How to Make Friendship Bracelets - Ideas & Instructions

If you are looking for a way to celebrate a milestone or special event, friendship bracelets are easy to make with beads, charms and elastic. No matter the occasion, friendship bracelets are a thoughtful and meaningful way to show your friends how much you care. There are so many great occasions to make and share friendship bracelets. 

Here are some ideas for when handmade bracelets and gifts can make moments even more special:

• Concerts and Festivals - friendship bracelets will not only add personality to your outfit but they are great for trading and giving to friends. They are also great for starting conversations and giving to new people that you meet at events. Alphabet beads are a cute way to spell out band names and song lyrics.
• Celebrate Friendship - Friendship bracelets are a popular way to show appreciation to friends and celebrate the bond that you share. They can be given as a gift on any occasion, a birthday, holidays or a going away party. Bracelets are also perfect to add to party favor goodie bags.
• Show Your School Spirit - Use letter beads and pony beads to make school spirit bracelets and necklace. This is a great connect with fellow student and share memories.
• For a Special Occasion - Friendship bracelets can also be given to mark special occasions, such as a graduation, wedding, or a new baby.
• Commemorate a Shared Experience - If you and your friend have shared a special experience, such as a road trip, game day, homecoming, or prom - create themed friendship bracelets to remember the moment. Friendship bracelets are fun to give out on the first day of school, last day of school or other special days.
• Support Your Friends - A small, but meaningful handmade gift can be a priceless gesture for a friend who is going through a difficult time. Make a custom friendship bracelet to show your support and as a reminder that you are there for them.
• Just For Fun - Friendship bracelets can also be made for fun, with no special occasion in mind. They are a creative and enjoyable way to spend time with friends and to create something unique.
  
  

Use Rainbow Colors or Choose a Color Scheme 

Whether you want to use a variety of colors, or want to use a specific color scheme to match an event, special cause or occasion, beads come in a large selection of colors and pre-mixed combos.

Pony beads come in different colors and shades of red, orange, blue, green and purple, plus we have color combos like Rainbow themes, Mermaid and Princess bead themes, Jewel Tone bead color combos and more. 

Use pre-mixed pony bead combos and pony bead kits for sets of bead colors that look good together. 

Alphabet Beads Sizes

6x9mm pony beads and 7mm cube alphabet beads are the best match, they are very similar in size and also have similar hole sizes. 6mm cube alphabet beads work very well also.

Round 7mm alphabet beads are also a great choice for bracelets, these beads have smaller holes so be sure to use string or cord that matches the hole size.

How many beads do you need to make a bracelet?

To make a 7" bracelet, use about 30 beads and about 12" of string (your string needs to be longer than the actual bracelet for knotting purposes). To make a smaller bracelet, use less beads. If you need to make your bracelet larger, add a few more beads. 4 pony beads is equal to about 1 inch (0.94")

*Above info based on 6mm wide beads. If you use different size beads, the amount of beads you need will change depending on the bead size.

FRIENDSHIP BRACELET IDEAS

1) Knotted Embroidery Floss & Pony Beads 

Making bracelets by knotting embroidery floss (macrame), is one of the most popular ways to make friendship bracelets. You can personalize the bracelets by using different colors of floss and adding beads with large holes that will fit on multiple strands of embroidery floss. We recommend pony beads, alphabet beads, heart beads, star beads or other large hole beads.

Alphabet beads are the perfect way to put names on friendship bracelets or spell special messages like "LOVE", "PEACE" or "HOPE".

2) Stretch Bracelets with Letter Beads & Charms

Stretch bracelets can be personalized with letter beads and charms to make name bracelets and inspirational bracelets. Spell out names and meaningful words and phrases with letters and use pony beads to create fun color combos. Alphabet charm bracelets can be layered with plain bead bracelets to create fun sets. To give as gifts, tie bracelets sets together with pretty satin ribbon. Use stretch cord or elastic to make bracelets. To add charms, use jump rings and flat nose pliers.

3) Heart Theme Bracelet

If you love hearts, you can create a fun bracelet with just hearts. Then you can make color matching pony bead bracelets accent your heart bracelet to to create fun sets. Heart bead bracelets can be easily made with stretch cord. Heart bracelets make cheerful gifts on Valentine's Day!

4) Concert & Festival Bracelets

Stacking tons of friendship bracelets on both arms is a must when going to concerts and festivals. You will have so much making bracelets with friends and trading bracelets when you are at the concert. Alphabet and number beads can be used to spell names of your favorite singer or band, song lyrics and song names. Since beads are available in a large variety of colors, you can use colors to match songs, outfits and event themes. Charms also come in many shapes so you can use them to add more personality to your bracelets. Use stretch cord or elastic to make bracelets. To add charms, use jump rings and flat nose pliers.

5) Gender Reveal

Adorable stretch bracelets are great party favors for baby showers. They can be made in blue or pink for a fun gender reveal. They can be put inside pinatas, goodie bags and gift boxes. You can also add heart charms or baby themed charms or accent the bracelets with color coordinated ribbons.

6) Party Favors

Creating your own bracelets are a great way to make truly unique and personalized party favors. Craft beads come in endless shapes and colors so you can make bracelets to fit your party colors. Create matching sets of 3 bracelets and tie them together with designer ribbon for gifts to give to your guests. For extra fun, add bracelets to goodie bags with candy, stickers and other trinkets.

7) Graduation & Class Reunion Bracelets

Number beads to represent your graduation year, combined with pony beads in school colors are a great way to make graduation and class reunion bracelets. Create fun sets of 3 - one bracelet with your graduation year, and two bracelets using just school color beads, tie the bundle together with matching satin or chiffon ribbon. These will be perfect as commencement gifts or class reunion favors.

Materials 

• Elastic cord
• 6x9mm pony beads, alphabet beads, and craft beads
• soft place mat
• scissors
• bead stopper, clothes pin or binder clip
• beading needle (optional, but can be faster for stringing beads)

Easy Stretch Bracelet Instructions

1. Cut 11-12" or elastic cord
2. Attach a bead stopper (or clothes pin / binder clip) to one end of the elastic to keep beads from falling off while you are working
3. String beads in the desired order
4. When finished, double knot the elastic and trim the access

*Don't be afraid to make other bracelet styles like multi-strand bracelets, kandi cuff bracelets, stacked bracelets, peyote stitch bracelets, and charm bracelets. Different designs will use a different amount of beads and string.

More Ideas & Tips

Making friendship bracelets is a fun way to spend time with friends and family and do something creative. There are many ways to express your personal style by using pony beads, alphabet beads, craft beads and charms to make every bracelet unique and different.

Using beads of different shapes, sizes, and colors, you can create a bracelets that are each truly special. You will be able to make fun, colorful bracelets to trade at concerts and festivals, or give as party favors and gifts.

A handmade set of friendship bracelets makes for a thoughtful and affordable gift. They are also a nice way to share a memory or celebrate an achievement like graduation, great for baby showers and bridal showers, Christmas & New Year celebrations, Valentine's Day and other holidays. Friendship bracelets can also be made to support your favorite cause or charity. Click here for tips on Making Inspirational Bracelets.