11 Cute & Colorful Friendship Bracelet Pattern Ideas

Friendship plays a significant role in promoting overall health and well-being. So, it is important to celebrate this relationship by making your own friendship bracelet that will surprise your buddy and cheer up their mood.

What Are Four Basic Friendship Knots?

Developing and maintaining good friendships takes some effort. While celebrating friendship should not be just limited to any particular day, this bond provides us with joy and comfort that make the investment worthwhile. Bracelets or friendship knots date back to over 200 years from China. Their modern popularity began in the 1980s during the protest regarding the loss of Mayan peasants and Indians in Guatemala.

There are Friendship bracelets for preschoolers and cute and colorful patterns that are great for making a more sophisticated band. So, whether you want to impress your BFF with your craft or send them to a friend staying afar, you can learn some innovative techniques that teach how to make friendship bracelets perfectly. Items like pearls, tassels, and rhinestones are also used to embellish traditional floss bracelets. So, learn the four basic friendship knots that produce the coolest summer accessory to treasure forever.

1. Forward Knot

This type of knot travels from left to right in the forward direction. Take the left string and bend it on top of its neighbor to the right, making the number ‘4’. Next, take the end that overlaps the right string and tuck it underneath it. Push it through the space between the two strands and take it up to the top of your string while tightening it. Repeat the process once more to complete the forward’s knots.

2. Backward Knot

Tie from right to left in a backward direction to tie the backward knot. Take the right string and bend it on top of its neighbor to the left to make a backward ‘4’ shape. Now wrap the end of the right strand around its neighboring left string by going under it and through the space between the strands. Hold the interior strand straight and pull it through and bring it up to the top knot of your string. Tighten to secure. Tie a backward knot once more using the same two strands to complete your backward knot.

3. Forwards- Backwards Knot

Make a forward ‘4’. Take the part that overlaps the other string, tuck it underneath, and bring it to the top. Now make a backward ‘4’. Take the part that overlaps the other string, pull it through to bring it to the top.

4. Backward-Forwards Knot

Make a backward ‘4’. Take the part that overlaps the other string and pull it to the top. Now make a forward ‘4’. Take the part that overlaps the other string, tuck it underneath, and bring it to the top.

DIY Friendship Bracelet Patterns Crafts

Here are some of the best friendship bracelet designs that make a versatile and unique fashion statement.

1. Chevron friendship bracelet Pattern

This admirable pattern is popular all around the world

• Cut two 36″ strands of each.
• Tie all of your strands together 3” down. Please make sure the color order of separate strands mirrors itself.
• Tie a series of forwards knots with the left strand to reach its center.
• Next, tie a series of backward knots with the strands on the right to reach the middle of the pattern.
• Knot one strand around the other twice, using either a forwards knot or backward knot to create the point of the “V” and complete your first chevron row.
• Repeat the process with the outermost strands and continue until your bracelet is long enough.

2. Jellyfish Pattern

This easy pattern is made using a wheel to create a round woven bracelet.

• Take 7 strands of embroidery floss, each 20″ long.
• Tie them together, leaving a trail that one can tie later. Run the strands through the center hole of the wheel.
• The wheel can have 8 slots. Leaving the one with START written above it empty, run one strand through each of the slits. Next, beginning with the Start slit, count left 3 strands.
• Take that strand and move it into the empty slot.
• Rotate the wheel. As the empty slot moves to the bottom, count up 3 strands.
• Move it down to the empty slot and continue turning the wheel and counting up 3 strands.
• Soon you will form your bracelet from the center of the wheel.

3. Chinese ladder Pattern

This interesting twisted design can be made using just one simple knot.

• Cut 5 different colors of floss to about 14″ to 16″ long and tie a knot.
• Leave a couple of inches at the top to use it for tying off the bracelet.
• Choose one strand and make forward knots.
• Keep repeating this process using the same color. Then, finally, the floss will start wrapping itself all the way around to create the Chinese Ladder.
• Next, pick up the next color to create your loop and keep repeating.

4. Candy Stripe

This popular pattern is made mostly by using knots forwards and is ideal for beginners.

• Take the four strings of different colors and cut them to 36″ length. Tie them together 3’’ down with an overhand knot. Hold the strings together by using masking tape or a clip.
• Arrange the strings and label them.
• Label the four strings as A, B, C, and D.
• Start with string A and make forward knots on the string next to it in sequence.
• To start with A and B, moving on to A and C and finally to A and D, all the time making forward knots.
• Repeat the steps with B, C, and D before starting again with A. Tie forward knots on each strand of the bracelet in first C, then D, then A. At the end of this row, the B string will be on the right-hand side.
• Then repeat with string C and string D.
• Continue the pattern until the bracelet is about 7″ long.

5. Easy Braided Pattern With letter Beads

Alphabet letters and beads decorated in the middle of the bracelet lend them a trendy upgrade.

• Cut out 3 strings to about 4x length.
• Fold your string in half and tie a loop knot at one end. Make the loop big enough to fit the button.
• One can tape down the end of the string to a table.
• Separate your string into 3 groups, with 2 pieces of string in each group.
• Braid till you reach a bit less than halfway and tie a knot where you stop.
• String on your letter beads on the middle of the string. (Use ideas like ‘Best / Friends,’ ‘BFFS / Besties’ or ‘Friends / Forever)
• Once you’re done, tie another knot.

