How to Make a Detailed Friendship Bracelet

Possibilities for detailed friendship bracelets are as endless as colors of thread.

A friendship bracelet is a gift you give someone to represent how much you care about that person. The popular macrame type friendship bracelets became popular in the United States during the 1970s, and remain a favorite craft and gift among young people today. While simple versions are great for beginners and young children, older and more advanced bracelet makers may wish to create a detailed piece. Some modifications and additions can easily make your friendship bracelets more intricate.

Things You'll Need

• Embroidery floss, 4 colors of choice
• Fabric measuring tape
• Scissors
• Safety pin
• Old pillow

Instructions

Beginning the Bracelet

1. Cut one 60-inch length of each of your four colors of floss, and lay the lengths straight out and parallel to each other so their centers are lined up.

2. Gather the four lengths together as one strand, and fold the strand in half so it has a loop at one end and eight cut ends at the other. Tie a knot with the two strands at about 1/2 inch from the looped end. You should now have a 1/2-inch loop, with nearly 30 inches of eight pieces of floss -- two of each color -- hanging beneath it.

3. Fix the 1/2-inch loop to the old pillow with the safety pin. You are now ready to create a detailed friendship bracelet pattern.

Bracelet Pattern

1. Organize the eight floss pieces so they are symmetrical by color. For example, if your colors are red, yellow, green and blue, lay them out in this order beneath the knot: red, yellow, green, blue, blue, green, yellow, red.

2. Loop and knot the floss piece farthest to the left around the floss immediately to its right. Loop and knot it again around the same floss to make a double knot. Loop and knot that same floss around the next two floss pieces in the same manner. For example, if your left four floss pieces are, from left to right, red, yellow, green and blue, loop and knot the red floss -- twice for double knot -- first around the yellow floss, then the green and then the blue.

3. Loop and knot the floss piece farthest to the right around the floss immediately to its left. Loop and knot it again around the same floss to make a double knot. Loop and knot that same floss around the next two floss pieces in the same manner. For example, if your right four floss pieces are, from right to left, red, yellow, green, and blue, loop and knot the red floss -- twice for double knot -- first around the yellow floss, then the green and then the blue. The red floss lengths should now be in the center at the end of a downward pointing diagonal red line made from the knots around the other floss. Tie the two red floss pieces together twice to double knot them.

4. Loop and knot the floss farthest to the left around the floss immediately to its right, repeating to make a double knot. Then double knot that same floss around the next floss piece. Do not loop and knot it around the floss at the center. For example, if your colors are, from left to right, yellow, green, blue and red, loop and knot -- twice for double knot -- the yellow floss around the green floss and then the blue floss, but not the red floss. Repeat this process with the floss piece farthest to the right, looping and knotting it around the first and second pieces to its left. When you're finished, the same two floss pieces should be at the center as at the beginning of this step.

5. Loop and knot the floss farthest to the left around the one immediately to its right, repeating for a double knot. Do the same thing with the floss farthest to the right with the one immediately to its left. If you began with red on the outsides, and then yellow, green and blue going in toward the center, this step will be looping and knotting the green floss pieces -- twice for double knot -- around the blue floss pieces. At the end, the blue floss will be on the outside, and then green, yellow and red going in toward the center.

6. Loop and knot the center floss closer to the left around the floss immediately to its left. Repeat around the same floss for a double knot. Loop and knot -- twice for double knot -- that same floss around the next floss, and then the farthest left floss. Repeat the process on the four floss lengths on the right side. For example, if red floss pieces are in the center, with yellow, green and blue floss going toward the outside, loop and knot the red floss pieces (twice) first around the yellow, then the green, and finally the blue floss. You should end this step with a red X in your friendship bracelet.

7. Tie the two center floss pieces around each other twice for a double knot. Afterward, loop and knot the left center floss -- twice for double knot -- around the floss immediately to its left, repeating on the next floss to the left. Do the same thing with the center floss closest to the right. For example, if your floss began this step with yellow floss pieces in the center, and then green, blue and red going outward, loop and knot them (twice) first around the green floss and then the blue floss.

8. Tie the two center floss pieces around each other twice for a double knot. Afterward, loop and knot the center left floss -- twice for double knot -- around the floss immediately to its left. Repeat with the center right floss around the one immediately to its right. For example, if you began with green floss in the center, then blue, yellow, and red going outward, loop and knot -- twice for double knot -- the green floss pieces around the blue ones. At the end of this step, the floss lengths should be in their original order, with reds on the outside, then yellows, greens and blues going toward the center.

9. Tie the two center floss pieces together twice to make a double knot. Continue the bracelet in this double looping and knotting pattern to make repeated X shapes with the original outside floss colors throughout the friendship bracelet. Make the piece long enough to fit around your wrist. Remember to tie center pieces together when appropriate to create the solid middle of the bracelet.

Finishing the Bracelet

1. Separate the eight floss pieces into two strands, each strand with one floss of each color. Braid each strand -- four strand braid -- to make two 3-inch braids coming down from the friendship bracelet.

2. Knot the end of each strand, and trim off any excess floss beyond about 1/8 inch under the knots.

3. Wrap the bracelet around a friend's wrist, tying the two braids together through the 1/2-inch loop at the other end.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the bracelet taught as you create it so that it doesn't turn out loose. Be careful not to make it too tight, which can cause the bracelet to curl on itself.

• Examine various detailed friendship bracelet patterns for other options, as the possibilities are endless.

References

• Friendship Bracelets: History and Tradition