How to Put On a Bracelet By Yourself

If you've ever tried to fasten a bracelet with one hand while it slides around your wrist, you already know: putting a bracelet on by yourself is one of those small, disproportionately annoying problems. It's not that it's hard, exactly, it's that a tiny clasp and a moving wrist don't cooperate with only one free hand.

It's also far more common than it feels in the moment, search for it and you'll find no shortage of people asking the exact same question, so if you've ever given up and asked someone else to do it for you, you're in good company. 

The good news is there's a genuinely easy trick for how to put a bracelet on yourself, and it takes about ten seconds once you know it.

How to Put On a Bracelet By Yourself: The Paperclip Trick

Lobster clasps are popular for a reason, that small, spring-loaded hook clicks firmly shut and holds securely, which is exactly why so many bracelets use them. But that same design is built to be operated with two hands: one to hold the lever open, one to guide the ring into place. Take one hand away and you're left doing a two-handed job with half the tools.

Here's the actual problem with fastening a bracelet alone: it's not the clasp itself, it's trying to hook that clasp onto a jump ring that keeps sliding around your wrist. The fix is simple: fix the moving target.

That's it. The paperclip does the one thing your other hand can't: it holds the loop still and puts it somewhere you can actually see and reach, so the clasp goes on in one try instead of ten. If you'd rather watch than read, here's a video showing exactly how to put on a bracelet by yourself.

No Paperclip? Here's Another Way to Put a Bracelet On With One Hand

The paperclip is our favourite trick, but if you don't have one to hand, tape works nearly just as well: secure the plain end of your bracelet to the inside of your wrist with the tape, then fasten the clasp with your free hand.

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However you get there, once it's on, it's on. Shop our bracelets collection designed to be worn often, and now, put on entirely by yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions: How to Put On a Bracelet By Yourself

How do you put on a bracelet by yourself?

The easiest method is the paperclip trick: hook an unfolded paperclip through the jump ring at the end of your bracelet (or, even better, through the link just before the jump ring), opposite the lobster clasp, hold it steady against your wrist, then use your free hand to fasten the lobster clasp onto the jump ring the paperclip is holding in place.

Can you put a bracelet on with one hand?

Yes, with this paperclip trick, the jump ring stays in place and you can easily put your bracelet with one hand.

What if I don't have a paperclip?

A small piece of tape works on the same idea: giving the clasp a steady, visible loop to catch onto instead of a moving target.

Is there an easy way to put a bracelet on by myself every day?

Yes, once you've tried the paperclip trick once, it takes about ten seconds. Or skip the clasp altogether with an elasticated bracelet or one fully adjustable sliding knots. Check Hélène Elisabeth Jewellery bracelets selection for inspiration.