Friendship Bracelet Craft

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Kids will enjoy making a bracelet they can share with their friends, especially if their friends are right there making a bracelet too. It's easy to make a square knot bracelet, choker or key chain from Hemp, yarn or embroidery string.

The knots in the friendship bracelet are a symbol of unity. It symbolizes a bond that cannot be broken among friends. The pattern below uses a series of common square knots to make a simple bracelet you can share with your friends. There are many different knots you can use to make a friendship bracelet, this is just one example.

Materials

• Embroidery thread, thin yarn, twine etc. 2~ 12 inch pieces, 2~ 24-30 inch pieces
• Various beads with large holes (optional)

• Card board piece ~ 8" x 12"

Instructions

1.
1. Cut 4 pieces of embroidery thread or yarn. If you're using embroidery thread, do not separate the threads. Cut 2-12 inch strands and 2 – 24 to 30 inch strands. Make the strands closer to 24 inches for a young child, and 30 inches for an older child.

2.
Make all the tips even at one end. Tie a knot in the end of all the threads together, this will be ½ of your clasp. You can also tie a bead to the end, to make it more secure.
3.
Use scissors to cut a small slit in the end of the piece of cardboard. Secure the knotted end to the card board, by putting the knot in the back of the slit, and feeding the strings through to the front. If you don't want to cut the cardboard, you can use a piece of tape over the knot to secure the strings to the cardboard. Pull the 12 inch strands tight and secure them by cutting a small slit in the other end of the cardboard and putting the other end of the strings through to hold them tight. The two 12 inch strings will be strands 2 & 3 on the photos. To make working with the longer strands less unruly, you may choose to gather each one up to a manageable length and secure them with wire twisty or small rubber band. Give yourself enough slack to work comfortably.

4.
To begin making the knots, put the two longer strings one each side of the two shorter strings in the middle. The long string on the left will be 1, the two shorter strings will be 2 and 3, and the longer string on the right is 4.
5.
Cross string 1 over strings 2 and 3 then under string 4.
6.
Pass string 4 under strings 2 and 3 then over 1 and up through the loop you have created by 1. Tighten the knot you created.

7.
Cross string 1 over strings 2 and 3 then under 4.
8.
Pass string 4 under strings 2 and 3, then through the loop you have created by 1, and tighten.
9.
Repeat this process (over, under, over, under) to make more knots.
10.
Optional: Beads can be added at any point in the series of knots. Slide the bead onto strands 2 and 3 together, and continue knotting around them.
11.
When your friendship bracelet has reached the desired length, make a loop to match the knot you have created at the beginning. This is your clasp. Feed the knot or bead through the loop to fasten the bracelet on your wrist.

Tips

Use longer strings to make a choker, ankle bracelet, or necklace. Measurements may vary depending on how large you want the final friendship bracelet to be.