How to Make a Grateful Dead Friendship Bracelet

The remaining Grateful Dead band members continue to play to this day, including bassist Phil Lesh.

The Grateful Dead was one of the most iconic bands from the '60s to the '90s, creating more than a dozen albums and inspiring a legion of fans to follow them around the globe. These "Dead Heads" bonded over their mutual love of the band's pleasant music and high musicianship. Creating a friendship bracelet for you and your fellow Dead Heads is a relatively simple process that requires only a basic knowledge of sewing and beadwork. Personalize your bracelet to include your name, the band's name and the name of your favorite band member.

Things You'll Need

• String
• 4mm letter beads
• 4mm colored beads
• Button
• Cloth
• Embroidery needle
• Embroidery thread
• Sewing needle
• Sewing thread

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of your string to about 12 inches or so. Vary this length depending on the circumference of your wrist.

2. Tie one end of the string into an 1/8 inch loop. Use whatever knot you feel comfortable using to hold the loop closed.

3. Slide your beads onto the other end of the string . Slide one colored bead and then a letter bead. Alternate letter and color beads down the length of your bracelet. Spell your name and "Grateful Dead" on the bracelet.

4. Keep adding beads until you have created a bracelet the length you want. Cut off the end of the string to about 2 inches. Thread the string through the holes in your button and tie the loose end off behind the button. Place the bracelet to the side.

5. Look up images of the band that you want to include on your piece of cloth. These can vary from images of the "Grateful Dead" teddy bears, pictures of the band members or even just the band's name. Pick an image you feel comfortable making.

6. Cut a circular piece of cloth about 1 inch in diameter. Embroider the cloth with the image you have chosen. Complete your image and tie off the embroidery string.

7. Thread your sewing needle and attach the button to the cloth by going threading through the button holes. Tie of the string and place the bracelet on your wrist. Close it by pushing your button through the string loop on the other end.

References

• How to Make Jewelry: How to Make Friendship Bracelets
• Making Friends: Faceted Bracelets
• Martha Stewart: How to Embroidery

Resources

• The Grateful Dead