Need a little inspiration for your next friendship bracelet project? Check out this list of the very best friendship bracelet patterns for beginners. You’ll find all sorts of fun and easy designs, like the chevron friendship bracelet pattern, a simple braid, the candy stripe friendship bracelet, and so much more.
Keep reading to see all of the different patterns, plus lots of tips for making fun friendship bracelets.
Making friendship bracelets is practically a rite of passage! It’s one of those nostalgic activities that we all remember from our days at summer camp.
Friendship bracelets are the perfect easy craft – all you need to get started is some colorful embroidery floss and a pattern! I love that friendship bracelets are portable, too – just attach them to your jeans with a safety pin, and you can tie them while you ride along on a summer road trip.
Plus, a sophisticated friendship bracelet makes a great gift for your best friends.
To inspire your next creation, I’ve rounded up my favorite beginner-friendly friendship bracelet patterns. These free and easy patterns will show you how to make all sorts of cool designs, including 3 strand braids, diagonal stripes, chevrons, spiral staircases, zipper bracelets, and more!
How to Make Friendship Bracelets
If you are new to making friendship bracelets, you may be wondering where to start. If so, check out this How to Make Friendship Bracelets guide. This beginner guide will walk you through your first friendship bracelet from the first knot to the last.
Bracelet Making Supplies
You don’t need many materials to make friendship bracelets – just a few different colors of thread or embroidery floss. Here is a list of my recommend friendship bracelet supplies. And if you need help picking out your colors of embroidery threads, check out this guide to friendship bracelet color ideas.
You’ll also need to set up your work area with enough space to work. I like to tie my bracelets on a flat surface, like a tabletop or clipboard. You can also attach the large knot at the top of the bracelet to your jeans with a safety pin.
How to Read Patterns
Friendship bracelets are made by tying simple knots on strands of floss. If you haven’t made bracelets in a while, it’s a good idea to review how to tie the basic knots, like the forward knot and the backward knot.
Then, if you need help reading any of the patterns, including how to decipher a pattern chart, check out this article: How to Read Friendship Bracelet Patterns.
Easy Friendship Bracelet Patterns
Ready to make your own friendship bracelets? Grab your floss, and let’s get started. I’ll start with the easiest friendship bracelets made with only two strings. After that, we’ll work our way up to bracelets made with more stands, like the chevron pattern and diamond pattern.
1
Alternating Knots Bracelet
Photo Credit:sarahmaker.com
This is the simplest frienship bracelet I know. It’s made with only two colors of string, and it’s a great way to practice your hitch knots.
2
Zipper Bracelet
Photo Credit:https://www.braceletbook.com/users/265903_may26/
This easy pattern is made from 3 strings - two outer strings and one base string. Alternate tying knots with the outer string around the base string to give this bracelet design a zipper "look".
You can use embroidery floss or thicker hemp or yarn for a chunkier look.
3
Three Strand Braid
Photo Credit:www.animatedknots.com
You can't go wrong with a basic 3-strand braided bracelet. This is a great way to use up smaller pieces of string that you may have leftover from other bracelet projects.
4
Spiral Staircase Friendship Bracelet
Photo Credit:www.instructables.com
This spiral bracelet, also called a Chinese Staircase bracelet, is very simple to make.
You only need to know one simple knot to make it: the forward knot.
Customize your own bracelet design with as many colors of thread as you like.
5
Candy Stripe Friendship Bracelet
Learn how to make the Candy Stripe friendship pattern with this easy-to-memorize pattern. Make a bracelet with 4-8 strings. A perfect craft project for beginners.
6
Skinny Chevron
Photo Credit:www.braceletbook.com
Here's a skinnier version of the classic chevron bracelet. It's made with only 4 strings, so it will work up quickly.
7
5 Strand Flat Braid
Photo Credit:sarahmaker.com
This is a very easy pattern for a five-strand braided bracelet. Once you get the hang of it, you can make this bracelet in no time at all. Don't be afraid to double up the strands for a thicker bracelet.
8
Zig Zag Friendship Bracelet
Photo Credit:sarahmaker.com
This pattern is so unique! Even though it looks complicated, it's made with the same four basic bracelet knots.
The end result is a 3D shaped zig zag bracelet that looks so cool on your wrist!
