A Collection of the Very Best DIY friendship bracelet patterns. You’ll find a variety of different knotted friendship bracelets you can easily make at home with kids, tweens and teens.
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Classic Friendship Bracelet Patterns & Tutorials
Do you remember making friendship bracelets when you were a kid, tween and even teen?
I bet most people who grew up in the 80s or 90s do.
Classic friendship bracelets were a part of most Gen Xer and Millennial childhoods. In fact, friendship bracelets are probably the most iconic summer pastime associated with summer camp and summer vacation.
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If you ever went away to summer camp, day camp or had a slumber party with your girl friends you probably made friendship bracelets at some point.
Way back when, friendship bracelets were the ultimate DIY gift for your bestie, your mom, your teacher, your grandma or that boy you were totally crushing on and swooning over.
We even remember having after school friendship making clubs!
Before the introduction of iPads, phones and video games, kids often spent their free time playing outdoors and/or being creative.
If you remember a time when kids would play with the neighborhood kids until the sun set and the street lights went on then there’s a good chance you also remember making friendship bracelets with your friends.
Creating fun knotted bracelets from embroidery floss based on specific patterns was part of most kids childhood’s who were born in the 80s and 90s.
We remember making embroidery floss friendship bracelets to gift to our BFFS, to match with our favorite clothes and to make a fashion statement! The flashier your friendship bracelet the better, am I right?
We also coveted fancier friendship bracelets and begged our friends to show us how to make their secret pattern.
Friendship bracelet patterns were based on memory and friends taught friends how to create bracelets based on a pattern they’d memorized from someone else.
Friendship bracelets were all the RAGE when we were kids in the late 90s. And, recently these nostalgic friendship bracelet patterns we remember so fondly have been making a comeback.
And, we couldn’t be more excited to share some of our favorite friendship bracelet patterns with you today.
We’ve rounded up a good variety of friendship bracelet patterns for the novice to advanced bracelet maker. The friendship bracelet patterns we’ve rounded up are the perfect bracelet making creativity for kids, tweens and even older teens.
Heck, they’re so cute and fun that even adults will enjoy making them.
We’ve collected over 20 absolutely gorgeous friendship bracelet tutorials.
From simple knotted friendship bracelet patterns to more complicated designs and even loom woven bracelets these are great step by step tutorials that you can make yourself or with the kids.
From zig zag friendship bracelet patterns to braided friendship bracelet tutorials you’ll find a a variety of gorgeous diy knotted bracelets you can easily make at home.
What will your find in this post? First, we talk a little about how fun friendship bracelets are to make. From there we recommend some of our favorite friendship making supplies and bracelet making tips. Finally, we’re sharing the best of the best in easy to understand friendship bracelet tutorials that we hope will inspire to take up a bracelet making hobby.
In a rush? Click here to save these friendship bracelet patterns to Pinterest.
DIY Friendship Bracelet Patterns
Friendship bracelets are combination of a series of strategic knots that come together to form patterns that create colorful bracelets.
These nostalgic summer camp craftivities for kids were popular in the 80s and 90s and have recently started to make a comeback.
With their popularity starting to soar again many folks are looking for friendship bracelet patterns that they can teach themselves to make at home.
Relatively easy to master and make, friendship bracelets are a great way for kids to create custom bracelets they can trade, share or gift to each other.
Starting with an easy friendship bracelet pattern and moving your way up to more complicated patterns is the best way to pick up this hobby.
Creating friendship bracelets is a creative screen free activity perfect for birthday parties, slumber parties, summer camps, day camps, in the classroom and so much more.
Friendship bracelets are a fun and relaxing activity for children that they can make all year round. Bracelets made out of embroidery floss also make the best DIY gifts for special occasions.
Finally, you can create embellished friendship bracelets by adding charms, beads, letters and any other embellishment you like!
Save these ideas. Click here to save these friendship bracelet patterns to Pinterest.
Tips For Making Friendship Bracelets
Here are some helpful tips for making your DIY bracelet making experience a great one:
- Learn about the different types of knots required for making friendship bracelets. Head on over to Sarah Maker to see her wonderful explanation of forward and backward knots for friendship bracelet making.
- Learn how to read friendship bracelet patterns. YouTube has a ton of great video tutorials you can check out. Our favorite how-to read friendship bracelet pattern is available via Kat from Shiny Pretty Things.
