How to make friendship bracelets

Learn how to make three classic styles of friendship bracelets with our easy peasy tutorial. Suitable for total beginners!

Learn how to make three classic styles of friendship bracelets with our easy peasy tutorial. Suitable for total beginners!

Read less

Learn how to make three classic styles of friendship bracelets with our easy peasy tutorial. Suitable for total beginners!

See the step by step guide here
Level: Beginner
Craft: Macrame
Type: Kit guide

Step by Step

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 1

Step 1

In this video, we will teach you how to make 3 different styles friendship bracelets: the four strand round braid, the six strand flat braid, and the spiral knot braid. All of these are really easy and really great for using leftover scraps.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 2

Step 2

To begin the 4 strand round braid, you need to cut 2 strands that are each 200 cm long. Fold them so you have 4 strands to work with. Tie a knot loosely at the end, this will be the bit which you tie your friendship bracelet. You only need it for the start of your braid, you can untie it later if you’d like.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 3

Step 3

Space out your 4 strands so they resemble a cross. Think of your strands as A, B, C, D (reading clockwise from the top).

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 4

Step 4

Take Strand A and fold it over Strand B.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 5

Step 5

Take Strand B and fold it over Strand A and Strand C. You are crossing it over to the left.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 6

Step 6

Take Strand C and cross it up so is passes over Strand B and Strand D.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 7

Step 7

Take Strand B and pass it through the loop created by Strand A.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 8

Step 8

Before you pull your strands tight, it will look something like this.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 9

Step 9

Take all 4 of your strands and gently pull on them to tighten.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 10

Step 10

Keep repeating steps 5-10 until you have reached your designed length in your 4 strand round braid pattern.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 11

Step 11

To begin the six strand flat braid, begin by cutting 3 strands each 130cm long. Fold them in half and lay them each vertically. Make a knot at the end of your work by tying 1 of your strands around the rest of them. That will just keep the top of your friendship bracelet nice and secure. We also recommend sticking this down with tape onto your table for extra security.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 12

Step 12

Spread out your 6 strands evenly so that they are nice and clear to see.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 13

Step 13

Find your 2 central strands and pass the left one over the right one.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 14

Step 14

Now take the left centre strand and pass it over the strand to the left of it. Take the right centre strand and pass it under the strand to the right of it.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 15

Step 15

Find the new 2 strands in the centre and pass the left strand over the right.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 16

Step 16

Take the 2 outer strands and bring them to the middle by passing them over the next strand and then under the next strand.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 17

Step 17

Find the new 2 strands in the centre and pass the left strand over the right.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 18

Step 18

That was your set up sequence, you can now pull on all of your strands to tighten.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 19

Step 19

You will repeat steps 18 and 19 until you have reached your desired length, gently tightening between each sequence.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 20

Step 20

To begin the spiral knot braid, cut 3 strands which are each 150cm long and fold them in half. Secure the start of your friendship bracelet by making a knot at the end of your work using one of your strands around the rest of them. That will just keep the top of your friendship bracelet nice and secure. We also recommend sticking this down with tape onto your table for extra security.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 21

Step 21

Begin by taking one of the strands on the left and lay it over the other strands to form a loop.

How to make friendship bracelets - Step 22

Step 22

Take the same strand and pass it underneath the other group of strands and up through the new loop we just formed. Pull it tight. Making this knot tight will make your bracelet neater. For our friendship bracelet we repeated this step 10 times for each bar of colour. Continue working this step until you have reached your desired length.