9
Chain Link Bracelet
Photo Credit:https://www.braceletbook.com/users/169880_Mushroomro/
Here's another easy bracelet with a fun 3D effect. The way the knots are constructed creates a open design that's really unique!
10
Arrowhead Diamond Pattern
Photo Credit:https://www.braceletbook.com/users/139108_waffie/
Here's an arrowhead inspired pattern made with only 6 strands. You can customize this design with lots of different color combinations.
11
Chevron Friendship Bracelet Pattern
Here's how to make the classic Chevron pattern friendship bracelet with an easy to follow, step-by-step photo tutorial. It's the perfect pattern for beginners to practice both forward and backward knots.
12
Daisy Chain Bracelet
Photo Credit:https://www.braceletbook.com/users/122137_ijbeaudry/
This design is super popular, and it's easy to see why. I love the look of the flower chain! You can customize this bracelet in lots of fun color combinations, too.
13
Rainbow Zig Zag Pattern
Photo Credit:https://www.braceletbook.com/users/277336_alexakatie/
Here's a fun retro design with a diagonal, zig zag pattern. I love the look of a rainbow color scheme with this pattern.
14
Watermelon Bracelet Pattern
Photo Credit:https://www.braceletbook.com/users/290683_Alex_tree/
A classic that's just right for summer. This fruity twist on the classic zig zag is so cute!
15
Diamond Friendship Bracelet Pattern
Even though this diamond and X's bracelet pattern looks complicate, it's actually pretty simple to make. Give it a try!
16
Ocean Wave Bracelet Pattern
Photo Credit:https://www.braceletbook.com/users/272711_Luise2108/
For a beachy bracelet, try this white and blue wave design. It's the perfect pattern to make by the ocean!
17
Heart Friendship Bracelet
Photo Credit:https://www.braceletbook.com/users/283906_ts3dancer/
Show your friends how much you love them with this sweet heart bracelet pattern. It would make a great Valentine's Day gift too, don't you think?
18
Arrowhead Bracelet Pattern
Photo Credit:https://www.braceletbook.com/users/191860_cuckoclock/
Here's another variation on the arrowhead pattern made with 8 strands of floss. I like this pattern because it has a really deep V shapes that really stands out.
19
3D Ribbon Zig Zag Bracelet
Photo Credit:https://www.braceletbook.com/users/184243_crdyer/
The trick to this bracelet is selecting a color scheme that highlights the 3D ribbon effect. Choose colors in a ombre range of shades.
More Bracelet Ideas
For even more DIY jewelry ideas, check out these related tutorials:
- How to Make Stretchy Beaded Bracelets with Elastic Cord
- How to Make Polymer Clay Earrings
- How to Make Friendship Bracelets
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What’s Next?
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Sarah Stearns
Sarah Stearns has helped thousands of makers find their next craft project with free patterns and step-by-step tutorials on her blog, sarahmaker.com. Read more.
Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Scientific American, Good Housekeeping, Vox, Apartment Therapy, Lifehacker, and more.
FAQs
How do you make a friendship bracelet with thread for beginners? ›
And make a forward knot by creating a four shape over the second string leave the tip of the working
How do you make a 3 string bracelet for beginners? ›Start off with the color you want to wrap first and tape down the rest grab the thread and put it
How do you make bracelets with string step by step? ›Start with the leftmost strand. And make a knot by forming a four over the second strand. Then pull
How do u make a bra strap bracelet? ›Cut the bra strap off of the cup end. Then, cut off the other end, making sure to keep the metal or plastic loop attached. Thread the cup end through the metal loop to make a bracelet. Then, thread it through the second metal loop that would usually be used to adjust the strap size.
How do you make a flip flop bracelet? ›FLIP FLOP BRACELET TUTORIAL [CC] || Beginner Friendly - YouTube
How do you braid a bracelet with 3 strings? ›To make a basic 3-strand braid with string, tie 3 strings together, then tape the knot to a flat surface to hold it in place. Separate the string into 3 strands or groups. Cross the left string over the middle string, then cross the right string over the new middle string.
