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What are Friendship Bracelets?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Friendship bracelets are decorative bracelets made from cotton, silk, linen, yarn, or hemp thread. They are exchanged all over the world as symbols of friendship and peace, mostly among young adults. Traditionally, friendship bracelets are handmade, so that the friend wearing the bracelet has a gift of time and energy as well as ornamentation. Friendship bracelets should be worn until they wear through and fall off naturally, a process which can take anywhere from a few months to over a year, depending on how the bracelet is made and worn.

The most common type of friendship bracelet is made with embroidery floss, which is sturdy and brightly colored. Other types of textiles can be used as well, although the thread is generally kept thin so that friendship bracelets will not get too bulky after they are made. In some cases, beads will be added to the friendship bracelet for extra decoration. The process for making a friendship bracelet is related to macrame or crochet, and involves making a series of small knots. To make a knot, a thread is passed over and then under a neighboring thread before being pulled through and knotted again. When the double knot is complete, the crafter moves on to the next section of the friendship bracelet.

Beaded friendship bracelets.
Beaded friendship bracelets.

The number of threads used to make friendship bracelets varies widely, generally between two and forty threads. Larger numbers of threads can be used, but reflect the expenditure of a great deal of time and energy, and result in a very wide friendship bracelet. Small friendship bracelets made with two strands are very common, as are six strand bracelets, with the six strands standing for the letters in “friend.” Long tails of thread at either end are tied around the wrist, usually by the person giving the friendship bracelet, and can also be decorated with beads and braiding.

Friendship bracelets are commonly made of embroidery floss.
Friendship bracelets are commonly made of embroidery floss.

The roots of friendship bracelets can probably be found in Native and Central American traditional fiber arts, which included brightly colored wrist and ankle bands made from knotted threads. The designs used are also very common in Native American art, and include elements like stripes, simple animal figures, and checker patterns, depending on the skill of the crafts person. Friendship bracelets appear to have become popular in the United States in the 1970s, when many people were exploring traditional crafts, and soon spread to the rest of the world as well.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

ginSoul

@SushiChamp – You’re more courageous than me. I just buy friendship bracelets off the internet (don’t tell my friends). I found one that was made to look like a chain of little hearts. It’s so pretty, I had to buy one for myself as well as my friend. I bought one that had glass beads woven into it, too.

By the way, if the bracelet is long enough, you can also wear it as an anklet. I live on the beach and see people wearing them that way all the time.

omgnotagain

@SushiChamp – What a great idea! I’m sure your friends will love the bracelets. I’ve been making friendship bracelets for a while now, and have taught my little sister how to make them, too.

There are lots of free patterns online. Just do a search for “friendship bracelet patterns” on any search engine, and you’ll see them come up. Make sure you choose a site with lots of pictures, so you can follow along easily. Video instructions are even better.

Since you’re pressed for time and have never made bracelets before, let me suggest the Candy Stripe pattern (supposedly the easiest pattern). You just need embroidery floss, masking tape, a safety pin or clipboard, scissors, and measuring tape. All those supplies are easy to find at any craft store.

I don’t have room so explain the entire process here (and I can’t post pictures here, anyway), so I’ll leave it at that. Oh, and some sites even give you color schemes to help you create even prettier bracelets.

SushiChamp

I’m trying to find some friendship bracelet patterns that are good for beginners. I want to make 10 bracelets for my dance group members, but I don’t have a lot of free time, and I’ve never made bracelets before. Does anyone have any suggestions?

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    • Beaded friendship bracelets.
      By: deviantART
      Beaded friendship bracelets.
    • Friendship bracelets are commonly made of embroidery floss.
      By: Andreja Donko
      Friendship bracelets are commonly made of embroidery floss.
    • Teenage girls often exchange friendship bracelets, in addition to participating in a variety of shared activities.
      By: william87
      Teenage girls often exchange friendship bracelets, in addition to participating in a variety of shared activities.