Learn how to make friendship bracelets in 2 different methods. This is a perfect DIY project for teens and adults.

There’s something so fundamentally wholesome about DIY bracelets. It brings to mind warm summer afternoons when we were just tweens, doesn’t it? I used to forever be on the hunt for the next DIY bracelet, whether it was made out of shoelaces, thread, or paracord.

Friendship bracelets made out of embroidery floss was—is—an all-time favorite. Maybe it’s time to revive those pretty bracelets, only now, let’s up the ante with a pretty charm or medallion!

Watch on Youtube: How to Make Friendship Bracelets

Supplies and Tools You’ll Need

Here’s a list of everything you’ll need for this fun project:

Chopping board
Embroidery threads
Scissors
Ruler
Bulldog clip
Buttons

How to Make Friendship Bracelets

There are two ways you can make these bracelets, the first being the three-strand or three-string bracelet, and the second is the 4-strand bracelet. Take a look!

How to Make a 3 String Friendship Bracelet?

Here is a full tutorial!

Step 1

The first step is to measure out your embroidery cords and cut three cords, each 45 inches long. You can cut different colors of embroidery cords or just stick to one single color- it’s up to you!

Step 2

Fold the three cords in half and form a loop at the top.

Then, make a regular knot at the top, about half an inch from the loop. Your knotted loop should look like this.

Step 3

You remember when you used exam pads back in school? Well, grab one of those, with a clip at the top. Carefully clip the threads in place, clasping the cords just above the knot.

Step 4

Now, fan out all six of your cords. If you’ve used different colors, then sort them so that the cords on the left mirror the three on the right side as well(3-2-1-1-2-3).

Step 5

Grab the first cord on the left—you will be using this as the leading cord for this row. Now, pull it over the second cord and form a 4-shaped loop, as seen here.

Then, pull the first cord under the second cord and through the loop.

You can use your forefinger to help you hold the loop in place while you pull the cord through.

Now, tighten the first cord, and you’ll have a knot. Pull the cord(and the knot) up and towards the main knot on top.

You’ll notice that the leading cord is now in the place of the second cord.

Just continue to recreate this knot using the leading cord all the way across the remaining five cords.

Step 6

Next, grab the first loop on the left again. If you remember, this used to be the second cord on the left. You will now use it as the leading cord and make another set o knots all the way across, right under the row you previously made.

You know the drill. Just use the leading cord to form a loop. Then, use your forefinger to hold the loop in place while you pull it over the second cord, under it, and then through the loop, tugging the knot all the way up.

Repeat this with the next cord and the next, all the way across.

Step 7

For the third row, grab the cord on the left—this used to be the third cord, remember?

Work a row of knots across all five cords.

Step 8

Keep moving down the rows, making a set of 6 knots per row. You can also make two rows if you like if you knot one color twice. Feel free to experiment as you work your way down the bracelet.

To measure how long you need the length to be, just loop it around your wrist.

To fasten off, just make a single knot using all six cords. Tug the cords until the knot sits right under the last row.

Step 9

You can accessorize your bracelet with charms, beads, and buttons.

Pull the button through two cords, as indicated here.

Now, make a knot and tighten it to secure it.

If your button has a little handle, like the one you see here, then just insert three strands through and make a knot to secure the button in place.

Then, put the three strands back into the loop and make another knot. This should keep the button in place!

How to Make a 4 String Bracelet

Now that you know how to make a three-strand knot, you can move on to work on a 4-strand knot. You’ll notice that this bracelet has a v-shaped pattern going all the way down. So take a look at how you can make it!

Step 1

Take your different colors of embroidery cords—black, blue, grey, and white, as you see below. Cut each of those cords to measure 60 inches.

Step 2

You know how to make the looped knot, so go ahead and make it and clip the threads in place on your clipboard.

Divide the eight cords so that the four cords on the left mirror the four on the right(blue-black-grey-white-white-grey-blue-black).

