This DIY Bracelet Is the Perfect Addition to Your Bridesmaid Proposal Package

Listen up, brides-to-be: You already know that bridesmaid proposal packages/cards have been trending, right? If you didn’t, it’s time to get creative. A simple phone call won’t do anymore. If you’re going to ask your girlfriends to stand by your side on your special day, you’ll need to put together a proposal they can’t refuse. In addition to store-bought bridesmaid gifts, mix a DIY element into your proposal package for a personal touch. We took our Brass Bracelets Kit and gave these bracelets a bridal makeover.

Let your girl gang know that you can’t make the leap without them! Keep your bridesmaid proposal package classy with a cute tea towel and handmade card…

Or get a little quirky! In this bridesmaid proposal package, we threw in a handmade clay jewelry dish, fun temporary tattoos, glittery nail polish, a crazy unicorn-colored sun glasses case and, of course, an initial bracelet.

Materials included in our kit:

— brass wire

— bracelet bending bar

— pliers

Grab your materials (or buy the kit HERE) and let’s get started!

This heart is too adorable to resist; there’s no way a potential bridesmaid can turn this proposal down.

HEART

Start bending about 2.5 inches from one end of the rod. Make a 60-degree bend.

Slowly work around the rod to create the first crest of the heart. Pro Tip: Make a bunch of tiny bends to create a more uniform curve. Bend the wire to create the second crest and repeat the series of tiny bends to create a smooth, uniform curve.

Trim the excess rod, being sure to leave about 2.5 inches.

Finish the ends of the rod by curling them inward. This will keep the raw edge from catching on things and scratching your skin (ouch!).

Insert one end of the bracelet into the crease of the bending bar, and shape the other end over the bending bar curve. Repeat these steps with the other end of the bracelet.

Adjust the fit of the bracelet by hand shaping the metal.

Initials are a simple way to customize these fun bracelets. To get the hang of shaping the wire into letters, practice writing the letters in cursive on a piece of paper. You’ll be able to visualize the flow and the necessary shapes to create the letters in wire.

INITIALS

Begin bending at about 2.5 inches from the end of the rod.

We wrote this ‘O’ out a few times on paper to understand how to shape the wire step by step, and then used a series of micro bends to create the smooth curves of the ‘O’.

Make adjustments and straighten out kinks using your hands.

Trim the excess rod, leaving about 2.5 inches.

Curl the ends of the rod to finish them.

Insert one end of the rod into the bending bar crease and form the bracelet over the curvature of the bending bar. Repeat these steps for the other end and hand shape the bracelet to adjust the fit.

Throw in multiple bracelets to stack and mix in other DIY goodies to show your besties that you care.

What else are you putting in your bridesmaid proposal packages? Show us your project by tagging us on Instagram and using the hashtag #iamcreative!

DIY Production and Styling: Marianne Koo
Photography: Brittany Griffin

Valentine's Dayis one of our favorite holidays for many different reasons. The desserts! The dinners! The cocktails! Not to mention the fact that it's basically an entire holiday dedicated to pink, red, and all things romantic. You can always gift your sweetie flowers and chocolates, but if you want to get creative with DIY Valentine's gifts, you've come to the right place.

We love that V-Day is low-pressure as far as gifting holidays go, and that it celebrates love in its many forms. We've thought a lot about what to give and get here at Brit + Co, and whipped up a list that includes a few hits that you can give after trying one of our fun date night ideas. Here are our favorite DIYs for the big day.

DIY Valentine Gifts Your Partner Will Love

Give your sweetheart hugs and kisses via these easy-to-sew XOXO pillows. Pick fabric that goes with your decor or use the brightest red and pink fabric that you can find.

This floral backdrop is perfect for a doorway surprise for when your love or little ones wake up on Valentine's Day morning. Plus, by the time your V-Day celebrations end, you might as well leave them up for March.

Keep the surprises coming withbreakfast in bed. We heart these Red Velvet Heart Waffles With Cream Cheese Glaze — yum! Sprinkles encouraged.

Challenge your love(s) to a game of Jenga with this cute DIY Valentine's gift. This will make for an adorable game to play any time of year.

Make your own box of chocolates with a piñata twist. We'll take two, please!

