friends forever

Does the title of this post make anyone else start singing the song from Saved by the Bell?  Maybe Zack and Kelly would be my friends forever if I gave them one of these bracelets? Hmm...or maybe Zack and Kelly are fictional characters from the early '90s and I need to grow up.

All summer I have been making friendship bracelets.  In case you hadn't noticed, I like the multi-bracelet trend.  I usually enhance the friendship bracelets with some fancier bracelets, so I don't feel too much like a 9-year old.

some of my recent friendship bracelet creations

I learned how to make these bracelets from Honestly...WTF a great blog with amazing DIYs.  I put together my own tutorial (below), but you can check theirs out too right here.  The tutorial I made is for the chevron patterned bracelets - they're surprisingly easy to make!  (I start explaining what to do while I'm halfway through the bracelet, just because it's easier to see what I'm doing at that point.  At the beginning, it can be kind of hard to tell where the strings are, but after a few rounds through, the strings stay in place pretty well.)

1.  Cut an even number of strings to about 26 inches each.  The more strings you cut, the wider your bracelet will be.  If you want the color of the stripes to line up (like in the first and last bracelet pictured above) you need to have the same number of each color.  If you don't care if they line up (like in the middle one), you can have any number of any color keeping in mind that you still need an even number of strings in total.

2.  Gather all of the strings and tie a knot about 5 inches down from one end.  

3.  Attach the strings to something solid.  A lot of people will pin the knot to a pillow.  You could also tape the knot to a piece of cardboard.  I like using a clipboard, because it is easy to clip, unclip and change where the tension lies on the bracelet.

4.  Divide the strings into two equal groups (see below).  Again, keep in mind that if you want the colors of the stripes to line up, you need to have the same colors in both groups and arrange them so they are mirror images of each other.

4. Take the string on the far left side.  Fold it over the string to its right, forming the number 4.  The image below is a few knots in, so it's easier to see how the white string goes over the green string, forming the number 4. 

5.  Take the white string back under the green string and through the hole in the 4.  Pull up to the top to form a tight knot.

6.  Knot twice over each string in Group 1, until the white string reaches the middle of the two groups.

7.  Do the mirror image to Group 2.  Take the string on the far right, in this case one of the white strings and knot it twice over the string to its left working your way inwards.  This time the string will look more like the letter "P."

8.  Pull the white string through the hole in the "P" and pull up to form a knot.

9.  Continue knotting twice over each string through Group 2 until the two white strings meet in the middle.

10.  Knot the white strings over each other.  I don't think it really matters which way you knot them.  I generally see which one is longer and use that one to knot.

11.  Continue knotting from the outside string in for both groups of string until you have about 5 inches of string left. 

12.  Tie all of the strings into a large knot.

13.  Braid both ends and make another large knot at the end of each braid (see the first picture).

14.  Tie the bracelets onto your wrist!

See! There's nothing to it!  If you still don't feel up to making a bracelet yourself, leave a comment below and I would be happy to make one for you.  Just let me know which colors you'd like!