How do you make a classic friendship bracelet? ›How to Make DIY Friendship Bracelets Beginners (Diagonal Pattern)
How do you braid a bracelet with 4 strings? ›How to do a 4 Strand Braid or Plait - Craft Basics with Red Ted Art
How do you make Greek wave bracelets? ›greek wave bracelet tutorial! (advanced) - YouTube
How do you make a Chinese ladder bracelet? ›How to Make Chinese Staircase Bracelet | Bracelet Patterns - YouTube
How do you make a zig zag bracelet? ›
Friendship Bracelet: ZigZag (Beginners) - YouTube
How do you make a candy stripe friendship bracelet? ›Friendship Bracelets - CANDY STRIPE TUTORIAL - YouTube
How do you make a Chevron friendship bracelet? ›DIY Chevron Friendship Bracelet - YouTube
What does a black bra strap bracelet mean? ›What does a bra strap bracelet mean? There's actually a meaning behind the whole bra strap bracelet trend. People are making them to give to their partners to show that they're taken. Sometimes they even embroider their initials into the bracelet too. Aww!
How do you make a strapless bra hack? ›Take a regular bra strap (like an extra one from a bra with removable straps), and hook it onto the back of your bra on one side, bring it around your back and hook it onto the back of your bra on the other side. It's super easy and creates a great strapless bra.
How do you make an adjustable bracelet? ›how to make your bracelets adjustable! - YouTube
How do you make a two tone heart bracelet? ›How To: Easy Two- Tone Hearts Bracelet - YouTube
How do you make a friendship bracelet with daisies? ›DAISY CHAIN BRACELET TUTORIAL [CC] || Beginner Friendly - YouTube
How do you make a loop knot bracelet? ›How To Make The Beginning Loop Of A Friendship Bracelet - YouTube
How do you make a square knot friendship bracelet? ›How to Make a Basic Square Knot Bracelet | DIY Pura Vida ... - YouTube
How do you tie a loop bracelet? ›
How to Tie Your Bracelets || Friendship Bracelets - YouTube
How do you make Mexican bracelets with string? ›DIY shamballa bracelets . How to make name bracelets ... - YouTube
How do you make a zipper bracelet? ›beaded zipper bracelet tutorial! (beginner) - YouTube
How do you braid a bracelet? ›Quick and Easy Fishtail Braid Friendship Bracelet Tutorial
How do you do a 12 strand flat braid? ›Making a Twelve Strand Braid Belt - YouTube
How do you braid 5 strands? ›How to braid with five strands (flat braid) - YouTube
How do you braid 8 strands flat? ›8 strand doubled edge braid- ABoK 2996 - YouTube
What are the materials to make a bracelet? ›To make a flexible bracelet, you'll need beads, beading wire, crimp beads and a clasp. However, if you'd like to start with a simpler project, there are also special types of bracelet findings that are thick wire cuffs with threaded balls on the ends.
What are the materials used in making bracelet? ›Bracelets can be manufactured from metal, leather, cloth, plastic, bead or other materials, and jewelry bracelets sometimes contain jewels, rocks, wood, shells, crystals, metal, or plastic hoops, pearls and many more materials.
How do you make a easy braided bracelet? ›braided stitch bracelet tutorial! (beginner) - YouTube
How do you make a simple paracord bracelet? ›
6 EASY Single Strand Paracord Bracelets | Paracord Knot Instructions
How do you make a lucky bracelet? ›DIY How to make red string lucky bracelets - YouTube
How do you tie a bracelet knot so it doesn't come undone? ›How to Knot Elastic Bracelets and Make the Knot that doesn't brake
Who first invented bracelets? ›The Etruscans were among the first to create bracelets with separate, hinged panels, a style still popular in the early twenty-first century. Ancient Roman soldiers often were given gold bracelets to indicate their valor in battle.
What do bracelets symbolize? ›Bracelets have been worn to guard against evil spirits or the harsh sun, outwardly represent marital status, and in hopes of encouraging winter to turn to spring sooner rather than later. Bracelets have evolved to be a fashion accessory, and even these often hold special meaning for the wearer.
What is another name for bracelet? ›In this page you can discover 34 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for bracelet, like: wristband, wristlet, armband, jewelry, watchstrap, watch bracelet, earring, necklaces, bead, armlet and charm bracelet.
How do you make Greek wave bracelets? ›greek wave bracelet tutorial! (advanced) - YouTube
How do you make a Chinese ladder bracelet? ›How to Make Chinese Staircase Bracelet | Bracelet Patterns - YouTube
How do you make a fishtail friendship bracelet? ›FISHTAIL BRAID TUTORIAL | Making Friendship Bracelets | For Beginners