- Cut your strings at least 35 inches long to ensure you have enough embroidery floss to complete your project. This will ensure that you will not run out string before you finish your bracelet.
- If you’re a beginner, start with an easy friendship bracelet pattern and work your way up to a bracelet pattern that’s more complex.
- Anchor your work using a safety pin, clip board or masking tape. This helps make bracelet making easier since your bracelet will not move and slide around while you work on it.
Recommend Supplies
Friendship bracelets require a few very simple supplies that you can either source from your local craft store, dollar store or even online. You really don’t need very much to make cute friendship bracelets.
Here are some of our favorite friendship bracelet making supplies:
- Embroidery floss in a variety of colors. These 100 skeins of colorful embroidery floss available via Amazon are a great deal. We’ve found that having a variety of colors and buying in bulk is an effective way to save some money.
- Sharp scissors are a must for making clean cuts and preventing your embroidery floss from fraying too much.
- Charms, beads and other bracelet decor items to embellish and personalize your friendship bracelets. This step is optional but loads of fun so we highly recommend it.
- Safety pins, masking tape or a clip board to fasten your bracelet while you work and to prevent it from sliding while you knot.
In a rush? Click here to save these friendship bracelet patterns to Pinterest.
21+ Fun Friendship Bracelet Patterns
#1 Chevron Friendship Bracelet is a classic and timeless friendship bracelet design that’s really fun to make. This traditional friendship bracelet pattern is really quite easy to learn so it’s a great starting point for anyone looking for a beginner friendship bracelet pattern. (Visit Sarah Maker for more details including the complete tutorial)
#2 DIY Crazy Complicated Friendship Bracelet isn’t the best choice for a beginner bracelet maker but is a must try for anyone who has a little experience making a variety of different friendship bracelet patterns. (Visit Hey Wanderer Blog for all the details including the complete tutorial and pattern)
#3 Multicolor Macramé Friendship Bracelet Pattern is one of our personal favorites. This quick and easy friendship bracelet pattern is a great beginner friendship bracelet pattern. (Visit Bracelet Book for more details including the complete tutorial and pattern)
#4 Chinese Ladder Friendship Bracelets are a great starter bracelet for anyone just starting out with making friendship bracelets. These spiral staircase friendship bracelets are also known as ladder bracelets and only require one repetitve knot to create a twisted bracelet design. (Visit Design Dazzle for more details including the complete tutorial and pattern)
In a rush? Click here to save these friendship bracelet patterns to Pinterest.
#5 Fishtail Braid Friendship Bracelet Pattern is one of the quickest and easiest embroidery floss bracelets you can make . If you love the fishtail aesthetic then you’re going to love making this bracelet. This easy friendship bracelet pattern is a perfect choice for a thoughtful DIY gift for BFFs.(Visit The Stripe for all the details included a step by step picture tutorial and pattern)
#6 Woven Friendship Bracelet Tutorial uses a really simple DIY carboard bracelet loom to create an easy friendship bracelet. The loom replaces your traditional bracelet knotting technique with a weaving technique using 7 strands of embroidery floss. The finished product is a rope type friendship bracelet in vibrant colors. (Visit Michael Ann Made for the DIY carboard loom tutorial and a step by step explanation of the weaving technique)
#7 DIY Heart Friendship Bracelet Pattern is a fun and creative way to say I love you! Ideal for more experienced friendship bracelet maker this bracelet is a twist on a more traditional chevron friendship bracelet. (Visit Honesty WTF to get more details including the full step-by-step friendship bracelet tutorial)
#8 Button Friendship Bracelets are a great novice friendship bracelet pattern. These quick and easy friendship bracelets are a great idea for young children too. (Visit Happy Hour Projects for all the details including the pattern and a step by step tutorial)
In a rush? Click here to save these friendship bracelet patterns to Pinterest.
#9 DIY Yarn Bracelets use yarn and a DIY carboard loom to create a quick and easy yarn bracelet with this simple yarn friendship bracelet tutorial. (Visit A Girl and A Glue Gun for more details including a step-by-step tutorial with pictures)
#10 Monochrome Friendship Bracelets these gorgeous monochrome friendship bracelets are best suited for more experienced friendship bracelet makers. These gorgeous monochrome bracelets make great DIY gift ideas! (Visit Design Crush Blog for more details including a step-by-step tutorial)
#11 Zig Zag Triangle Friendship Bracelet Pattern is ideal for more experienced friendship bracelet makers. A dense knotted pattern creates a beautiful zig zag friendship bracelet pattern. (Visit MacraMotiv for all the details including a visual step-by-step tutorial)
#12 Leaf Pattern Friendship Bracelets look difficult to make but are actually quite easy to put together. The leaf pattern is created by using 10 colorful string of embroidery floss (Visit How To Make Jewelry for all the details including a visual step-by-step tutorial)
In a rush? Click here to save these friendship bracelet patterns to Pinterest.
