How to Make Friendship Bracelets With a Braiding Disk
Using a braiding disk to produce intricate braids is called Kumihimo in Japan. These cords are an important part of the Japanese decorative arts, being used for everything from tying the sash of a kimono, to decorating the handle of samurai swords. Traditionally, they were made by weighting the knotted ends of the cords and passing it through the center of a large wooden disk set on legs. But modern Kumihimo aficionados use braiding disks made of plastic or wood. You can use a braiding disk to make a Kumihimo friendship bracelet in several colors.
Things You'll Need
- Four strands of yarn or thread, three times longer than your finished project, in compatible colors
- Scissors
Instructions
-
-
1
Hold the braiding disk so it is face up and upright. A braiding disk has a hole in the center and tabs around the edge, numbered one up to 32. Most modern versions will have large dots at the ordinals. If the disk were a compass, the dots would be at the north, south, east and west points on the face. Some disks have other dots spread out at even distances between these four points. The face is the side that is printed. Hold the disk so one of the dots is in the north, or 12 o'clock, position.
-
2
Grasp the ends of your four strands of yarn, making sure they are all even. Tie a simple square knot to secure them to each other. Push the knot through the braiding disk from front to back, so the yarn is draped across the front of the disk.
-
-
3
Lay two strands of yarn to the top of the disk and secure them in the slots that define the 12 o'clock tab on your disk. Repeat this with two strands at the three o'clock, six o'clock and nine o'clock positions on your disk. How you lay the colors on the disk will affect the appearance of the final braid.
-
4
Lift the bottom left strand and slide it into the slot to the left of the two strands at the top, giving you three strands at the top of your disk and one at the bottom. Lift the top right strand on your disk and lay it in the slot to the immediate right of the strand on the bottom.
-
5
Rotate your disk a quarter turn so the former east and west pairs of strands are now north and south. Repeat the pattern of lifting the left bottom to the left top and right top to the right bottom.
-
6
Continue turning the disk and switching the strands until you can no longer stretch your yarn comfortably across the disk face to the slots. Pull all your yarn strands together and tie in a square knot to secure. Trim the ends with the scissors so they are the same length.
-
7
Make a friendship bracelet out of your Kumihimo by tying the ends together around your friend's wrist. The bracelet will come off only after the threads wear out and break.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
You can use as many strands as your disk will accommodate, so long as you divide them in sections of even numbers. The braiding process remains the same.
It doesn't matter if you rotate your disk to the right or left as you braid, just be sure to rotate in the same direction for the whole braid.
If you want a bracelet that can be removed, you can purchase various styles of jewelry clasps that would secure your bracelet. There are clasps that have rings, so you can tie your fringe to the clasp. Or get a clasp that is secured by wrapping the end of the clasp around your fringe and clamping it together with jewelry pliers.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Karl Weatherly/Photodisc/Getty Images
