How to Make a Friendship Bracelet Belt
Friendships bracelets first hit the United States in the 1970s but originated in Central America. The tradition behind them is that if you give a friend one of these bracelets, they cannot remove it until it wears away and literally falls of her wrist. Then friendship belts came along. Friendship belts are made the same way as the original bracelets, by twisting and knotting pieces of yarn. The ease of making these belts is the reason that they are often homemade.
Instructions
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Cutting the Yarn
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1
Select two pieces of yarn. These can be the same color, but two colors are more common as it creates an eye-catching, two-toned effect.
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2
Wrap the yarn around the person you are making the friendship belt for and mark the yarn at the point it touches itself.
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3
Measure the yarn up to this mark and multiply this by four. Add an extra 9 inches if you are making the belt alone. Cut both pieces of yarn to this length.
Two People
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4
Grab the ends of both pieces of yarn and have your helper do the same with the opposite ends.
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5
Twist the ends of the yarn and keep twisting until so taut it would be difficult to go any further. Your helper should hold the other end steady as you do this.
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6
Have your helper twist their end in one direction as you twist yours in the other for an alternative approach. This is harder to do but will speed up the twisting process.
Just You
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7
Tie one end of both pieces of yarn around something that won't move like a bedpost or table leg since you don't have a helper to hold the yarn steady.
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8
Fasten the other ends to a pen. Twist the pen around, and the yarn will twist too. This is a very effective way of making taut friendship belts.
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9
Stop when the yarn is as very taut and cut off the extra yarn used for tying. Always keep tight hold of both ends as you do this.
Finishing Up
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10
Take both ends in one hand and squeeze them tightly.
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11
Take hold of the center of the yarn. Pull the yarn straight.
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12
Let go of the end of the yarn. Each end will automatically twist around the other.
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13
Tie a knot in both ends of the yarn.
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14
Cut off any extra thread after the knots.
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