#13 Braiding Wheel Friendship Bracelet Patterns requires a diy paper or cardboard loom. This type of simple friendship bracelet is perfect for beginners and novice bracelet makers. This type of easy friendship bracelet uses a loom to create a woven rope like bracelet instead of more traditional knots. (Visit Instructables for all the details including a visual step-by-step tutorial and guide)
#14 DIY Chevron Pastel Friendship Bracelets are a classic friendship that we remember of camp and slumber parties. This gorgeous and relatively simple bracelet is perfect for beginners and more experienced bracelet makers who are looking to make a traditional friendship bracelet pattern. (Visit Claireabelle Makes for all the details including a visual how-to and step by step tutorial)
#15 DIY Ombre Fishtail Bracelet Pattern is the perfect choice for anyone who loves ombre and the fishtail aesthetic. This simple friendship bracelet pattern is perfect for even the most novice bracelet makers and is one of those great intro friendship bracelet patterns perfect for young kids eager to learn how to make friendship bracelets. The color combinations for these types of friendship bracelet patterns are endless making them a fun choice for diy gifts. (Visit DIY Projects for all the details including a visual guide and step-by step tutorial)
#16 Square Knot Friendship Bracelet Tutorial is another one of those quick and easy friendship bracelet patterns ideal for young children or beginner friendship bracelet makers. These bracelets are usually monochrome but can come in a variety of color combinations to create (Visit Curly Made to get more details including a step-by-step guide and visual tutorial)
In a rush? Click here to save these friendship bracelet patterns to Pinterest.
#17 Zig Zag Friendship Bracelet is another one of those traditional friendship bracelet patterns that we just love. Create this zig zag friendship bracelet in a variety of your favorite colors to make it truly one of a kind. (Visit Moms and Crafters for all the details including a step-by-step guide and visual tutorial)
#18 Braided Heart Friendship Bracelet Patterns create gorgeous bracelets with a subtle repeating heart pattern. This is one of those friendship bracelet patterns that requires that you’re comfortable reading a friendship bracelet pattern from start to finish. (Visit Bracelet Book for all the details including a step-by-step guide and other examples of how this bracelet can be made)
#19 DIY Embellished Friendship Bracelets are a perfect example of how small embellishments make DIY friendship bracelets even more fun. This classic friendship bracelet pattern is taken up a notch with some fun beads! (Visit Honestly WTF for all the details including a step-by-step tutorial and guide)
#20 Candy Stripe Friendship Bracelets is another example of a traditional friendship bracelet pattern that is both easy and fun to make for beginner bracelet makers and children. This striped friendship bracelet can be made with as many strings as you’d like and in as many colors as you’d like. (Visit The Neon Tea Party for all the details including a step-by-step tutorial and visual guide)
In a rush? Click here to save these friendship bracelet patterns to Pinterest.
#21 Easy Macrame Friendship Bracelets look amazing and really simple to make. This simple friendship bracelet is a great starter bracelet for novice bracelet makers.(Visit Consumer Crafts for all the details including a step-by-step friendship bracelet tutorial and visual guide)
#22 Easy Braided Friendship Bracelets With Letter Beads are a great choice for novice bracelet makers because they are really simple to put together. These bracelets are extra fun because they use letter beads to further personalize them. (Visit Projects With Kids for more details including a step-by-step tutorial and how-to)
#23 Braided and Beaded Friendship Bracelets are a gorgeous modern twist on the old classic macrame knotted friendship bracelet. This advanced bracelet is perfect for experienced bracelet makers. (Visit Mindy for a detailed tutorial and step-by-step video)
Save these ideas before you go so you can come back to them again. Click here to save these friendship bracelet patterns to Pinterest before you go.
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appreciate the extensive ideas in this page but can you make these ideas print friendly for people who have no computer, please? am giving embroidery floss as a gift for a poor kid this Christmas and need to include how to make them. can’t print this whole page! access to library computer may be impossible if they have no vehicle to get there or someone does not provide transportation to the child. thank you!