Big news! The Starburst Wrapper Bracelet Tutorial is now available as an Amazon e-book!
It’s only $2.99 and with the e-book version, you can take this handy step-by-step guide wherever you’re going to be folding! For an excellent crafty gift, give the e-book along with a pack of Starburst. The purchased book can be read on the iPad, Kindle, e-reader, or your computer screen so it’s portable and versatile.
Thanks for your support of Fluffyland Craft & Sewing Blog, and enjoy crafting!
Have you been wondering how to make the amazing bracelets from Starburst wrappers? A simple folding method, plus some finishing tips, will help you make your very own Starburst bracelet. It looks like a lot of steps, but after you’ve made a few links you’ll have the folding method memorized. The average bracelet takes 30-36 Starburst wrappers, so save up! Ask friends to unwrap carefully and “donate”, and to avoid candy binges and sugar highs, unwrap all your Starbursts and save them in a ziploc bag for later. You can save money by buying Starbursts in bulk from Amazon.
If you’re clever, you can make this bracelet from any rectangular wrapper: dum dum wrappers, tootsie roll wrappers, most gum wrappers, now and laters… be creative, there are lots of options!
Keep in mind that when you have finished, you need the bracelet to be big enough to slide on and off your wrist without too much trouble. Because of the folding method, the bracelet will stretch slightly, so this shouldn’t be much of a problem.., but be careful. This is the only tutorial that contains the ending method that blends in with the rest of the bracelet; it’s very tricky but entirely feasible.
Click on any of the photos for a larger view.
Step 1
Take your first wrapper… and flip it over.
I know, it’s tricky.
Step 2
Fold (hot dog) one side in to the halfway point.
Step 3
Fold (hot dog) the other side to the halfway point.
Step 4
Next, fold (hot dog) the whole thing in half so the raw edges you just folded are on the inside crease.
Step 5
Fold (hot dog) in half again.
Step 6
Fold (hamburger) in half.
Step 7
Fold (hamburger) one side to the halfway point.
Step 8
Fold (hamburger) the other side to the halfway point. Steps 1-8 give 1 completed link.
Repeat steps 1-8 with the next wrapper.
Step 9
Insert points 1 and 2 into slots A and B, so it looks like this:
Step 11
Continue making links (steps 1-8) and adding them on (steps 9 & 10)…
Step 12
… until you begin to build up a chain.
Step 13
Once you have reached the desired length… this is where it gets tricky.
Step 14
Make one more link the same way as the others (steps 1-8), but then unfold the last two folds. Insert these raw edges into the same spots in the “V”.
Step 15
Pull the two ends of the bracelet close together, and hold the edges of your long “V” over both edges of the end of the other side.
Step 16
Insert the raw edges into the first wrapper. You’re doing the same thing we’ve been doing, but backwards. That’s the easiest way to think about it. It’s hard to photograph and explain, but if you’re making it look like all the other links, you’re doing it right.
Step 17
Pull ends through until you reach the original folded point, and tuck the raw edges into the previous wrapper, so it looks just like the other wrappers in the chain.
tip! At this point, I find it helpful to use a paperclip or similar item to push the wrappers through. This is the trickiest part, and will require a bit of fiddling.
And you’re done! Congratulations!
I’d love to see pictures or hear about your bracelet-making adventures! Leave a comment below or send me a picture of your new bracelet!
Has anyone tried it with a tootsie pop wrapper?
oh wow. i am eating a Starburst right now. I just can’t get the rapper not to rip
I’m going to try this now that you’ve taught me how. I got a blue one while I was in Haiti on a missions trip. Not sure what mine is made out of since I don’t recognize the product. Hope I can make it. I could start making these to raise money for my next trip.
I’m a child of the 60’s. I started one in the 6th grade and made it about the length of a football field. Back then we used gum wrappers. I have the old wrappers from Clove gum, Fruitgum?, all those brands that aren’t around anymore. It’s packed away in my closet now, but I pull it out and show it to my nieces and nephews occasionally, and they are in awe :) :) Now I have a granddaughter who is 3 and will soon be old enough for me to teach her how to do this. Thanks for the reminder!
I’m trying to make a purse out of the potato chips bags.
Im at the end and it looks great! I just cant figure out the ending to attach it! You were right when you said it is tricky!
This is so cool!!!! I love how my bracelet turned out. Thanks!
