How to Do a Heart Design for a Friendship Bracelet
Using embroidery thread to make hearts on your friendship bracelets is slightly more complicated than knotting a standard bracelet. If you have never made a heart-patterned friendship bracelet before, starting with a more simple project might be your best bet. This assumes that you already know how to do basic knotting for this style of jewelry. Friendship bracelets are usually handmade and given to friends as gifts. They can be made from every color under the rainbow and knotted into several different kinds of patterns.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Red and white embroidery floss (or other colors if desired)
- Clipboard
- Scissors
Instructions
-
-
1
Cut two strands of each color to your desired length. If this is your first time making this kind of bracelet, you might want to practice on smaller strands, rather than long strands for a bracelet. With this pattern, the background will be white with red hearts.
-
2
Fold the strands in half so that there is a loop at the top. Knot them so that all the strands are together and clip under the lip of the clipboard. Spread out all the strands so that they are red, white, red, white, white, red, white, red (also known as an ABABBABA or 12122121 pattern).
-
-
3
Work from left to right unless otherwise instructed. With the left-most red strand, make four forward knots. With the right-most red strand make three backward knots. The last knot will join your red strands together, changing the pattern to BABAABAB, or white, red, white, red, red, white, red, white.
-
4
Repeat the previous step using the outside white strands.
-
5
Make a forward knot with the right-most white strand. The color pattern will now be ABABBAAB, or red, white, red, white, white, red, red, white. Notice now that you have two like colors together. Be careful not to confuse your patterns. If you need to, stretch out the floss so that you can better see the emerging pattern. You will see the beginnings of the "V" of the bottom of a heart.
-
6
Make a backward knot with the left-most white strand. The color pattern will shift so that it is BAABBAAB, or white, red, red, white, white, red, red, white. Notice that everything has shifted once again so that you have three matching strands in the middle, with two colors on the end. Remember, the patterns are changing because of the types of knots that you are tying. It might seem odd, but it is correct as long as your bracelet strands are matching these patterns.
-
7
Make three forward knots with the left-most red strand, and two backward knots with the right-most red strand to join the red strands together again. The color pattern will now be BABAABAB, or white, red, white, red, red, white, red, white.
-
8
Make a backward knot with the left-most red strand. Make a forward knot with the right-most red strand. The color pattern will now be ABBAABBA, or red, white, white, red, red, white, white, red. These knots are the top of the heart at the widest point. The following knots will taper down to another "V" shape.
-
9
Make two backward knots with the right-most white strand. With the left-most white strand make three forward knots to join them together. The color pattern will switch again to ABABBABA, or red, white, red, white, white, red, white, red. This will be the inside of the heart.
-
10
Repeat steps 3 through 9 to make additional hearts.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Tape your knotted floss to the clipboard to keep it from twisting.
Remember, this does take some practice. Video examples are available online (see Resources) so you can see the knotting and how the patterns shift and change.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
