The idea of wearing something on your wrist to symbolize love and friendship is a beautiful and meaningful age-old tradition; which dates back to as far as 481 B.C. 

Making friendship bracelets is a great way to honor relationships and show off your creative side. Besides, what’s a better way to show someone you care about them other than a handmade gift?

It's even a fun DIY activity to do at sleepovers and other hangouts with your friends. So, keep reading if you're wondering how to make friendship bracelets.

Online Arts & Crafts Instructors with 1-on-1 Lessons 

Online Arts &amp; Crafts Instructors with 1-on-1 Lessons

Empty

It's incredibly easy to make friendship bracelets. Even young kids can do it. To start, you'll need a few supplies.

You can find everything you need in a simple friendship bracelet-making kit. However, if you want plenty of options, you can make your own kit with the following items:

Friendship bracelets are typically made of a type of string called embroidery floss. It’s available in a variety of colors and can be bought almost anywhere. 

Don't worry if you can't find specific embroidery floss, friendship bracelets can be made with almost anything including yarn, leather cords, and even sewing thread.

You don't need any special scissors to make a friendship bracelet. Any scissors that can cut through the string will do. Since this is a kid-friendly activity; it's recommended to get safety scissors that children can use.

You'll also need something to hold the string in place while you're working on the bracelet. Safety pins or masking tape are available in any home and are fairly easy to work with.

If you're more of a creative type, you can also get jewelry beads, which are available in many colors and different materials. You can even add rhinestones or tassels.

Your friendship bracelet will be just fine without any shiny charms, but they sure will spruce the bracelet up.

What You’ll Need to Make a Friendship Bracelet

Now that you've gathered your supplies, you can start making your friendship bracelets. The first thing you want to think about is the colors of the bracelet. 

This is where your creativity can run wild. There is no right or wrong friendship bracelet style. It's all up to you.

Next, there is the pattern. There are multiple patterns to choose from, but if you're a beginner; it's best to start with one or two easy patterns and learn more with time.

For this pattern you’ll only need two strings, cut them to the desired length and follow the steps:

Fold the strings in half and tie them to make a loop. Then, secure the loop in place with a safety pin.

You should now have four strings, which will be separated into two cords, each cord containing two strings of the same color.

Secure one cord at the bottom with masking tape or just your hands, This will be called the holding cord.

Move the second cord under the holding cord, then over it, then again under itself, basically knotting it over the holding cord. Now you have made a half-hitch.

Next, the cords will be alternated, with the second cord knotted earlier being the holding cord.

Repeat step four with the alternated cords. Alternate the cords again and repeat until the bracelet is done.

This pattern is basically a braid. You have the liberty to pick the number of strings depending on the size of the braid you want. The following steps use 4 strings.

Make a loop and secure it in place with a safety pin, and separate your strings into cords.

To make a braid, make sure the cords are flat. Move the cord on the far left under the neighboring cord, then over the next one, then under the cord on the far right.

The cord that was once on the far left should now be on the far right. Repeat step two with the new cord that is now on the far left until it's placed right, and so on.

One of the most well-known patterns that comes to mind when thinking of friendship bracelets. First cut four colors of string you like, then follow the steps:

Fold the strings in half, tie them into a loop, secure them, and separate the four strings into two cords.

Take the cord on the leftmost, we'll call it the working cord, and move it under the cord on its right (holding cord), then over, then under itself, tying it over the holding cord. This step is simply making a half-hitch.

Repeat step two with the same two cords. You should now have the working cord looped twice on the first holding cord.

With the same working cord, loop it twice over the next cord on the right. This will be your second holding cord.

Repeat the step the last time on the rightmost cord, which will be the third holding cord.

Now that you have moved the working cord from the leftmost to the rightmost; The leftmost cord (which was the first holding cord) will now be the working cord.

Repeat all the above steps with the new working cord, then once it's on the rightmost side, repeat again with a new working cord until the bracelet is finished

Now that you're done with the bracelets, glam them up with the beads and charms, and gift them to the people closest to you. 

How to Make Friendship Bracelets

If you're finished with your bracelet and it doesn't quite look right, or you've run into unexpected difficulties while making your bracelet; here are some tricks to help you polish up your bracelet making skills:

Use enough string. You don't want to run out of string in the middle of the pattern. The rule of thumb is to tie the string around your wrist five times to get the desired length.

If you've knotted the end of the bracelet and it’s still not secure enough, tighten the knot and use fabric glue so it doesn't come apart as easily.

If your bracelet has gaps in it, that means the cords don't have enough tension. Make sure to pull the cords tightly between each step.

If your bracelet curls up due to too much tension, simply submerge it in water and dry it flat by weighing it down with a heavy book.

Tips and Tricks for Making The Perfect Friendship Bracelet

Making friendship bracelets is a great creative outlet and an enjoyable activity for children and adults alike. It also allows you to show your appreciation to your friends.

Now that you've learned how to make friendship bracelets, keep practicing and moving forward with more complex patterns. However, don't worry if you're only able to make simple bracelets; after all, it's the effort and love you put into making it that counts.

How to Get Ink Out of Clothes Effortlessly

<span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">How to Get Ink Out of Clothes Effortlessly

<span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">How to Start Knitting Like a Pro

<span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">How to Start Couponing Like a Pro

<span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">How to Wrap a Present: A Brief Guide

<span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">How to Make a Candle Wick

How to Make Friendship Bracelets: A Beginner’s Guide

What You’ll Need to Make a Friendship Bracelet

How to Make Friendship Bracelets

Tips and Tricks for Making The Perfect Friendship Bracelet

Conclusion