How to Make Friendship Bracelets: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Make Friendship Bracelets – 5 Ways for Beginners

Hey there! It’s Jessica from CutesyCrafts.com, and today, I’m super excited to dive into the world of friendship bracelets. These colorful, woven accessories are not only fun to make but also perfect for sharing with friends. Whether you’re a crafting newbie or a seasoned pro, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to create your own unique friendship bracelets.

Supplies You’ll Need

Before we get started, let’s talk about the supplies. To make friendship bracelets, you’ll need:

1. Embroidery Floss: Grab some embroidery floss in your favorite colors. The brand doesn’t matter, but make sure you have a variety of shades to work with.
2. Masking Tape, Safety Pin, or Clipboard: These tools will help you keep your threads in place while you work. Masking tape is my go-to, but a safety pin or clipboard works just as well.
3. Scissors: You’ll need these to cut your threads to the right length.

Cutting Your Threads

When it comes to cutting your embroidery floss, I always recommend being generous. For most bracelets, I cut about a yard (36 inches) of each color. If you want to double up on colors, fold the thread in half and make a loop at the top. This will give you a total length of about 72 inches.

To start, you can either use individual strings or double them up for a thicker bracelet. If you’re doubling up, bring the ends together, fold them in half, and make a loop at the top. Wrap the loop around your finger, pull the loop through, and you’ll have a secure starting point with two strands of each color.

Securing Your Threads

Once you’ve got your threads ready, it’s time to secure them. You can use masking tape to stick the ends to a table, clip them down with a clipboard, or even safety-pin them to your pants. The key is to keep the threads taut and easy to work with.

The Basic Knots

Every friendship bracelet is made up of two basic moves: the forward hitch and the backward hitch. Let’s break them down:

Forward Hitch

The forward hitch is super simple. Take the string on the left and lay it over the string on the right to form a “4” shape. Keep the right string straight, then take the end of the left string, put it under the right string, and pull it through the “4.” Pull it tight, but not too hard—you don’t want your knots to get all wonky.

Backward Hitch

The backward hitch is just the opposite. Create a backward “4” shape with your strings, then take the left string under the right string and pull it through the loop. Again, pull it tight but gently.

These two hitches are the building blocks for four main knots:

1. Forward Knot: Two forward hitches in a row.
2. Backward Knot: Two backward hitches in a row.
3. Forward-Backward Knot: One forward hitch followed by one backward hitch.
4. Backward-Forward Knot: One backward hitch followed by one forward hitch.

Let’s Start Crafting!

Now that you’ve got the basics down, let’s make some bracelets! I’ll show you five different patterns, starting with the easiest and working our way up to the more advanced designs.

1. Two-Strand Friendship Bracelet

This is the perfect beginner project. You’ll only need two strands of embroidery floss (about 36 inches each). Start by tying a knot at one end, leaving a tail for later.

To weave, simply create forward hitches with alternating colors. For example, if you’re using blue and pink, make a forward hitch with the blue string over the pink, then switch to the pink string and make a forward hitch over the blue. Keep repeating this pattern until your bracelet is the desired length.

When you’re done, tie another knot at the end, trim the excess, and voilà! You’ve got a simple, stylish bracelet.

2. Spiral Staircase Bracelet

This design is a bit more colorful and just as easy. You can use as many colors as you like—I’m using four here. Cut 36-inch strands of each color and secure them as usual.

For this bracelet, you’ll only need to use forward knots. Start with one color and create forward knots over all the other colors. Once you’ve reached the desired length for that color, add it back into the main strands and switch to a new color. Keep repeating this process until you’ve created a beautiful spiral pattern.

3. Candy Stripe Bracelet

This bracelet features diagonal stripes in multiple colors. Start with four strands of embroidery floss (36 inches each) and secure them.

To create the pattern, use forward knots to travel each color across the others. For example, take the leftmost string and create forward knots over the next three strings. Move to the next color and repeat the process. Keep working in this pattern until your bracelet is long enough.

4. Chevron Bracelet

The Chevron pattern is a bit more advanced but still totally doable. You’ll need four colors, cut to 72 inches each. Fold the strands in half and secure them with a loop at the top.

Separate your threads so that the colors mirror each other. Start from the left and create forward knots to move the outer colors toward the center. Once you reach the middle, switch to backward knots to move the colors back out. Repeat this process with each color until you’ve created the Chevron pattern.

5. Diamond Bracelet

This is the most advanced pattern we’ll cover today, but don’t worry—it’s still manageable! You’ll need four colors, cut to 72 inches each, with the outer colors (light pink and dark blue in my example) being about 10 inches longer.

Fold the strands in half and secure them. Separate the colors so that the outer colors are on the outside and the inner colors mirror each other. Start by creating backward knots with the inner colors, then move the outer colors inward using forward knots. Continue this pattern, alternating between forward and backward knots, until you’ve created the diamond shape.

Wrapping Up

And there you have it! Five fun and easy friendship bracelet patterns to try. Whether you’re making them for yourself or gifting them to friends, these bracelets are a great way to show your creativity and spread some love.

If you enjoyed this tutorial, head over to CutesyCrafts.com for more craft ideas and tutorials. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a post! Happy crafting!