How to Make a Friendship Bracelet on a Cardboard Wheel

Friendship bracelets are given as tokens of affection to friends, family and loved-ones.

Friendship bracelets are items of jewelry that are made from knotted, woven or braided strands of yarn. A cardboard wheel, also known as a braiding disc, is a circular tool used to separate the strands of yarn, making it easier and quicker to braid them together. The cardboard wheel can be made out of recycled cardboard, such as an old cereal box, and it can also be reused to create multiple friendship braclets.

Things You'll Need

• Cardboard
• Mug
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Plasticine
• 7 strands embroidery floss (each 24 inches long)

Instructions

1. Place the cardboard onto your work space. Place the mug upside-down on the middle of the piece of cardboard. Trace around the edge of the mug with the pencil.

2. Cut out the circle with the scissors. This will form the base of the cardboard wheel.

3. Roll the plasticine into a ball and position it underneath the middle of the cardboard wheel. Stab the middle of the cardboard wheel with the sharp end of the pencil.

4. Cut eight slits evenly around the outside edge of the cardboard wheel. Each slit should be about 1cm deep.

5. Gather the tops of the 7 strands of embroidery floss and tie a double over hand knot around them. Poke the knot through the hole in the middle of the cardboard wheel.

6. Insert each of the embroidery floss strands through a separate slit in the edge of the braiding disc. You will have one slit that is empty; move the wheel so that the empty slit is at the top of the wheel.

7. Locate the strand that is three slits to the right of the empty slit. Pick up this strand of embroidery and move it into the empty slit.

8. Repeat the braiding technique in Steps 6 and 7 until you have braided the desired length of bracelet.

9. Tie a double knot at the bottom of the braid. Remove the cardboard wheel.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with different color strands of embroidery floss to create different bracelet styles.

• Scissors should only be used under adult supervision.

References

• Homemade Gifts Made Easy: Make a Friendship Bracelet the Easy Way

Resources

• Making Friends: Friendship Bracelets