How to Make a Gothic Bracelet

Series Summary

The Goths were a collection of Eastern Germanic tribes commonly associated with the downfall of the Western Roman Empire in the late 5th century CE. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Goths were successful founding new kingdoms in parts of Europe.

Fast forward 1000 years: When the Renaissance was blossoming in Europe, it became the fashion to refer to medieval architecture as "Gothic," meaning artless, barbarian, and primitive. Centuries later, as the Romantics began to celebrate medieval culture once more, the term "Gothic" became associated with imagination, the supernatural, and a dark or gloomy aesthetic.

Fast Forward 200 more years: Forms of post-punk music in England began to take on a decidedly darker twist in the early 1980s. This movement spread across Europe and the US, where the aesthetics (dark fashion, black makeup, and moody attitude) of the movement gathered more attention than the music. Add Victorian flair and the films of Tim Burton, and there you have it.

If you are interested in entering the dark, dismal world of the goth, you need to be well dressed for the occasion. This free video series shows you how to make gothic jewelery for your goth transformation. Learn how to make a gothic bracelet with skulls and beads. Our expert, Robin, has been making gothic jewelry for over thirty years. So, if you are looking to join the ranks of society's favorite outcast, learn how to make a gothic bracelet.

Video Transcript

"Hi! I'm Robin Westover with trees-mom.com, and we're making a video for Expert Village. Today, we're crocheting wire to make a Gothic bracelet. The materials that you're going to need for this project are wire, beads, buttons, if you choose to do the buttons, crochet hooks. You're going to need a tape measure to know how long you’re going to make it, needle nose pliers, and wire cutters. You're going to need a hammer or a mallet. If you don't have a hammer or a mallet, your needle nose pliers or flat nose pliers will work for hardening the wire also. I keep my beads in a round tin. The lid just comes off. Screws on, screws off. They have magnets on the back so that they can attach to a magnetic rod. It's really cool."