How to Make a Chevron Friendship Bracelet With Nine Pieces

Teach a child you love how to make bracelets for all of her friends.

It seems almost a rite of passage for children to learn to make friendship bracelets out of embroidery floss and pass them out to all of their friends as a token of loyalty or affection. Friendship bracelets aren't just for children, though; people of all ages can enjoy these colorful creations. The chevron pattern makes a series of V-shaped stripes in the bracelet, a classic look with any odd number of strands of thread.

Things You'll Need

• Embroidery floss, 9 colors/strands
• Scissors
• Masking tape, safety pin or clipboard

Instructions

1. Cut nine separate lengths of embroidery floss; each strand should be approximately 70 to 80 inches long for an adult-sized bracelet.

2. Fold the strands in half all together so that their ends meet. Tie a knot 1 inch down from the fold to make a small loop. Attach this loop to your working area: pin it to a pillow, tape it to a table or clamp it inside a clipboard.

3. Arrange the strands of embroidery thread flat out in front of you. Mentally label each color A through I and arrange them in this order, from left to right: A B C D E F G H I I H G F E D C B A.

4. Hold strand A on the right and make a backward knot around the nearest strand B. To make a backward knot, wrap A over and around behind B, then pull it through itself to make one knot; repeat this knot one more time to finish the backward knot.

5. Continue to make backward knots with the same strand A, moving toward the center each time to make the knot around each subsequent other strand of yarn until you reach strand I on the right of center.

6. Hold strand A on the left and make forward knots around each strand as you move toward the center, one strand at a time. Make a forward knot just as a backward one; bring A up and around the next strand on the right, go behind the strand and up through the loop to make a knot, twice. Stop when you reach strand I at the inner left position.

7. Repeat steps 4, 5 and 6 to finish the bracelet. Each time, start with the outer-most strand on the right and knot your way toward the center, and then repeat on the left. Stop knotting when the bracelet is long enough for your liking or when you nearly run out of thread.

8. Tie a knot in the end of the bracelet to secure it, and then remove it from its hold in your working area and tie it around your wrist.

Tips & Warnings

• If the bracelet curls on your wrist, remove it and iron it with steam or starch to make it flat.

References

• How-to-Make-Jewelry.com: Chevron Friendship Bracelet Pattern
• DMC: DMC Presents: "How to Make a Chevron Striped Friendship Bracelet"