How to make a adjustable friendship bracelet

Introduction: Friendship Bracelet With Adjustable Knots

This tutorial will help you to share friendship bracelets with your bestie :) It is really pretty and easy to make.

Table of Contents Show

Introduction: Friendship Bracelet With Adjustable Knots
Step 1: 1) Pre-steps (Materials)
Step 2: Making a Pendant
Step 3: Cutting the Strings
Step 4: Making a Knot and Fastening
Step 5: Braiding the Strings
Step 6: Knotting the Pattern
Step 7: Braiding the Strings Again
Step 8: Making Adjustable Knots
Step 9: Your Friendship Bracelet Completed :)
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Recommendations

You and your friend can make each one and exchange them as a symbol of friendship!

Step 1: 1) Pre-steps (Materials)

1) Choose a pattern and colors you want

*I am making this fabulous pattern with black, red, and yellow colors, representing German flag*

These are the possible patterns you might want to do. Go to friendship-bracelets.net for more patterns!

2) Gather all the materials you need

- the number of strings you need for the pattern with the colors you want

- a clipboard (anything to fasten the strings)

- scissors

- tapes

- pendants (optional)

->brass sheet, fret saw, pillar drill, clamp, files (tool), permanent marker, sandpaper

☛If you want to make pendants yourself? go to the next step. ✔︎

Step 2: Making a Pendant

°This step is optional.°

Do this step only if you want to make a pendant yourself.

1) Bring a piece of brass sheet (Brass looks like gold.) Do not use a very thick one because it will be much harder to cut a shape out of it. I used a soft and quite thin brass sheet to make my pendants.

2) Sketch your shape of the pendants (whatever you want! It can be initials of a name, heart shape, etc.) The size really does not matter. My pendants are 5mm*15mm*1mm (5 wide, 15 height, 1 thickness).

3) Drill a hole that a string will go through. The hole should be larger than 1mm (diameter). I used proxxon pillar drill because it is suitable for making small holes.

4) Cut the shape of it by using fret saw. When you use fret saw, never put your power on it. You should move your hand up and down continuously without any power. The blade can break when you force the saw.

5) File it to make the edges smooth.

6) Sand the pendants to remove all scratches on the surface.

Always be careful when you use machines and tools !!!

Step 3: Cutting the Strings

Cut them all in 80cm or more. It is always good to have enough length of strings rather than running out of strings in the middle of the process.

Step 4: Making a Knot and Fastening

Lay down all your strings and make a knot at the end (but leave 5-10cm for the adjustable knot).

Clip the strings (tied together) on a clipboard. If you do not have a clipboard, it is okay. You can then use tape or anything that you can stick your bracelet on to your table.

Step 5: Braiding the Strings

You can already start with the pattern, but I recommend braiding before you do so because then it takes less time and prettier. Braid the strings for 4cm or less. Then tie them (make a knot with all strings) so that it is fastened.

Step 6: Knotting the Pattern

Use the image of the pattern from friendship-bracelets.net. There are a lot of other cool patterns as well, so go have a look there!

↘︎ this arrow means to knot the left string over the right one

↙︎ this arrow means to knot the right string over the left one

Always do "DOUBLE KNOTS" (knotting twice)
Knot the bracelet for 10cm, then make a knot (tie it) with all strings so that it is fastened.

Thread the pendants during this process if you have them.

Step 7: Braiding the Strings Again

Braid the strings again, and tie them (make a knot) when you are done with the braids.

(Repeat Step4)

Step 8: Making Adjustable Knots

Tape both ends of strings (It will be must easier to make adjustable knots)

Clip the bracelet and place the two strands like shown in the picture.

Grab the end of the upper strings and wrap around the another for 3 times, take it out of the loop and fasten. Look at the images for detail.

Do the same process for the opposite end of the string to make another adjustable knot. If you have two adjustable knots, the bracelet will be adjustable in both ways.

When you made the two adjustable knots, pull the one end and the other end several times to check if they slide smoothly and adjust the bracelet.

Step 9: Your Friendship Bracelet Completed :)

Yay!

Have fun with the bracelet!

Recommendations

The Adjustable Closure for Friendship Bracelets is a versatile, neat, and easy way to create a functional bracelet. It is suited for polyester cords (like this Knotting Cord) that melt instead of burn.

The photos used in this tutorial are from our Super Easy Friendship Bracelet Kit, but we use this start and finish method for every friendship bracelet we do!

If you need a refresher on how to tie a Half Left Knot check out our Breezy Friendship Bracelet pattern.

Start

Cut all of the cords to the length as directed by the specific pattern.

Line up one end of the cords and tie them together in a simple overhand knot, 5 inches from the aligned ends. (Do not pull this knot too tight because you will be pulling it out later.) Safety pin the knot to your pants or to another secure location, or tape down the ends on a flat surface.

Finish

Once you have macraméd or braided your bracelet to the length directed in your pattern, select the right most cord (the Working Cord). Tie the Working Cord around all of the other cords (the Base Cords) with two Half Left Knots in a row and pull them very tight to the right.

Snip off the ends of the Base Cords a few millimeters beyond the last knot. Cut the Working Cord 2 inches from the last knot for kids or 3 inches for adults. Tie a simple overhand knot at the very end of the Working Cord’s tail. Put one of the snipped off Base Cords aside. You will use it as the Tie Cord in the next step.

Use a lighter to quickly melt the ends of the Base Cords, as well as the knot at the end of the Working Cord tail. If you’re a kid, please ask an adult to help you with this step.

Untie the beginning knot, and flip the bracelet around so that the cords are at the bottom, the Working Cord on the right and the Base Cords hanging straight down. Tie two Half Left Knots, pulling up and to the right, and then finish this end in the same manner as the first.

Now, arrange the bracelet in a circle, making sure it’s not twisted. Lay the two 2 (or 3)-inch tails parallel to each other, with the knots facing in opposite directions.

Using the Tie Cord, tie a tight half-granny knot (like the first step of tying your shoes) around the two tails. Make the knot in the approximate center of the Tie Cord.

Turn the bracelet so the closure is at the left. Tie a Half Left Knot with the bottom tail of the Tie Cord and pull it up and to the right, snug against the knot.

Then rotate the bracelet so the closure is on the right. Tie a Half Left Knot with the (new) bottom tail of the Tie Cord and pull it up and to the right, snug against the other side of the knot.

Flip the bracelet over so the bottom side of the closure is face up and tie a half-granny knot with the two tails of the Tie Cord.

Snip off the tails of the Tie Cord, close to the knot, and melt the ends (or have an adult help you).

Pull the knotted tails away from each other and the bracelet will close!