Step 3

You’ll be using the same technique you used earlier to make your rows of knots. Grab the outermost knot on the left and make three knots down the row till you reach the middle.

Step 4

When you’re done with the cords on the left, move to the right and take the first cord on the right.

Pull the leading cord over the second one to form a loop. Then, using your finger to hold the loop in place, pull the cord under the latter and through the loop.

Work your way down to the middle, just like you did with the cords on the left.

You can loop the leading cord around the cords twice if you want two rows of knots.

Step 5

When both your leading cords make their way down to the middle, you’ll notice that you have a V-shaped row.

Just use the cord on the right as the leading cord and loop it around the left cord twice to finish this row.

You’ll notice that the cords on the left and right are mirrored once more and that you have a pretty v-shaped row of knots. Go ahead and finish up the rest of the bracelet and accessorize if needed.

Ta-da! Your friendship bracelets look fabulous, don’t they?

How to Flatten Curled Friendship Bracelets?

You’ll find that your friendship bracelets tend to curl up a little, especially when they aren’t that wide and have just a few rows. Don’t fret, though, because you can definitely straighten them out.

One way to straighten them is to block the bracelets with water. Just wet your fingertips and pat the bracelet with the droplets. Then, place the bracelet between two paper towels and place a heavy book on top of it as it dries.

Alternatively, you can use a flat iron or a straightener to iron the bracelets. Make sure you don’t scorch the threads, though. Lay a thin towel over the bracelet before you run an iron over it.

What to Do if I Run Out of String?

If you run out of thread halfway through your DIY project, you can always attach another cord. Grab a new string of the same color. Instead of knotting with the short cord, just slide the new string in place and proceed to make your knots using the new cord.

You can always just blend the short cord into the project as you go or snip it off later.

Other Crafts You Might Like

Yield: a friendship bracelet

How to Make Friendship Bracelets

A simple but fun DIY accessory. Learn how to make friendship bracelets and enjoy crafting.

Active Time 40 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost $1

Materials

Embroidery threads
Buttons

Tools

Chopping board
Scissors
Ruler
Bulldog clip

Instructions

Gather all your supplies to begin working on your bracelets.

Method 1: 3-strand bracelet

Cut three cords of different colors, each 45” long.
Fold the cords in half to form a loop. Then, gather all six cords and make a knot about half an inch from the top.
Clip the cords in place on a clipboard and then sort them so that the three cords on the left mirror the three cords on the right.
Grab the first cord on the left—the leading cord—and pull it over the second cord to form a loop. Hold the loop in place with your forefinger and bring the leading cord under the second cord, then through the loop.
Pull the knot up and secure it right below the loop knot. Go ahead and work a set of four more such knots across the row.
You can loop the leading cord around the cords twice to make two subsequent rows at the same time.
To measure the length, simply loop the bracelet around your wrist. When you’re happy with the length, just pull all six strands into one single knot and tighten it to secure all the ends.
You can also attach a button at this point. Just separate the six cords into two sets of three cords each. Then pull three strands through the button loop and use the remaining three to make a double knot to secure the button in place.

Method 2: 4-strand bracelet

Go ahead and cut four cords, each 60” long. Make the looped knot and secure it to your clipboard.
Sort the cords with the cords on the left side mirroring the right.
You will be following the same technique of looping and knotting your cords with a leading cord. Only this time, you’ll be working from both the left side and the right.
Grab the first cord on the left and use it as a leading cord to make a set of three knots down to the middle.
Next, grab the first cord on the right and make a reverse 4-shaped loop, and then proceed to knot the cords from the right all the way down to the middle.
You’ll find that both the leading cords are right in the middle, and all that’s left to do to complete the first of your v-shaped row is to connect them. Use the right cord as the leading cord and make the knot.
You can also loop and knot the leading cord twice to make two consecutive rows of the same color.
Once you’re happy with the length of the bracelet, just fasten off with a single knot, same as you did earlier.
Feel free to accessorize your 4-strand bracelet with buttons or charms!