Calling all girly-girl pre-teens who love science and technology: There is a new Kickstarter project that will appease both those inclinations.

The cool Kickstarter is called Jewelbots. Sarah Chipps, Jewelbots co-founder, created the programmable friendship bracelet to get pre-teen girls excited about coding and help them learn how to code. It looks like a lot of other people are pretty excited about Chipps’ product because the project made more than $30,000 (more than its crowdfunding goal) in the first 19 hours it was on Kickstarter.

Chipps knows that young girls will be into the coding creation because she and others involved with the project talked to 200 girls about their interests (the girls were between the ages of 9 and 14). Chipps found out that “friendship is huge to them — they’re coming into their own and deciding who their tribe is.”

The bracelets have a simple design: they have four LED lights and a button. The bracelets work with Jewelbots’ iOS or Android app. Each bracelet holds a charge for three days.

Here’s a bit about how the bracelet works:

“Girls can add their friends to different friend groups designated by color, and the bracelet will light up with that color when their friends are nearby. They can also send “secret messages” in the form of vibration sequences,” reports TechCrunch.

“The bracelets are completely functional out of the box, but the idea is that girls will want to personalize them by using the Arduino IDE to program specific commands — like when I get a Facebook message from the boy I like, buzz once and flash blue, but when Mom texts, buzz three times and flash red.”

The one big problem about these bracelets is pretty obvious: young girls will be girls, and at some point, someone is going to make a “slut” group to outcast one of their used-to-be friends. Chipps is aware of this and knows that making online communities bully-free won’t be easy. But she still has high hopes that the bracelet will have a mostly positive impact on girls.

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Image of Jewelbots from Facebook

The post This Awesome Bracelet Helps Girls Learn How to Code appeared first on EcoSalon.

Ten great DIY bracelets that will keep you busy crafting all weekend.

Wearing an item that you’ve made yourself feels really good, and getting compliments on something you’ve actually made is totally satisfying. Why not take some time this weekend and make a few summer bracelets for yourself? We’ve dug around to find you ten of the best DIY bracelet tutorials out there. It’s time to get crafty.

Big Beaded Cuff Bracelet
Sometimes you just want to wear a piece of jewelry that demands attention. But why spend the money on shiny baubles when you can just bling them out yourself? This DIY beaded bracelet from Style Me Pretty is totally easy to make with nothing but an old cuff, shiny stones of some kind, and a glue gun.
Difficulty level: 1 of 5

Safety Pin Bracelet
I may be partial since I used to make these a lot back when I was in college, but safety pin necklaces are very simple to create. It does take some time to get all the small beads onto the pins, but you should be able to make one of these in about a half hour. This DIY safety pin bracelet by Instructables uses the larger pins, which I think is a nice touch that also keeps it from looking too home-made.
Difficulty level: 1 of 5

Sailor’s Knot Bracelet
If you’re planning on rocking that nautical look this summer, you’ll need the right kind of arm candy to match. A basic sailor’s knot bracelet like this is easy to make – all you need is twine and a can (or other round object) that matches the width your bracelet needs to be. Check out the tutorial from More Design Please and give it a shot. You can make anything from belts to headbands with this technique too.
Difficulty level: 2 of 5

DIY Leather Bow Bracelet
A sweet alternative to a plain leather cuff, this DIY bow bracelet by Oh the lovely things is very simple to make if you are a bit handy with the glue. All you need is a piece of leather, scissors, leather glue or super glue, thread and a snap button.  You can also make these from any kind of sturdier fabric, it doesn’t have to be leather. Either way, it’s totally adorable.
Difficulty level: 2 of 5

Recycled T-shirt Knotted Bracelet
We all have old tees lying around – why not put them to use by making bracelets out of them. It’s also a great way to use of fabric scraps that you have lying around (and it doesn’t have to be a T-shirt, it could be any kind of soft fabric). So pretty and simple to make. Learn how to get knotty in this video tutorial by this old dress. You could mix colors to make a fun summer version too.
Difficulty level: 2 of 5

Friendship Bracelet
Most of us have made these at some point in our lives. Well, it’s time to dig up those old friendship bracelet making skills again, because these childhood staples are quite fashionable nowadays. Once you master the technique, here demonstrated by Honestly WTF, you can start playing around with different color variations and thicknesses. The possibilities are endless. Just don’t forget to actually make some for your friends, because they’ll want some.
Difficult level: 3 of 5