Gift your gal pals a handstamped scarf for the occasion or make a DIY night of it! Since you make the stamps yourself, you can create any pattern you want.

Dig into a Conversation Cake for the sweetest V-Day dessert you ever did try.

Put a ring on it! Chocolate ring pops for the DIY Valentine's gifts win. Our favorite part is definitely the color.

Here's a long distance-friendly idea: Make theseConversation Heart Piñata care packages to send to your BFFs or you can surprise your fam in the morning with a goodie-filled one.

Give your sweetheart something delicious and gluten-free with these Cassava Flour Brownies.

Get cozy with these conversation heart pillowsfor your favorite texting pal.

Serve your Galentine's Day guests Celebrity Hearthrob Cookies— the next best thing to the real deal. Pass us the Ryan Gosling cookie pls!

Make a stack of pixel-inspired Pop-Up Heart Cardsfor your favorite people.

Add a green twist to your Valentine's Day surprise with these Air Plant Wall Artpiecesthat creatively make use of nails and string.

For a more hands-on DIY Valentine's gift, whip up these fun DIY Conversation Heart Coasterswith polymer clay and letter stamps.

Map your travels together with this clever Photo Map Wall Artfor a personal and so special touch!

Celebrate your Valentine's favorite food with these extra cute (and yummy) Heart-Shaped Boxes. Fill them with candy today and love letters tomorrow.

Happy Love Day! If you make a DIY Valentine gift, tag us in a pic — and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter!

This post has been updated.

The Wicked moviepress tour has been a truly beautiful thing to witness. Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo have cried in almost every interview because of how much they love their characters and each other, and it seems like working on this project really did heal something in them. So, after the sincerity of their interviews, I was really taken aback when I learned Dax Shepard had Cynthia Erivo on his Armchair Expert podcast...and chose to ask her about going to the bathroom?

Keep reading for what Dax Shepard had to say and, like me, wonder why he asked it in the first place.

On an episode of his Armchair Expert podcast, Dax Shepard asked Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo if her famously long nails make it difficult to wipe when she goes to the bathroom. “I knew you would ask that,” Cynthia responds, saying “no one’s afraid” to ask such an intimate question.

“My answer is that nobody uses just their fingers to wipe their backside,” she says. “You use tissue, correct? And you wipe!”

When he asked if she was annoyed or offended by the question, Cynthia admits she's "annoyed by it."

“I'm, like, 'Come on, guys,' ” she says. “But I get it, but it's also, like, ‘I'm a functioning adult, and I've never walked around smelling like, you know…'"

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

The actress has proved she's nothing if not honest this fall, going viral for saying "thank goodness" the actresses who auditioned with her for Glinda didn't land the role and for vocalizinghow much a fan edit of the Wicked movie poster offended her (she later admitted she should have texted her friends instead of posting on social media).

Now, this question was very weird to me for a few reasons. Not only does it have nothing to do with the film, but Dax asking Cynthia about her bathroom habits gives me a similar feeling to the one I got watching that male interviewer ask Scarlett Johansson about her underwear during Avengers: Age of Ultron press. Just...what is the reason? Plus, the fact Cynthia has also been vocal about how much she values her nails as a part of Black culture only makes the question (and the fact the nails feel like, no pun intended, the butt of the joke) weirder.

"Here’s the thing," Cynthia tells Dax before switching topics. "There are people who do not have nails who need to check how they’re wiping." Get 'em girl!

What did you think about this Armchair Expert interview with Dax Shepard and Cynthia Erivo? Let us know in the comments and read up on The Latest Wicked: Part Two News!

If you know me, you know how much I love Taylor Swift. Something about hearing music written by someone while they experience the same life stages feels so personal, and there's a good chance that almost every emotion I feel can be summed up by a Taylor Swift song. In short: I just love her.

Taylor frequently drops merchandise when a holiday rolls around and for Valentine's Dayin 2022, she released a collection inspired by her 2019 album Lover. I fell in love with a pair of fuzzy dice inspired by her hit song "Cruel Summer," and apparently so did everyone else because the next time I visited the website, they were sold out! So, I decided to make a simplified version of them with my sewing machine for a fun V-Day activity and to add some extra pink to my space. Check out our online sewing class to brush up on your skills and keep reading for a tutorial on how to make your own!

