Make a Chevron Friendship Bracelet
Chevron bracelets are very popular, especially as friendship bracelets. Giving your friends chevron friendship bracelets is a fun way to show them you care, or you can wear them yourself! Here are a couple of different methods to use when making chevron friendship bracelets.
Contents
Steps
Making a Chevron Friendship Bracelet
- Prepare the embroidery floss. Cut the embroidery floss or craft thread about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} for each color depending on your wrist size. You'll need at least six strands of string (two strands of three colors), but you can use any even number of strands.
- The more strings you use, the more complex your color arrangements will be and the wider the width of your bracelet.
- Use whatever colors you want; just make sure that you have two strands of each single color that you choose.
- Secure the strands. Tie a knot at the end of the strands of string and secure it in any number of ways to make it easier to hold steady while you finish the bracelet.
- You can clip it to your clipboard, safety pin it to your pants or a pillow, or tape it to your work surface. You can also use a binder clip with a binder or book. Alternatively, you can just tie it to a drawer handle.
- Arrange the strands. Using the thread, make a mirror-image pattern so that the two outside strands are the same color and so on going inwards.
- Pretend there is an imaginary line in the middle and create the same color pattern with the string on both sides of the line.
- Begin the right knots. Starting with the outer-right string, tie a right knot twice on the adjacent string (the second from the right).
- To tie a right knot, make a ninety degree angle with the tying string over the top of the string you are tying it to. Then loop the tying string underneath the other string and pull tight.
- Note: Remember to make two knots on each string.
- Once you have knotted the outer right string to the one next to it, do the same to the next string closer to the middle. Continue this process until you've reached the middle.
- Note: The string you began tying with (the outermost right string) should now be in the middle.
- Begin the left knots. From the left side, tie left knots with the outer-left strand until you reach the middle.
- To tie a left knot, do the same as the right knot but reversed. Make a ninety degree angle with the tying string over the top of the string you are tying it to and loop the tying string under the other string and pull it tight.
- Tie the middle knots. Tie a left or right knot (doesn't matter) with the two middle strands to connect the two sides (be sure to tie the knot twice).
- Note: If you have done everything correctly up to this point, the strands you are tying together in the middle will be the same color and you will begin to see the V-pattern emerge.
- Continue the pattern. Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6 until you reach the desired length, always starting with the outermost strands on each side. These strands should always be the same color.
- Finish the bracelet. Tie a knot at the end of the pattern and use the excess string to tie the bracelet onto your wrist or the wrist of a friend.
- Alternatively, you can create a button-loop closure for the bracelet. Attach a button to one side by pulling any two strands through the holes in the button. Then, tie the strands together and cut off the excess of all strands (even the ones not used for the button). On the other end of the bracelet, there should already be a loop that exists between the knot at the end and the place where the knots begin. Pull the button through the loop once you have finished all the steps.
Making a Double Chevron Friendship Bracelet
- Prepare the embroidery floss. For this bracelet, you'll need four different colors of thread. Cut two strands of each color that measure about 65 inches each. This should leave you with eight strands.
- Once you've cut all of the thread, fold the bundle of strands in half and cut at the center. This will leave you with 16 strands total.
- Secure the strands. Tie a knot in one end of the string and secure it to a flat surface you can work on with some sturdy tape (like masking tape or duct tape).
- Alternatively, you can safety pin it to your pants, tie it to a dresser drawer, or clip it on a clip board.
- Arrange the strands. Using the thread, make a mirror-image pattern that repeats twice so that there are two exact replicas of the same pattern right next to each other.
- For example, your pattern may look like this: 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1
- Pretend there is an imaginary line in the middle and create the same color pattern with the string on both sides of the line. Then repeat this pattern again.
- Begin the right knots. Starting with the outer-right string, tie a right knot twice on the adjacent string (the second from the right).
- To tie a right knot, make a ninety degree angle with the tying string over the top of the string you are tying it to. Then loop the tying string underneath the other string and pull tight.
- Note: Remember to make two knots on each string.
- Once you have knotted the outer right string to the one next to it, do the same to the next string closer to the middle. Continue this process until you've reached the middle.
- Note: The string you began tying with (the outermost right string) should now be in the middle.
- Begin the left knots. Take the far left string from the middle and tie left knots with the outer-left strand until you reach the middle.
- To tie a left knot, do the same as the right knot but reversed. Make a ninety degree angle with the tying string over the top of the string you are tying it to and loop the tying string under the other string and pull it tight.
- This will complete one side of the double mirror image.
- Complete the other half. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 for the left side of the double chevron pattern.
- Tie the middle knots. Tie a left or right knot (doesn't matter) with the two middle strands to connect the two sides. Be sure to tie the middle knot twice.
- Note: If you have done everything correctly up to this point, the strands you are tying together in the middle will be the same color and you will begin to see the double V-pattern emerge.
- Continue the pattern. Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6 until you reach the desired length, always starting with the middle-most strands and moving outward in each direction to complete the double mirror image pattern (1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 4 3 2 1).
- Finish the bracelet. Tie a knot at the end of the pattern and use the excess string to tie the bracelet onto your wrist or the wrist of a friend.
- Alternatively, you can create a button-loop closure for the bracelet. Attach a button to one side by pulling any two strands through the holes in the button. Then, tie the strands together and cut off the excess of all strands (even the ones not used for the button). On the other end of the bracelet, there should already be a loop that exists between the knot at the end and the place where the knots begin. Pull the button through the loop once you have finished all the steps.
Tips
- Tie them in double knots quite tightly to prevent them from falling off.
- If your bracelet starts to twist, just iron it.
- You can buy embroidery floss at any craft or fabric store like Jo-Ann's and Michael's.
- Use different color combinations for different occasions, e.g. pink, red, and white for Valentine's day or red and green for Christmas.
- Fan out the strings the same way each time.
- Make friendship bracelets for friends as a Christmas gift.
Things You'll Need
- Embroidery floss or craft thread (at least three colors)
- Clipboard, safety pins, masking tape, or a binder with a binder clip
- Tape measure
- Scissors
Related Articles
- Make an Original Friendship Bracelet
- Make a Cross Knot Friendship Bracelet
- Make a Charm Bracelet
- Make a Friendship Bracelet
- Make a "Twister" Friendship Bracelet
Sources and Citations
- Videos provided by The Corner of Craft