6. Five Strand Braid Pattern

It’s great fun to weave in and out braids that involve interlacing strands to make twine or a bracelet.

• Cut 5 strings and tie them in a knot.
• Split your strings to make five sections of one.
• Take the odd-numbered sections except for the last one on the right side, and cross the even-numbered sections. Thus, for example, 1st string over 2nd, and 3rd string over 4th, leaving out the 5th string to its right.
• Now taking the odd-numbered sections except for the first one, cross them over the even-numbered sections to its left. For example, cross 3rd string over 2nd, and cross 5th string over 4th.
• Repeat steps 3 and 4 and ties a knot when it’s long enough.

7. Heart Knot Pattern

You can master this easy-to-make pattern to make an adorable gift for friendship day or Valentine’s Day.

• Take a string of 3 feet. Tape its left end down and start working with the right end.
• Make a loop after measuring 1 foot from its left.
• Get under, then up and out of the loop, after leaving extra on the bottom to form the first loop.
• Get up over loop No. 2,  then back down after leaving small loop No. 3 on top. Keep going down under big loop No. 2, then down on top of loop No. 1.
• Get up and under loop No. 1. Next, thread over, then under center loop No. 2, and then over top loop No. 3.
• Untapped the left end. Pull on both ends. Then work inside the heart with your fingers to tighten it. Pull its bottom to form a V shape.
• Hold the two ends and make a loop.  Pull them through to knot up. Cut off the excess.

8. Square Knot Pattern

This decorative knot used in Macrame has are many variations.

• Cut 50-60 inches of cord and another 20 inches of cord. Fold the longer cord in half. Clip down the two cords down to a flat surface. Leave about 4 inches of the chord to the left.
• Placing the right strand over the middle strand. Take the left strand and put it over the right and under the middle. Put it through the triangle at the top and tie the knot tightly.
• Repeat the same process.
• Once done, cut off the right and left strands.
• Make the two ends the same length and tape them down.
• Get a cord of about 12 inches and make about 3-4 more square knots. Add glue to all the knots to make them more secure.

9. Zipper Pattern

You can make zipper patterns by combining forwarding/backward knots, backward/forward knots, or even square knots.

• Tie a forward/backward knot on a red string with a yellow string followed by a  backward/forward knot so that the red string stays back on the extreme right. For example, you could take the red string and make half a forward knot. Then, leave it and pick up the blue string.
• Tie a backward/forward knot with the blue string with the yellow string. Then tie a forward/backward knot with yellow so that the blue string stays back on the left. You could also take the red string and do that. Next, take the blue string and put a backward knot on the red string. Now you have completed one knot.
• Repeat the steps until the bracelet is as long enough as you want.

10. Sailor Knot Pattern

You don’t need to be a sailor to wear or learn to make this bracelet pattern.

• Take a string and wrap one end of it around a tin can in the shape of X. Leave about a 4″ tail to finish the bracelet.
• Wrap the long end of the string around the can again and pull it up to the middle of the X. Then make the long end of the string pass under the right upper leg of the X and pull its long end all the way through.
• Move the upper left leg of the X over the right leg of the X to form the shape of an oval.
• Pull the long end of the string through the oval-shaped opening that has been already set up.
• Turn the can, and the oval shape has created another X shape. Again, pass the long end of the string under the right upper leg of the X and pull the end through.
• Repeat steps 3 through 5.
• Total three-stranded braids have been created. Follow the string you initially laid out and make a parallel second line.
• Wrap it around the can. You may also take it off and continue with the knotting in your hand. However, don’t pull the string too hard so that the bracelet doesn’t shrink on your wrist.
• Knot the rope around the bracelet until each braid strand has one parallel line with three passes in all. Then, add another three passes to make the traditional pattern of three parallel lines.
• Knot the ends together and weave them into the inside of the bracelet.

11. Alternating Half Hitch Pattern

This common knotting technique has a chain-like appearance and is used in Macrame projects.

• Cut two strands of floss about 5 ft long. Fold them in half and knot in the middle to make a loop. Secure with tape to a table.
• Cord one is on the left (both pink strands); Cord 2 is right (both blue strands). The corded one is the holding cord.
• Use Cord two to tie a Half Hitch. A Half Hitch is tied by moving Cord two under the pink cord.
• Move the cord over it and back under Cord 2 on the right.
• Pull Cord two up to tighten. Keep the Cord 2 end on the right when you are done.
• For the second knot, Cord two becomes the holding cord. Next, use Cord one to tie a Half Hitch by moving Cord 1 under the holding cord.
• Flip Cord one over Cord two, then back under Cord 1 on the left.
• Pull Cord one up to tighten. Keep the Cord 1 end on the left.
• Continue to alternate back and forth between the two cords to form the rest of the bracelet.

The simplicity of these bracelets imparts a casual look, while the yarn and fabric-made bracelets are so soft that they do not irritate the skin and can be worn for a long time. It is a very productive activity that helps children develop skills across a range of areas. So, these homemade bracelets may resemble a friendship that is as strong and everlasting as them.

Also Read:

Best Friendship Quotes for Children
Best Songs on Friendship for Children
Beautiful Friendship Poems for Children