Hi, just had to take the time and write a comment, and say thanks! These bracelets are so cute! And you can use nearly any wrappers, fruitella for instance as I did super easy, super fun and a real crowd pleaser (as in I made this)! Thanks soo much xoxox :)
Hey im almost done i just dont get the last part everytimei do it i go to put the bracelete on and it breaks
OMG OMG OMG my and my sister did it is was so hard but then I figured out how to lock it. it was like pull it through then take the strands and put them into opposite slots
This is so cute!!!!!!!! I can’t wait to try it and tell my friends!!! Thank you!!!!!
This isn’t a new idea. I’m not sure when it started, but 50+ years ago we were making the same chains using gum wrappers. The only difference was they we didn’t make them into clothes.
Ditto that!!! In our youth(50 yrs.ago) my sisters and I made lots of chains out of gum wrappers. They were very interesting & colorful using many different varities of gum on the same chain! Brings back sweet memories!!
oh yes! and we swap gum wrappers with our friends so we would have all colors!
Yes!! We made them as long as the height of our boyfriend.
I remember it well! I also remember the coil beads made from paper. Do you. A friend found a necklace in her grandmother’s house and gave it to me.
I also made one of these chains from Wrigley’s gum wrappers in the 60s. I still have mine too. I showed it to my daughter when she was young and she wanted to make one too but unfortunately, Wrigley’s gum doesn’t have the wrappers on their sticks of gum anymore. (at least in Canada it doesn’t)So I had a few wrappers and let her add on to my chain. (It is about 6 feet long) She is now 23 years old but she is going to love this…can’t wait to show her that it can also be done with candy wrappers!
my mom used to make us bracelets and necklaces like this out of juicy fruit wrappers when we were little. (about 30 yrs ago!) good memories!!
As a teenager in high school many of the girls made long chains like this using the long chewing gum wrappers. We didn’t make them into anything in particular – just tried to have the longest gum wrapper rope. It was fun and helped us pass a very long two hour bus ride back and forth from home to school in another town. This was about 45 years ago! So this idea isn’t new, not by a long shot!
I love these, we used gum wrappers when I was young. I once made one to go all the way around my room, it took a long time and I collected wrappers from everyone LOL Thanks for the memories.
I made one of these in the seventies out of shiny gum wrappers. Thanks for putting this online so I can do it again with my children.
I must be old, we used to make these out of Wrigley’s gum wrappers :)
I bought 3 packages of starburst and made this awesome bracelet! I had a little trouble finishing it but in the end it looks awesome and im going to start selling them! Thank you so much!!!
I love this! I have a purse made out of paper using a similar folding technique. It’s over 30 years old…I never carried it much.
We use the silver wrapping paper from wrigley’s gums to create a strand to wrap around Christmas tree when we were little (back in 80’s) Still in storage. Still taking it out every year.
Yes we did this all the time as kids with gum wrappers – this is not new! wow no one has an original thought in their head do they….sorry just tired of copy cat movies, cooking blogs where they change a tiny amount of ingredient in an already popular recipe to call it their own, now this…I did this all the time as a kid and I’m only 45 yrs old….so it’s not old enough to be new again. I never made clothing out of it :) so that’s new…is it stylish and fantastic or a sign of the times with the economy what it is and prom dresses running at thousands of dollars and registered so no two girls at a particular school wear the same dress at their prom….what has happened to this world, just crazy. I think this girl is fabulous for creating and wearing this dress and her dad is wonderful for helping her but this is not a new craft – wake up people!
My grandaughter and I are always looking for crafts to do together, can’t wait to try this one. Of course I will have to let her eat all the candy, I’m sure it won’t be a problem for her but not sure how her mother will feel when I send her home all “sugared up”
These are great crafts I can do with my grandchildren when they visit I love it!
We use to make braclets and necklaces similar to these when I was a young (60’s and 70’s)out of gum wrappers.
i really want to do that braclet LOL :)
When I was a teenager we used to make these out of gum wrappers. I was trying to remember how to show my grandchildren when I saw this. Thank you so much.
Definitely not new….. I used to make picture frames out of candy wrappers and potato chip bags 15 years ago when I was in prison.
We did this many years ago with chewing gum wrappers.Now my grandchildren are doing it.
I also made these back in the 60s. I have great admiration for the girl who made her prom dress from these. She is a brave girl and now she is rewarded with fame. She dared to be different. I do feel some negative feelings toward to Starburst company though for not selling them the wrappers for this project. Now Starburst is getting all this free publicity. I think they should compensate this girl in some way. How about a free trip to the town where Starburst is made and a tour of the factory. Also, pay her for a photo shoot for a picture to hang in their factory.
Jelly Belly has marvelous mosaics made of Jelly Bellies in their factory. They are awesome and draw customers to tour the factory. Star Burst, get with the program.
