How to Make a Friendship Bracelet With Letters & Words
Making a homemade friendship bracelet provides an opportunity to be creative and makes a meaningful birthday, holiday or just-because gift. To make the bracelet more personal, add lettered beads and spell out a friend's initials, name or a phrase that is meaningful to the friendship. The possibilities are endless when it comes to the rest of the bracelet -- use plastic beads, wooden beads, glass beads or semiprecious stones to create a personal homemade gift. Visit your local bead store or craft shop and you will find everything you need in the jewelry section. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Lettered beads
- Other beads of your choice to complete the bracelet
- Spacer beads (if you want to spell more than one word, or to space out initials)
- Jewelry wire, memory wire, fishing line, leather, string or ribbons, depending on your choice
- Clasp of your choice
- Jump rings
- Pliers
Instructions
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Leave a bit of extra room if you are guessing on your friend's wrist size. Measure your friend's wrist, or, if you want it to be a surprise, make an estimation with your own wrist and give the wire an extra half-inch. Using pliers to cut the wire, leaving room for loops at the end where the clasp will be attached. Make a loop in one end of the wire and secure it with pliers. Tie knots instead of loops if you are using any material other than wire.
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Lettered beads are easy to find at craft and jewelry stores. Begin stringing the bracelet. As you add beads to the wire (or leather or ribbon), measure it with your wrist to make sure the lettered beads hit the wrist in the preferred place. Don't worry, with a beaded bracelet, it is hard to make a mistake. Using spacer beads, space out any letters or words that need spacing.
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Friendship bracelets are great for friends of all ages. When the bracelet has been strung with beads and the length is correct, use pliers to make a finishing loop. Bend the end of the wire and push down hard with the pliers so that the loop is secure.
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Don't forget to make a matching bracelet for yourself! Use the pliers again to attach jump rings to the loops at each end of the bracelet. Then add the clasp onto the jump rings and secure them with with pliers. Voila! The friendship bracelet is complete.
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Tips & Warnings
When shopping for beads, look for beads that are unique and remind you of your friend so that the bracelet has a personal touch.
In the case of leather, string or ribbon, a clasp may not be necessary.
Make sure all the loops and knots on the bracelet are secure before giving away your friendship bracelet.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Roger Weber/Digital Vision/Getty Images Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
