Anklets, which are sometimes called "ankle bracelets," are a type of foot jewelry that, like their wrist-bound counterparts, can be found in various forms.  Actually, they enjoy an even greater variety then wrist bracelets, because women will often wear simple, homemade anklets that they would never think of putting on their wrists.

This is, perhaps, some of the reason for their appeal.  A girl can be walking barefoot down the mall - attractive already, to be sure - but if she has even the simplest, homemade, string anklet, she is even that much lovlier.  It shows not only that she is not ashamed to be seen in her bare feet, but that she thought enough of the people who would be seeing them to spend a little extra time to make them even nicer.

This is the stuff of true beauty.  What a shame it is that so few people seem to understand and to appreciate it.

So, this is what I encourage you men to do: Make your favorite lady a gift of a homemade anklet.  It's easy to do, but she will appreciate the time and effort you put into it.

And, if you are a lady who has happened by this site, know that by adding something as simple as a homemade anklet to your barefoot wardrobe, you will increase your appeal to the men in your life considerably.

Homemade Rubber Band Anklet

To help you get started, here are the instructions to make a very nice looking, yet very simple and inexpensive, homemade anklet.

Before creating the anklet, you must assemble the following items:

• 15 - 20 rubber bands (depending on their size; they must be big enough to stretch around your hand, but not too big)
• 1 twist tie
• 1 pen/pencil
• 1 paper clip (or a keyring, or any other small, open, metal loop)

Here are the step-by-step instructions:

1. With your hand facing you,
   place one of the rubber
   bands around your index
   finger.
   
2. Twist the band one-half
   turn, then loop it over
   your middle finger.
   
3. Do the same again,
   looping it around your
   next finger.
   
4. Repeat for your little finger.
   Throughout steps 2 - 4,
   make sure that you are
   twisting the band in the
   same direction.
   
5. Turn your hand over.



6. Take another rubber band
   and loop it over your
   little finger.
   
7. Twist the band one-half turn,
   making sure that it is in
   the opposite direction
   from the way you twisted it
   in steps 2 - 4.  Loop the
   band over your next finger.
   
8. Repeat until you have
   reached your index finger,
   twisting each time in the
   opposite direction as you
   did in steps 2 - 4.
   
9. Turn your hand back over.



10. Starting with your little
    finger, pull the loop of the
    bottom band (i.e. the one
    you put on first) and
    stretch it over to the back
    side of your finger.
    
11. Repeat for the other three
    fingers.
    
12. Put the rubber band on your
    index finger, give it a one-half
    twist in the same direction
    as you did in steps 2 - 4, then
    loop it over your middle finger.
    Now, since the last band you
    put on was with your hand
    facing away from you, this
    next band must be put on
    with your hand facing you,
    just like with the first band.
    
    
13. Repeat as in steps 3 - 4.



14. Now, pull the bottom loop
    on your little finger,
    stretching it back over your
    finger, just as you did in
    step 10.
    
15. Repeat as in steps 10 - 11.




16. Turn your hand back over.




17. Place another band, starting with your little finger, twisting the opposite way again, and looping it over each finger (as in steps 6 - 8).






18. Repeat steps 9 - 11.
19. When it becomes long enough
    that you believe it will wrap
    comfortably around an ankle,
    grab and hold on to the loose
    end.  Make sure not to pull it
    free or allow it to unravel.
    Keep repeating this process,
    turning your hand back-and-
    forth, until you see a
    "rubber-band rope" beginning
    to form down the back of your
    hand.
    



20. Take the pen or pencil.  Carefully remove the loops from your fingers and place them around the pencil.  You should get something that looks like this:
    
    




21. Put the twist tie through
    the loops of the loose end.
    


22. Stretch the loops on the
    pencil and insert the twist
    tie.
    
23. Pull the twist tie until
    the loops are almost all
    the way through.
    
24. Remove the twist tie.




25. Stretch the loops and
    pull the entire anklet
    through the loops.
    
    
    
26. Put the paper clip through
    the loops that are on the
    pencil.
    
27. Remove the loops from the pencil.
    
    

That's it!  You now have a beautiful anklet that cost basically nothing.

For the pendant, you can stay with the paper clip for the "This is obviously a homemade anklet" look, or you can replace it with something more extravagant.  Any kind of pendant or charm can be clipped on to add the right style for the occasion.

You can also use different colors of rubber band if you want to dress it up even more.  Replacing every third band with a different-colored one gives a neat effect.

Other Ideas

Rubber bands are just one idea.  Some other things you could use are:

• Long grass
• Dandelions
• Tree branches (the young, flexible ones)
• Random bits of string
• Styrofoam peanuts and thread

Show your barefoot beauty how much you care.  Make her a homemade anklet today!

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