How To Make Friendship Bracelets Two Colors

Friendship bracelets are that classic summertime camp craft that you'll want to make all year long! Whether y'all loved making them as a child or are learning to make them for the first fourth dimension, this easy DIY tutorial volition teach y'all everything you need to know about making friendship bracelets.

Making friendship bracelets is a fun DIY craft projection because it's easy to acquire, easy to accept with you anywhere, and easy to share with your friends. Information technology's definitely i of those "rites of passage" activities that we all do at sleepovers and summer camps. Plus, they make great gifts for your best friends!

Once yous learn the basic techniques, check out these easy friendship bracelet patterns. From simple braids to fancy diamond patterns, there's no limit to the beautiful friendship bracelets you can create!

Assemble Your Supplies

You don't need a lot to become started making fun friendship bracelets. All yous need is some embroidery floss, and something to agree your bracelet nonetheless while you make the knots. Here are favorite tried-and-true supplies:

embroidery floss or cord
clipboard, safety pin, or masking tape
letter beads or charms (optional)

To make things easier on yourself, you could likewise pick up a user-friendly friendship bracelet kit.

Friendship Bracelets String

The best cord for friendship bracelets is chosen embroidery floss. Embroidery floss is a smooth, half-dozen-stranded cotton string with a slight smoothen. It comes in a huge variety of colors, including neons and metallics. Common brands of embroidery floss include DMC, Ballast, and J&P Coats.

Start with the 4 Bones Knots

Fifty-fifty the nearly sophisticated friendship bracelets are tied with the aforementioned unproblematic knots.

In that location are 4 basic friendship bracelet knots that you need to larn. Once you lot acquire the correct knots, you'll be able to make and pattern your own friendship bracelets with ease.

Each of the four knots is equanimous of 2 one-half knots – called half-hitches. The 4 basic friendship bracelet knots utilise two half-hitches stacked together in different combinations.

Forwards knot: forrad hitch + forward hitch
Backward knot: backward hitch + astern hitch
Forward-Backward knot: forward hitch + backward hitch
Astern-Forrard knot: backward hitch + forrard hitch

For a full explanation of the different types of friendship bracelets knots, with lots of diagrams and pictures, exist sure to read How to Tie the 4 Bones Friendship Bracelet Knots.

Learn to Read Friendship Bracelet Patterns

Friendship bracelet makers accept created blueprint charts that you can follow to create beautiful designs. They may seem catchy at commencement, but once you sympathize how to read friendship bracelet patterns, you'll definitely prefer them to written patterns.

how to read an friendship bracelet pattern

Websites similar friendship-bracelets.net and braceletbook.com have a seemingly countless supply of friendship bracelet patterns. Stripes, chevrons, hearts, arrows – whatever blueprint y'all can think of, y'all can discover!

Reading friendship bracelet patterns is easier than yous think! Click to read my in-depth tutorial that will teach you lot how to read the friendship bracelet symbols and pattern grids.

Choosing Friendship Bracelet Colors

Yous tin alter up the wait of a bracelet design past choosing different colors of thread or arranging them in a dissimilar color order. If y'all need some color palette inspiration, check out this article all near choosing the best colour combos for your next friendship bracelet: Friendship Bracelet Colour Ideas and Combinations

Beginner Friendship Bracelet Patterns

Here are some of the most common beginner patterns:

Candy Stripe
Chevron (4 colors)
Diamond Pattern

And when yous've finished those, here are some more like shooting fish in a barrel friendship bracelet patterns.

Candy Stripe Bracelet

For this blueprint, you lot only need to know how to tie Frontwards knots.

Cut 4 strands of embroidery floss almost 36″ long. Necktie together with a simple overhand knot and secure to a flat surface with a tape. Or, clip the end of the bracelet to a clipboard.
Take the left-hand string (A) and make a forward knot onto the commencement strand, the second strand, and and so last strand of floss. The A cord volition now exist on the correct-manus side.
Take the new left-hand string (B) and make a forrad knot onto each of the next three strings.
Repeat the process with each new left-hand strand (C, D, etc), working your way across the bracelet. Continue until you've reached your desired length. For virtually wrists, y'all'll need 6 inches worth of bracelet. Brand sure to leave leaving enough infinite at the two ends so you tin necktie the bracelet on.