Supplies For Your Own "Cruel Summer" Taylor Swift Fuzzy Dice:

  • Sewing machine
  • Pink fleece fabric
  • Pink thread
  • Pink felt
  • Scissors
  • Blue rope/cord (I took mine off a loofah)
  • Needle + pins
  • A copy of Lover to listen to while you sew ;)
  • Poly-Fil Stuffing (not pictured)
  • Ruler (optional)
  • Glue gun + glue gun sticks (optional, use it to touch up your seams if you need)

Instructions:

Start by marking your fleece with the measurements for your squares. Since the size of the dice on Taylor's official website was listed as 3.5", I marked them just above 3.5" so I could leave room for a hem. You'll need 12 squares total.

Next, cut out your squares. I used the first square as a template for the others, then went back in and cleaned up the edges where necessary.

The first image I made was a sun, and I started by drawing a circle on my felt. I used the rim of my thread spool to make sure I had a perfect circle but you can also free hand if you want the circle to be a different size.

Pin your felt to the center of a fleece square.

Sew the circle to the fleece using a regular straight stitch.

Next, move your sewing machine from a straight stitch to a zigzag stitch and decrease your stitch length to a lower number like 0 or 1. This will allow your art to have more of a filled-in border, instead of a messier, chevron finish.

Go back over the rim of your circle with the zigzag stitch to give it that embroidered look. I did this with the fabric right side up, then I did it again with the fabric flipped upside down just to be extra thorough.

After your circle is complete, it's time for the sun rays! Use the same zigzag stitch and 0 stitch length to move from the circle outward. This is where you'll want to add another element: stitch width.

To give the sun rays their triangular shape, adjust your stitch width as you move out from the heart of the sun. While the stitch length ensures your sewing won't have empty spaces, the width will let you move from a wider sunbeam base to a thinner point. I just decreased the width every few stitches as I went along.

Your finished sun will look something like this! I went back in with a needle to clean up loose threads by hand. I waited to trim them until I had threaded them to the back so that the front image had a more polished look.

Repeat the above steps for your devil and angel hearts. There are only a few differences between these and the sun; you'll cut the felt into hearts instead of circles, and to fill in the horns and the wings, I used a straight stitch to give it a colored-in look, reserving the zigzag stitching for the borders.

I know the original dice had "Cruel Summer" lyrics stitched onto these squares, but I ended up leaving them off. It makes the design more minimal and easier to work with.

One thing to note about this step: beware of bunched fabric! Filling in the angel wings brought the edges of the squares in a bit, but I wasn't too upset about it. I think flaws give a craft some personality!

The "Lover" stitching get a little more complicated than the images. I first traced the word with my pen so that I would have some guide as to what the word should look like. Move the stitch width back down to one of the lower settings.

Then instead of just moving the fabric in a circle like I did for the sun, I moved it all around to follow the word I had written in marker. Repeat this a few times until you're satisfied with the thickness. I definitely tried this step a couple different times so don't worry if you don't get it on the first go!

For my final embroidered square, I did a simple "TS," which of course stands for "Taylor Swift."

Before you can sew your squares together, line the edges up and pin them. I used my ruler to mark how far I wanted my hem to go (I did 1/4" at every edge) for a sewing guideline.

I pinned the squares one at a time, checking at each step that they were pinned the right way (especially after I sewed two together incorrectly and had to pick out the stitches. Oops.)

Arrange the images in a similar way to the official dice, or change it up however you'd like! I chose to arrange the squares so that there was a blank in between the images.

Pin and sew your remaining three squares around the middle square so that you end up with a cross.

I continued pinning and sewing the edges to one another until I had an inside-out cube. Here's a tutorial to help you better understand which edges should be sewn together.

I did one square at a time, making sure to focus on the corners and going back in to tighten them up once I was done. You only want one gap, which is where you'll flip the cube inside out and then stuff it.

Once you have a cube, flip the fabric inside out. I used my pen to make sure all the corners and edges were good to go.

Next, stuff your cube with whatever filling you prefer. I didn't stuff it super full because I didn't want it to have a rounded look when I was done.

