Three Ways to Embellish Leather Cuffs with Avocados! (And a GIVEAWAY!!!)

I am never one to back away from a challenge (99% of the time anyway). I was sent a lovely package of Avocados from Mexico...and my first reaction was guacamole (because I could live on it)...but then I thought what else can I create with The Amazing Avocado. So of course, logically I came to the conclusion to make some jewelry. Yep...I said jewelry!

I had a zillion ideas and was bouncing them off of my friends and then, the next day one of my friends told me she had a dream about my avocados...and then these very cool leather cuff styles were born! These are Haas Avocados from Mexico and they know for their green-black pebbly skin - this inspiration for my jewelry! Seriously would you guess that these are avocados?

I did use every last bit of the creamy flesh - later this week I will post my recipe. I have always loved avocados for their taste...but let's not forget...

• Avocados are a good nutrient choice, providing nearly 20 vitamins and minerals per 1 oz serving (1 oz= 3 slices or about 1/5 of an avocado)
• Avocados have the “good fats”
• Avocados can be substituted for common “bread spreads” may help reduce fat, saturated fat, sodium and calories.  
• Check out all the information on the nutritional benefits of avocados .

And now...with a few simple steps, you can use every piece of the skin and seed for beautiful creations. So you could say this was a eat, reduce, reuse, recycle project...and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Seriously...how cool does the skin look painted!

Just like pebbled leather! 

And the color the skin creates when you boil it down as use it as a dye...LOVE! 
(check out the flowered cuff below!)

BASIC SUPPLIES

• 3-4 Avocados from Mexico.
• Spray Paint, I used Krylon's Brushed Metallic in Sparkling Canyon
• E-6000 Glue
• Leather Cuffs (Dharma Trading Co.)
• Angelus Leather Dye (Dharma Trading Co.)

OPTIONAL SUPPLIES

• Rivets (optional - I got a small package from the craft store)
• Dyeable Ribbon
• Pearls (costume jewelry) or beads
• Seed beads
• Mod Podge Fabric (or regular formula) and brush

BASIC MAKE IT!
(each cuff is slightly different...but these are basic steps from creating and prepping for a project like this)

• Protect your work surface (just saying I may have dyed my hardwood floors a bit) and use the leather dye (with the include "brush") to dye your cuff. I did one coat all over the front and edges. Let it dry overnight.

PREP THE AVOCADOS

• After using the flesh of the avocados, scrape out all of the flesh (if you have not already) and wash the skins and seeds. Let them dry. I let mine dry for a few days in the open air. Once dry...
• Preheat your oven to 250F.
• Place the skins and seeds on a baking sheet and place in the oven.
• I baked mine for a total of about 40 minutes. I checked them often and flipped them as well. I did this to ensure the moisture was out of the skin and seed and they would be able to handle the paint.
• Let cool.
• When working with the skins, you have to be able to "go with the flow" as you cut and tear them, they will take on certain organic shapes. I found it was best to work with what the avocado was giving me.

PAINT

• Protect your work surface, and work in a well ventilated area.
• Lay out the pieces of skin and the seeds on the protected surface and spray with your spray paint. I did about 4 coats, flipped the skins over, rolled the seeds around and sprayed some more for full coverage.
• OPTIONAL: Apply 1-2 coats of Fabric Mod Podge to protect the color and increase the wear-ability of the skins. This is a step I discovered after making my jewelry...although I do not mind the slightly worn look on my pieces. The Mod Podge will provide that extra strengthening aspect to keep your jewelry looking amazing!

DYE

• I was AMAZED at the color the avocado skins created. I took about 3 cups of water, 2 yards of dyeable ribbon (from The Ribbon Retreat).
• I threw in the skin of 2 avocados with the water in a saucepan. (use more water and skins if you are dying more)
• Cook the skin/water for about 20 minutes.
• Let sit for 20 more.
• Prepare to dye...I left my ribbon in for about 1 hour.

____________________________________ 
RIVETED CUFF

• Choose 3 "squares" of skin.
• Mark the placement for the first square to be the center of the cuff.
• Attach the rivet using the directions provided (you can glue this too if you want...and create a "faux rivet") to go through the top of the skin/cuff and connect at the back of the cuff. I used a hot nail to create a hole in the leather as a guide (Just heat up a long nail in a flame and punch it through where you need it).
• Repeat with the other two squares on each side.
• As I made the jewelry, I cracked it a bit and it look gorgeous and worn! 

____________________________________ 
FLOWERED CUFF

• After you dye your ribbon, let it dry. 
• I used three fingers and wrapped about 1 yard around those fingers about 6 times (similar to making a pom pom).
• Slip the ribbon circles off your fingers and tie a small length of ribbon tightly in the center.
• Cut the looped ended of the ribbon so they are separate.
• Find the center of your cuff, apply a generous amount of E-6000 and glue the flower onto the cuff.
• Cut an avocado seed in half...apply glue to the back and place it i the center of the flower.
• Apply glue around the seed and lay pearls around the seed.
• Add some additional glue with a toothpick if you want and sprinkle seed beads.

____________________________________
MODERN ART CUFF

• Determine the center of your cuff.
• Lay bigger pieces on the cuff and then layer smaller pieces all over creating a layered, modern effect. There is no right or wrong...sort of!
• As you create your design, keep the design about 2" wide  - that is pretty much all that is visible when yo wear it and it just makes wearing is more comfortable.
• Use the E-6000 Glue liberally and affix the avocado skins to the cuff and to each other.
• This actually looks pretty cool without embellishment...but I decided to add a few pearls and seed beads because I LOVE layers!
• Determine the placement for the pearls, and use the E-6000 to affix the pearls to the cuff. Use a toothpick to add small amounts of glue around the pearls and then sprinkle on the seeds beads.
• As I made the jewelry, I cracked it a bit and it look gorgeous and worn! 

There you have it...
a few ways to use 

The Amazing Avocado

that I bet you never thought about!

I also had the pleasure of receiving this very cool package from  

Avocados from Mexico

"Spring for Amazing Avocados"

and you can win one too...

The package includes:

A copy of Chef Roberto Santibanez Cookbook, Truly Mexican

An avocado slicer

$10 gift card to a retailer that sells Avocados from Mexico

An I {heart} Avocados T-shirt 

Enter to win from now through 4/10/2013 at midnight EST

  a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Get more tips on handling, buying and storing avocados

plus amazing recipes and tips in these places:

 The Amazing Avocado's website

The Amazing Avocado on Facebook 

The Amazing Avocado on Pinterest

The Amazing Avocado on Twitter

 

This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre   This is a sponsored post from One2One Network and Avocados from Mexico. All opinions stated are my own.