Floral Bangle
Big bangle bracelets and floral prints are all the rage this summer. This clever DIY bangle by P.S. I Made This combines the two in a simple and clever way, paying homage to the art of decoupage. The project is an interesting mix of technology, craft and nature and involves snapping pictures of pretty flowers with your phone. Intrigued? You should be. This can, of course, be done with any other kind of print as well.
Difficulty level: 3 of 5

Mystery Braid Leather Cuff
Ever wonder how some of those leather cuff bracelets you see are braided, yet seem to be made from one unbroken piece of leather? That’s called mystery, magic, or trick braiding, and it involves manipulating a single piece of leather with two slits into a braided strip by twisting and turning it in the right ways. In this DIY tutorial, Martha Stewart herself demonstrates how to make a simple leather cuff using this technique. Mystery no more.
Difficulty level: 3 of 5

Braided Hex Nut Bracelet
Hardware stores are great sources for jewelry making. Hex nuts are great for DIYing, and are super affordable too. Braided into a bracelet they look surprisingly elegant. Who knew? This DIY bracelet by Honestly WTF is fairly easy to make, if you can master some basic braiding skills.
Difficulty level: 3 of 5

Crocheted Utility Cord Bangle
This bangle is an interesting mix of sporty utility cord material and crafty crochet technique, and the result is incredibly sophisticated. It does require a certain amount of skills with the crochet hook, but that, and cord, is all you need to make this utility cord bangle. This tutorial from Blog a La Cart makes the process easy to follow. Keep it simple or use a thin metal chain to add some bling.
Difficulty level: 4 of 5

See Also:

DIY: 10 Things to do With an Old T-Shirt

DIY: 10 Summer Shorts You Can Make At Home

DIY: 10 Statement Earrings You Can Totally Make

Top photo: Honestly WTF

The post 10 DIY Bracelets To Make This Weekend appeared first on EcoSalon.

 Embrace your inner geek with these sustainable duds and accessories.

Most of us have come far enough in our lives to know that the nerds are really the cool ones. Embrace your own inner geek by stepping into fall wearing a hand-knit sweater vest, a recycled cotton backpack, high-waisted pleated pants, consciously chic glasses, fair-made booties and a friendship bracelet, while carrying a cleverly bookish iPad case. Smart is the new black.

Jamie Fair Isle Tank
This cute vest sports a colorful Fair Isle design and is hand knitted in 100% wool in Nepal.
approx. $120, peopletree.co.uk

Baggu Backpack
We’ve used their reusable shopping bags for years, why not upgrade to something a bit more interesting? This backpack with adjustable shoulder straps comes in nine different colors and is made from 100% recycled 16 oz. cotton duck.
$32, baggubag.com

Dace Kelp Pants
These pants feature classic, stylish nerd-attributes like a high waist, pleats and slouchy fit. All pieces by designer Dace Moore are made locally in Canada and adheres to socially responsible and environmentally sound manufacturing practices.
on sale for $88, futurestandard.com

DODOcase for iPad
DODOcase aims to help keep the art of book binding alive by adapting it to the world of iPads. It’s made locally in San Francisco using black Moroccan cloth with a solid bamboo core. It’ll look like you’re carrying a book, but the DODOcase is a clever little thing that also folds back as a stand for your iPad.
$59.95, dodocase.com

Begley frames from Warby Parker
This new take on a circular frame style first popular in the 1930s is not just the epitome of nerd-chic, Warby Parker also donates a pair of frames to someone in need. The company also works with non-profits to train low-income entrepreneurs to sell affordable glasses.
$95, warbyparker.com

Love Friendship Bracelet
What says eco-nerd more than swapping friendship bracelets with your sustainable friends? This one is by Etsy seller Marly D, but check out this simple tutorial on how you can make your own.
$4, etsy.com/shop/MarleeD

Osborn Red Suede Kinder Booties
These limited run booties are fairly hand-made by cobbler artisans using genuine Napa suede. To up the eco-factor, they also have laces made out of hand loomed cotton and a recycled tire heel cap.
$188, osborndesign.com

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