Ta-da! A little wonky but very cute :)

When you have both dice, cut a small hole in the top for your cord. Knot the ends and stuff them into the holes, then use your needle and thread to attach the cord and the fleece together.

Voilà!

They're soft, fuzzy, and pink. What could be better than that?!

If you don't want to hang these in your car, they also make excellent Valentine's (or Galentine's) decor.

If you need me, I'll be blasting "Cruel Summer" for the rest of the month.

Loving these Taylor Swift fuzzy dice? Follow us on Pinterest and TikTok for more entertainment inspo, and don't forget to check out The Latest On Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce's Relationship!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

This post has been updated.

I literally can't believe I'm writing this, but after a year of keeping up with all the biggest and best 2024 movies, I'm here with a final installment: December movies! This year has had some truly remarkable flicks (Challengers! Wicked! The Fall Guy!) and we're truly going out with a bang. While you're keeping up with all the best December TV shows coming out, here are the best December movies coming next month.

Keep reading for all the new December movies to add to your watchlist in 2024.

Y2K — In Theaters December 6, 2024

A24

Remember that Y2K crisis at the turn of the millennium? This December movie, which follows two high school juniors who crash a New Year's Eve party, reimagines it as a full-blown disaster — blood, guts, and all.

Y2K stars Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison, The Kid Laroi, and Fred Durst.

Mary — On Netflix December 6, 2024

Netflix

Get a new look at one of the most famous women in the world when Mary drops on Netflix next month. This movie will give you a whole new look at the titular heroine's life — from being forced into hiding to running for her life, all to protect her baby son from a murderous king.

Mary stars Noa Cohen, Ido Tako, Stephanie Nur, Susan Brown, Ori Pfeffer, Eamon Farren, Hilla Vidor, Mili Avital, Gudmundur Thorvaldsson, Dudley O’Shaughnessy, Keren Tzur, Mehmet Kurtulus, Mila Harris, and Anthony Hopkins.

Nightb—ch — In Theaters December 6, 2024

Searchlight Pictures

Another December movie that will have you looking at motherhood differently is Nightb—ch, which follows Amy Adams character's life as she becomes a mother...and becomes convinced she's also turning into a dog.

Nightb—ch stars Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Patrick Snowden, Emmett James Snowden, Zoë Chao, Mary Holland, Archana Rajan, Jessica Harper.

F Marry Kill — On Digital December 6, 2024

Lionsgate

We all know dating apps can be a really horrifying experience, but when true-crime lover Eva starts to believe one of her three dates could be the “Swipe Right Killer," she finds herself in a life-or-death situation.

F Marry Kill stars Lucy Hale, Samer Salem, Virginia Gardner, Jedidiah Goodacre, Brendan Morgan, Brooke Nevin, and Bethany Brown.

A Nonsense Christmas With Sabrina Carpenter — On Netflix December 6

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

If you're still singing "Nonsense" by Sabrina Carpenter, then this December movie (er, holiday special) is for you. Not only will the popstar perform tunes from her fruitcake EP, but she'll be joined by special guests as well!

A Nonsense Christmas With Sabrina Carpenter stars, you guessed it, Sabrina Carpenter.

Maria — On Netflix December 11, 2024

Pablo Larraín/Netflix

Angelina Jolie's newest film follows iconic performer Maria Callas. After a glamorous, albeit difficult, public life, Maria moves to Paris for some quiet — and must confront her identity, her past, and her future in the process.

Maria stars Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Valeria Golino, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Haluk Bilginer.

Kraven The Hunter — In Theaters December 13

Jay Maidment/Sony

Despite the fact it's coming out around the holidays, Aaron Taylor Johnson's new December movie is not for kids. The flick follows the titular Kraven as he morphs from the son of a gangster to the brutal and fearsome villain comic fans know so well.

Kraven the Hunter stars Aaron Taylor Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, and Russell Crowe.

Carry On — On Netflix December 13

Netflix

One TSA agent is in for a less-than-jolly holiday when he's blackmailed by a traveler hoping to bring a very dangerous package into the airport on Christmas Eve.

Carry On stars Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, and Sofia Carson.

Mufasa: The Lion King — In Theaters December 20

Walt Disney Pictures

Not only is this Lion King sequel giving us a brand new look at a classic story, but it also marks Blue Ivy Carter's acting debut! The movie tells the story of how Mufasa began his journey as an orphaned cub and how a run-in with royal heir Taka changed everything.

