I've been really excited to share this project with you! I recently snagged a Ziploc sandwich bag stuffed full of embroidery thread at a yard sale and was thrilled! I've been wanting to try tying some bracelets so I had something to do as we were driving (we do tend to keep the road pretty hot!) or just something that I could do without it being too involved. I really oughta just take up crochet or something :)
Anyhow, so I looked up friendship bracelet tutorials on Pinterest and there are some great ones. Most of them are tied- where you actually loop and pull tight the thread around each strand over and over. I started that way and realized immediately that it was going to be far too time consuming for my taste! So, I came across a few that were braided instead. I specifically liked the thought of trying a fishtail braid to get a chevron, or arrow, type look. I love how these turned out! And they are seriously easy!
Should you wanna try one yourself, or make one for someone, start with your desired colors of thread and cut two strands of each color, about 2 feet long or so.
Through these next pictures, I'm using a lot of different colors- I was hoping the end result would be a bit wider. Alas, I didn't end up really liking how it was turning out as I went- too many of the colors were just getting hidden in the braid. So, pick 5 to 7 colors and I think you'll be happier :)
So here's the overabundance of threads I was working with! Tie them all together in a square knot on one end, with a few inches out the top...
Start combing through your threads, separating the colors to two sides in the same order like above. As in, same color on the outside of each side, then next the same and so on. You'll be creating a pattern working from the outsides in :)
If you've ever done a fishtail braid in your hair, then you've got this from here! I used a safety pin to attach the knot to the knee of my pants for some tension as I was braiding.
Starting with the outermost thread, bring it over across the other threads on that side, to where it becomes the inner most thread on the opposite side. Then bring the outer thread from the other side and do the same. Hopefully this pic above clarifies more than my words do. :)
Pull tight and the threads kinda start to work themselves out better like above. This is where it gets easier! You'll keeping crossing and kinda holding the braid while pulling the threads to keep it tight. I actually like to keep my braid a little bit loose- it seems to just look a little nicer that way :)
When you get enough braided (I just lightly measured around my wrist as I went), tie the two sides together on each end to keep it secure enough to not come undone. I had originally thought tying a loop on the top end would work nicely for tying in on my wrist later, but honestly, I just didn't like how it turned out...
Made for too much space between the braid. So I just tied the two ends together (it seems like four sides at that point) in another square knot- right over left and left over right. Then pull it as tight as you can. It's a lot easier to have someone else help with this last knot to get the bracelet onto your wrist!
So that's what it looks like now... I did trim my long thread ends before tying- made it much easier! With your knot tight, trim your end quite short- and you're done! Isn't it so fun?! I often feel like describing what I did makes it sound more difficult than it really is! :P Really, this is something you can do without any headache- if you're confused, look close at the pics and it'll start coming together as you go, I promise :)
This is what my back sides look like. I could've trimmed my threads even a bit shorter. And see how the knot on the red and blue ones aren't so crazy? That's because I've been wearing them for longer- they get pressed down pretty quickly just from being worn. I kinda like this ragged look actually, but if it bothers you, just make sure to have someone help you tie a good knot and trim short :)
I really like wearing several of these together. It was fun to tie several monochromatic ones- the different colors stacked looked cool :) I have just left these on without taking them off at all- I can slide them over my hand again when they're wet though :)
As you get braiding, these will come together easy and are the perfect road trip boredom cure!
Enjoy! And I love to see it if you braid one!
