Make a Friendship Bracelet

Friendship bracelets are typically made of thread and are given to a friend as a token of friendship. However, you can easily make friendship bracelets to add to your own collection of accessories, or sell them to make a profit. Start by learning how to make a traditional friendship bracelet, then add braids and beading.

Steps

Getting the Bracelet Started

  1. Choose several strands of embroidery thread in a variety of colors. Choose as many strands of thread as you like, as long as you're using three or more, and pick any number of colors that would look good together in a pattern. If you only use one color of thread, you won't be able to create a pattern.[1]
    • 4-6 strands will make a narrow bracelet, and 8-10 strands will make a thicker one. The more strands you chose, the wider the bracelet will be.
  2. Measure and cut your first strand. Measure a length of thread slightly longer than the distance from your fingertip to your shoulder and then cut it. This will be long enough for the bracelet to stretch around your wrist to create a pattern. It's better to cut the string a bit too long than too short.
  3. Use the first strand to measure the remaining strands. Hold the cut strand up to the remaining strands and cut them to be the same length as this strand.
  4. Tie the strands in a knot and pin them to a stable surface. You can pin the bracelet to your pants, to a pillow, or to another stable cloth surface that you won't damage. You can also get creative and tie it around your toe.
    • You can also tape it to a surface, or close it in a drawer, but pinning is better than taping because the pin ensures that the bracelet will stay in its position.
  5. Spread out the threads. Before you start the system of knotting that will create a pattern in the bracelet, spread out the threads so that the colors are in the order you'd like the striped patterns on the bracelet to be. To make the knotted end of your bracelet less bulky, try not to cross the threads over one another too much.
  6. Pass the 1st strand (A) over the 2nd strand (B) to tie a knot. You need to make the "half-hitch" knot to do this correctly. First, move the 1st thread (A) over the top of the 2nd (B), forming a long, narrow loop between the two strings and the knotted end, to create a figure "4." Pull the 1st thread (A) behind the 2nd thread (B) and through the long loop. Hold the 2nd thread firmly while you pull the 1st thread until a knot moves up to the top of the 2nd thread.[2]
  7. Repeat the same knot, using the same strands. You will do this so that there are two knots for every strand.[3]Pull just until you feel resistance. Be careful not to pull too tight because if some knots are tighter than others the bracelet will look lumpy and uneven.[4]
  8. Knot the original 1st strand (A) around the next thread. Continue using the same thread to make two knots with the next thread, moving from left to right. Continue knotting the original 1st strand around each successive thread, moving left to right, until you've knotted with all of the strands and the original strand is in the far right position.[5]

Continuing the Knot Pattern

  1. Start the process again with the far left thread. Every thread will end up on the right when you're done, and you'll start with a new color of thread every time. Repeat the double know technique with the far left strand, moving from left to right until the strand is in the far right position.[4]
  2. Continue until the bracelet is long enough for your wrist. To make sure it fits well, try it on your wrist. There should be enough extra room that you, or the person you want to give the bracelet to, can fit about two fingers in next to your wrist.
  3. Tie the second end of the bracelet into a knot. Make sure that the knot doesn’t take up any of the length you need to wear the bracelet.
  4. Trim away the additional string. If you still have a lot of string left over, you can cut it short with a pair of scissors.
  5. Tie the bracelet together. Now that you've knotted both ends of the bracelet, just tie the strands of the bracelet together. If you have a friend putting on the bracelet for you, then you can also have the friend knot the bracelet after you put it on if you want it to be really tight.

Adding a Simple Braid and Beads

  1. Add a simple braid. Before beginning the main design, you can start with a simple braid, which will be on the ends of the bracelet. Group neighboring individual strings into groups of two or three. In this case, groups of two were used. This left 3 main threads to braid with (left, center, right).
  2. Cross the right strand over the center strand. Take whichever thread is currently in the right position and cross it over the top of the center thread. That thread now becomes the center thread. Next, take whichever thread is currently in the left position and cross it over the top of the center thread so that thread now becomes the center thread.[6]
    • Repeat this pattern -- right over center, left over center -- until you've reached the desired length of braid, which should be about an inch (2.54cm) or less.
  3. Tie a knot before you begin the main braid. Once you've reached the desired amount of the simple braid, about an inch (2.54cm) or less, tie a knot before you begin braiding the striped pattern.
  4. Braid the other end of the bracelet. If you did a simple braid for the beginning of the bracelet, you can do the same for the other end. After you have a good length of the striped pattern, finish the bracelet with a short length of simple braid.
  5. Add charms or beads to the end of the bracelet. To give your friendship bracelet some more flair, thread some small beads or charms onto the strands and then tie them in a knot to secure them.[7]

Tips

  • To help the thread move smoothly while making the bracelet – and possibly avoid breakage if you are pulling it really taut – first coat the strands with wax. To do this, you can pull them across an old candle.
  • Choose your colors carefully. You could use his/her favorite colors, or you could let each color represent something (e.g., red = love, yellow = fun, etc.).
  • Put all the different strands of thread loosely on top of each other to see if they work well together.
  • Don't make the knots too tight or too loose. If you make a knot too tight, it might break or the pattern will not be visible. A loose knot will come undone quickly.
  • Try do make the bracelet all in one sitting so you don't forget where you are. If you're worried you will forget the order of colors, write them down.
  • If you do a double knot for the knots, make sure to do it for every knot. Doing two knots in a row of the same thread on each strand will help the bracelet lie flat.
  • If your bracelet starts to twist, iron it flat or use a paper clip to hold it straight. Move the paper clip as you work. You can also use a clipboard.
  • If you make the knots backwards, the angle of the pattern will be opposite. You can use this to make a bracelet with an arrow shape or a zigzag pattern.
  • If you make a bunch, you could Earn Money Selling Friendship Bracelets.

Warnings

  • Do not tie bracelets too tightly onto your wrist, make sure you still have some circulation!
  • Try not to get your fingers stuck in the knots or tangle the thread.
  • Embroidery thread is very thin. Be careful that you do not tie knots in the wrong place. If you do, it's not the end of the world; you can always pick the knots apart with a pair of tweezers or a safety pin, but it's tedious and once in a while causes a thread to unravel or break. It is very hard to untie knots in embroidery thread.

Things You'll Need

  • Embroidery thread
  • Scissors
  • Safety pin(s),clipboard or tape
  • Beads and/or charms (optional)

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Sources and Citations