Mufasa: The Lion King stars Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Aaron Pierre, John Kani, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, and Blue Ivy Carter.

Babygirl — In Theaters December 25

A24

Nicole Kidman's new December movie will add some spice to your holiday, thanks to an affair with her character's much-younger employee. Is it getting hot in here?

Babygirl stars Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde, and Antonio Banderas.

A Complete Unknown — In Theaters December 25

Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures

If you're still laughing about the Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest, then you'll definitely want to show up to see this flick, which stars our favorite Timmy as Bob Dylan during his historical move from folk to rock'n'roll.

A Complete Unknown stars Timothée Chalamet Monica Barbaro, Elle Fanning, Edward Norton, Boyd Holbrook, and Nick Offerman.

Let us know which December movie you're most excited for on Instagram!

Nicole Kidman is, as the kids say, mothering. She's giving fans plenty of movies and TV shows to pick from while we wait for the next seasons of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect StrangersA Family Affair, Expats, The Perfect Couple (and the AMC intro, of course). Her newest movie Babygirl comes from A24, and the steamy drama is mixing work and pleasure. Pour yourself a glass of wine for this one, folks.

Scroll down to learn more about Babygirl — and to watch the HOT new trailer!

What is the plot of Babygirl?

A24

Babygirl Plot

In Babygirl, Nicole Kidman plays Romy, a powerful CEO struggling to hold her perfect persona together. Her marriage to Jacob has never provided with much pleasure, despite the fact he's caring and artistic. But when Romy meets a young intern named Samuel, and feels immediately drawn to him, the two begin a torrid affair.

And filming scenes with Harry Dickinson got so intense, Kidman said she literally had to take breaks. “There were times when we were shooting where I was like, ‘I don’t want to orgasm any more,'” she told the Sun. “Don’t come near me. I hate doing this. I don’t care if I am never touched again in my life!”

But the fact the movie was made by women empowered Kidman — and gave her a sense of freedom. "Doing this subject matter in the hands of the woman that wrote the script, that's directing it and is a really great actress herself — we became one in a weird way, which I'd never had with a director before," Kidman says in a statement. "When you're working with a woman on this subject matter, you can share everything with each other.”

"I really decided in the beginning, I want to make a sexual film, just as sexual as all these films that I've always admired so much," adds writer-director-producer Halina Reijn, "but now I'm going to do it completely through female eyes. What does that mean and what does that look like?”

When is the Babygirl release date?

A24

Babygirl Release Date

Babygirl made its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, but you can watch the movie in theaters December 25, 2024.

Who's in the Babygirl cast?

A24

Babygirl Cast

The cast of Babygirl includes Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde, and Antonio Banderas.

What has Nicole Kidman said about making Babygirl?

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Nicole Kidman revealed Babygirl is the most "exposing" film she's done because she's “made some films that are pretty exposing, but not like this.”

“It left me raggedm" Kidman says. "At some point I was like, I don’t want to be touched. I don’t want to do this anymore, but at the same time I was compelled to do it...This is something you do and hide in your home videos. It is not a thing that normally is going to be seen by the world.”

“I felt very exposed as an actor, as a woman, as a human being,” she continues. “I had to go in and go out like, I need to put my protection back on. What have I just done? Where did I go? What did I do?”

What does babygirl energy mean?

A24

"Babygirl" is a term of endearment that's usually applied to a man (you've probably heard it describe Pedro Pascal or Paul Mescal). When someone is giving babygirl energy, they're kind, cute, and disarming. And considering Babygirl plays with power dynamics, we could be guessing who the "babygirl" in question is up until the very end.

Watch The 'Babygirl' Trailer Here!

www.youtube.com

- YouTube

There were SO many moments that made our jaws drop here:

  • The thumb in the mouth
  • The pink skirt moment
  • NICOLE CRAWLING ON ALL FOURS?!
Yeah, this is one you won't wanna watch with your parents, friends. 🥵

Are you looking forward to seeing Nicole Kidman onscreen again? We might have to wait until December to see Babygirl, but there are plenty of incredible Fall Movies coming our way.

This post has been updated.