Friendship bracelets are all the rage right now — but have you thought of sending one to your sponsored child? Making friendship bracelets is a perfect rainy-day activity for you to do on your own or with your family, and receiving a handmade bracelet from you will put a huge smile on your sponsored child’s face!
Choosing complementary colors from the color wheel will make for a great bracelet!
All you need is a pair of scissors, masking tape, and embroidery floss. If you don’t have any floss on hand, you can find a huge variety of colors at Hobby Lobby for 79 cents or Walmart for 66 cents.
Here are three easy patterns for friendship bracelets:
Simple Braid
A simple braided friendship bracelet is the easiest of the three to make and a perfect option for younger kids wanting to participate. To begin, pick out three colors of embroidery floss. You will need three strands of each color, cut at double the starting length. Experts recommend 30 inches total, although I prefer to eyeball the length.
Once your strings are cut, fold them in half and tie a knot that creates a loop at the top, as shown in the picture below. Tape the loop to a solid surface and separate the colors into three sections. Now it’s time to braid!
Making the braid too tight will cause the bracelet to twist
To make a three-strand braid, cross the leftmost color over the center. In the picture above, it would be orange over blue. Then, you would take the rightmost color and cross it over the center. My braid would be pink over orange. Repeat this pattern until complete. Remember to make it child-sized! If you need additional instructions, check out this video.
You can use the loop method on any of the three bracelets
Once the bracelet is the desired length, you can tie it off. Split the remaining threads, so you have six on the right and six on the left.
Starting on the right side, split the thread in half again so you have three in one hand and three in the other. Twist them together to the desired length, tie another knot, and cut off the excess string. Repeat this process on the left side.
You can now tie these two ends through the loop to keep the bracelet on your wrist! Don’t forget to make two so you can match your sponsored child.
Fishtail Braid
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, try the fishtail braid pattern! You will need to pick three colors for this bracelet. Then, cut two stands of each color. I’m not making a loop in this example, so you do NOT need to double the length.
Take your thread and tie it together, leaving enough room at the end to tie the bracelet together. Tape down your knot to a sturdy surface. Next, organize your colors to make a mirror image. In the picture below, you can see how I ordered my colors: green, maroon, purple, purple, maroon, and green.
The more strands of each color you use, the thicker your bracelet will be
To make a fishtail braid, pull the leftmost strand to the center on the right side. Then, you will take the rightmost color and cross it over to the center on the left side. Continue this pattern until your bracelet is the desired length.
You can watch this short video for a detailed tutorial on making a fishtail braid friendship bracelet.
If you found the fishtail braid easy, you should give the Candy Stripe bracelet a try!
To finish the bracelet, tie another knot and cut off the access. Make sure you save enough on the ends to tie it around your wrist, like in the picture above!
Candy Stripe
For someone looking to create a more advanced friendship bracelet, I would recommend the candy stripe pattern. For this bracelet, pick out four colors. Cut out two strands for each color, each around 36 inches long.
After tying the thread together and taping it to your table, separate the thread based on color to create four sections. To begin, take the leftmost string and make a four-shape over the thread next to it.
You can make your bracelet wider by using more colors
The picture above shows the maroon string over the pink thread. You would then pull the maroon strand underneath the pink one, creating a knot at the top. Repeat this step with the maroon and pink stands to make a forward knot.
Using your first color (maroon), make another forward knot over your two remaining colors (blue and green). Then, take the new leftmost color, which in this case would be pink, and repeat the process until you reach the desired length.
Watch this video for more detailed instructions on creating the candy stripe pattern.
If you want another pattern, consider checking out the chevron bracelet
When the bracelet is complete, tie it off. Using the extra thread at each end, you can create ties to go around your wrist, as seen in the picture above.
You need only separate the embroidery floss into two groups, each with four stands. Twist the two sections together and then make the final knot. Now, you can cut off the excess!
Once your friendship bracelets are complete, put one of them in an envelope with a letter to your sponsored child and send it to:
[Sponsored Child’s name and Child ID #]
c/o World Help Child Sponsorship Program
P.O. Box 501
Forest, VA 24551
We’ll make sure it reaches your sponsored child from there! They’ll be so excited to receive such a special gift from you. I guarantee the bracelet you send will become one of their most prized possessions.
If you don’t currently sponsor a child, you can learn more about sponsorship by clicking the button below.