Q: I got a leather bracelet for Christmas and it's too big. How do I shorten it?
A: The safest, easiest, and quickest course of action would be to exchange the bracelet or find a friend with a larger wrist.
I don't have a photo of the bracelet, but many leather cord bracelets are finished by permanently gluing the leather ends into the clasp or cord end. (Sometimes this is a single part and other times the clasp is separate from the metal cord ends.)
The use of permanent adhesive means that even if you were to trim the extra leather, it may be difficult or impossible to completely and cleanly remove the old leather from inside the cord end or clasp and reattach it to your newly cut leather. Even if no glue was used, it's easy to damage the cord ends when trying to remove them. (Flat-nose pliers with smooth jaws may help in the removal process, but I've personally found that no matter how carefully I work, it's easy for the cord ends to become nicked or bent.)
Of course, if the cord ends and/or clasp are inexpensive (not sterling silver or other precious metals) and you don't mind buying new ones, you may be able to glue new ones on the freshly cut cord. If you decide to go ahead and try it, be sure to cut the cord cleanly with sharp scissors. (Don't forget the old saying, "Measure twice, cut once!" If you cut the leather too short, there's nothing you can do to fix it.) E-6000 is a common strong adhesive used in jewelry. You'll want to use it (or whatever jewelry glue you choose) in a very well-ventilated room.
If you look at How to Finish Cord and Ribbon Jewelry you can see a few common examples of how this type of jewelry is finished and how easy (or not) it may be to undo. Keep in mind that jewelry designers often make their jewelry difficult to disassemble as they do not want it falling apart while you're wearing it!
Bracelets for Gift-Giving
By the way, bracelets are one of the most difficult types of jewelry to give as a gift. Unlike a pair of earrings or a necklace, many bracelets must be precisely sized to fit comfortably. (Jewelry Making Journal has a terrific overview of common wrist sizes.)
Some bracelet types that fit a wide range of sizes (and make great gifts) are bangles, cuffs, stretchy elastic cord bracelets, or chain charm bracelets that can be clasped on different chain links with a lobster clasp.
Sometimes leather cuffs have multiple sets of snaps that will give you a choice of more than one size. Occasionally you'll also see cord or ribbon bracelets that are simply knotted or tied closed and may be easily trimmed to fit.
Good luck!
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