of time here. Just dip it, check for layering forming in spaces between petal, keep it aside (that area shouldn't anything until it is cured)

Step 10: Fill Up All Flowers

i have kept the Dipped flower in foam base, which holds it vertically and at good clearance. Put it under UV light for 1 min and gap for 30 and again 1 min. It will get cured - image 3

Step 11: Fun Part

I have just randomly took a silicone mould base, poured few drops of UV resin, mixed it with pearl baby pink, pearl white and emerald green shades.. Now comes the colouring part.. Fun right. i used tooth pick to apply pearl white inner circle and filled remaining with pearl pink, I have given the shades on the backside of the flower petal, This is how it looks on the front side (4th image)

Step 12: Curing Part

All the flower and leaves are uppsie daisies and into the UV chamber for about 1 min, 30 secs cool and 1 min again. Yayy they are cured, cute little cherry blossom are ready (well almost)

Step 13: Pearl Elegance

Add a tiny drop of UV resin, place half cut pearl in center of the flower, Place in all 8 flower and proceed for curing 1min

Step 14: Strap Connection

Once all curing is done, we are gonna connect those cute little flowers to the base wire cord. Separate the two vertical wire and roll it around the base wire, in this way it stay in that position, slight petal adjustments are possible after that,

Step 15: Part 2

So place alternate size flowers and start connecting it, place the leaves just where it feels right (trust the artist in you)

Step 16: Thank You

Thank you for coming this far, i hope i have explained everything in basic way, share your thoughts and valuable feedback in comment section

Until then.. Adios !!