Yeah, this may not be a ‘new’ craft, but it’s a pleasant blast from the past, and it may be new for some people, so I don’t understand why anyone would get so annoyed by this blog post. Harsh words are just unnecessary.
Thank you for your lovely tutorial, with all the fancy starburst floors nowadays I plan on making another bracelet like we did back in highschool, only this time it’ll be so much more colorful!
I agree completely. It’s fun, so why focus on the fact that it has been done in a similar fashion before. People are funny, thank you for your kind spirit.
Erin, I totally agree with your comments; because the concept may be old but it is still interesting and appears to be fun. I made all kinds of bracelets out of many different materials when I was young; but I plan on making this bracelet with my girls because it is new to them.
I’f you go to Atlanta, Georgia airport you will see a dress someone made out of Target Bags. I thought this was so Kool. No doublt, there are lots we have yet to see. When I was a kid, we did the chewing gum bracelets. I also sat in the front yard, since we had clover flowers we made necklaces and bracelets out of them. I am 67 yrs old now.
We also made these “Love Chains” when I was a teenager. I would like to see how the purse was made. Making useable items out of recycled materials is always great for our environment and creativity!
Did this ever bring back memories! Back in the 1930’s we made belts of cigar wrappers using this same fold. Were ever proud!
Just got done making one! So retro! I hope to make more doing it with tootsie roll wrappers. I love that they smell good too.
acctually my 11 yr old saw the picture of the girl in the dress and said i want to try that and so i am happy to say that there was success and now she wants to do a head band {i think she just wants to eat the candy)
So, many did it with Gum-Wrappers! We made with the same fold Wastebaskets for our Office in the Austria Tobacco Comp. in Vienna and we used Soft-Pack-Cigaret-Packs! Different Brandnames, different colors! They looked really great! Everybody wanted one, and I am happy to see this Craft here again! By the way, I am 63 yrs.old!
I’ve seen the bracelets before – love the craft. But has anyone made a ring with a dollar bill? My husband made me 2 from our now defunct 2 dollar bills (Canadian). He says, he and his buddies used to wear these to the bar in the late 60s and early 70s as spare change; sometimes made of higher denominations! Those were simpler and safer days!!!
I’ve been waiting for someone to take the candy wrapper bracelet/purse idea and make clothing from it… how cool! Duct tape prom dresses just got one upped! haha :)
I came here from a news article with this girl who made her prom dress from Starburst wrappers c:
I read that article about the girl that made a prom dress out of starburst wrappers so that inspired me to make a shirt out now and later wrappers. It wasnt the cutest but it was still cool.
Me too.
me 2!
We made love chains out of gum wrappers ,just haven’t seen any one bother with this cool blast from the past teenage craft for 46 yrs. I you had clover flowers in your yard you made necklaces and braclets out of them . The story of the girl making her prom dress from starburst wrappers was different . Alot of memmerories came flooding back . I think I will try to make this braclet. I am 65 yr old
I am also 65 and remember well the gum wrapper chains. I had one that went all the way around my room and draped over my dresser and my bed. Drove my mom nuts. Great memories!
I used to make these out of gum wrappers as a teen in the late 70s! Used to make chains and drape around my room. What a clever idea for the prom dress! Great to see it again!
I used to do this with gum wrappers when I was a teen in the 70’s. I still have this big long ball of connected gum wrappers. I’ve decorated the Christmas tree with it a few times as garland. Some of the companies quit putting gum wrappers on the gum and just put them in the foil package.
@Victoria lol me 2! :) this Starburst bracelet craft sounds like a lot of fun! i get bored REEALLYYY easily, and this would be a great and fun thing to do! plus, i get to eat a TON of candy!!!! :D
oh my gosh, we made these when I was in high school 9 million years ago but we made them out of stick of gum wrappers.
Very well done tutorial.
I just completed mine!
I used
-red
-pink
-dark pink
-dark purple
starburst wrappers!
I would recommend this to crafty people! ?
It’s look very nice and simple, I should bring this inovation into my community children school.
I love its too much!
Very respectfully,
Than Rithy
I’m so glad that things like this is coming back. I started making a chain back in the 70’s and still have to this day. My daughter puts it on the Christmas tree, but mine is made out of gum wrappers. Black Jack, Juicy Fruit, Clove, just to name a few. I am now in my 50’s and my mother told me 35 yrs. ago that things return within 30-40 yrs. Keep up all the good ( and fun ) work every one is doing. I’m so glad to see that hands are busy with something fun and creative and not drugs.