For a more detailed design with fifty-fifty more pictures, cheque out: How to Make a Processed Stripe Friendship Bracelet

Chevron Bracelet Design

For this pattern, you need to know both the Forward and Backward knots.

If it makes information technology easier to visualize, you tin think of the chevron pattern as two dorsum-to-back candy stripe bracelets.

Cutting 72″ lengths of each of the 4 colors. Fold the strings in half and tie a knot on the folded end.
Starting with the outermost left-hand string tie forward knots on the side by side three strings until you reach the center.
Using the outermost right-paw string, necktie astern knots on the side by side three strings until you reach the center.
To finish the point at the center of the chevron's "V" shape, use the left-hand string to tie a forward knot effectually the right-hand string.
Proceed making more rows past repeating the process with the other strings.

For a more detailed pattern, included more pictures and pattern chart, check out: How to Make a Chevron Friendship Bracelet

Diamond and X's Design

For the diamond pattern friendship bracelet, y'all need to know how to tie all 4 basic knots.

This bracelet starts out similar to the chevron friendship bracelet pattern.

The first row and 2nd row are the same as the chevron pattern. Each of the outer strings is tied in toward the center to make 5 shapes.
So the pattern is flipped to make an upside-down chevron shape. This creates the 10 and diamond shapes.

For a more than detailed design, included pictures and pattern chart, check out: How to Make a Diamond Friendship Bracelet Pattern

How to Commencement and Finish Friendship Bracelets

It's perfectly fine to starting time and finish bracelets with simple overhand knots. Tie the knots on each terminate, and go out nearly 4″ long tails.

But, there are a lot of other cool means to start and end friendship bracelets, like buckles, teardrop loops, buttons, adjustable knots, and more.

If you are wondering how to begin your bracelet with a loop, be certain to read: How to Start and End Friendship Bracelets for A Finished Look

Mutual Questions most Bracelets

Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about making friendship bracelets.

How long should the thread be for a friendship bracelet?

For well-nigh normal bracelet patterns, each string should start about 36″ long. If you lot have two strands of each color, you can start with a string that's 72″ long and fold it in one-half to make two halves that measure out 36″.

If you have a pattern where one color is used much more than than other colors, and so that string should exist cut longer.

What to exercise if y'all run out of string?

If yous run out a string in the middle of a bracelet, you tin can attach more cord.

Tie the extension string onto the brusk cord with a square knot. For extra insurance, you lot can dab a dot of superglue onto the knot. It is okay to have the finish pieces sticking out.

Continue on with the pattern. Keep the loose ends on the backside of your work. When you are done with your bracelet, you can glue them downwards with more super gum, or snip them off.

a variety of friendship bracelet patterns in multi colors

Why does my bracelet have holes?

When y'all outset beginning making bracelets, it can be catchy to get the perfect tension.

If your tension is also loose, your bracelet can have holes in between the knots. (On the other mitt, if your tension is besides tight, the knots can flip to the wrong color!)

When you're tying knots, try to snug upward the new knot directly adjacent to the previous row. In this instance, practice does really make perfect.

Why is my bracelet curling up?

There are a couple of things that could be happening. Beginning, make certain you are making TWO half-hitches to make each of the knots. If you lot forget this, the bracelet might gyre up.

Or, it could be that your tension is too tight. Y'all tin can try making the knots a little bit looser.

And, it's important to think that sure patterns, like the Processed Stripe pattern, are more than prone to curling.

How do you flatten curled friendship bracelets?

I way to straighten friendship bracelets is to block them with water. Go your bracelet slightly wet, identify information technology in between paper towels, and allow it dry out nether a heavy book.

You can also try ironing the bracelet using a clothing iron or a hair straightener. Before you try this, make sure that the embroidery floss you are using is 100% cotton!

pile of embroidery floss in rainbow colors

More Bracelet Making Ideas

If y'all love making DIY jewelry, y'all may exist interested in these related posts:

How to Make Stretchy Beaded Bracelets with Rubberband Cord
Best Friendship Bracelet Kits, String, and Supplies
19 Like shooting fish in a barrel Friendship Bracelet Patterns for Beginners

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Sarah Stearns has helped thousands of makers find their next craft project with free patterns and step-by-stride tutorials on her weblog, sarahmaker.com. Read more.

Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Scientific American, Proficient Housekeeping, Vocalism, Flat Therapy, Lifehacker, and more than.