Friendship bracelet patterns and knot tutorials
Clear, beginner-friendly friendship bracelet tutorials: the four basic knots, easy patterns, color ideas, and the techniques for starting and finishing neatly.
New to friendship bracelets? Read these four guides in order.
Everything a first-timer needs before knotting: the short supply list, a five-minute string setup, the one knot to learn first and the project that makes the best starting point.
Six-strand cotton embroidery floss is the standard thread for friendship bracelets. See how it compares with pearl cotton and craft thread for strands, sheen, colorfastness and price before you buy.
Every friendship bracelet is made from four knots built on the same half hitch. See how they relate, what each one does to the strings, and which to learn first.
A knot chart tells you which strings to use, which knot to tie and what color shows. Learn the strings, circles, arrows and staggered rows, plus ways to keep your place.
Horizontal stripes come from one working string knotting back and forth across fixed base strings. Here is the setup, the row-by-row method, clean color changes and how row counts set band width.
A row-by-row candy stripe tutorial using eight strings and only the forward knot, with an original tangerine, aqua, cobalt and cream layout and tips for keeping the diagonal stripes even.
Two no-knot bracelets made from bundles of embroidery floss: the classic three-strand plait and a flat four-strand woven braid, with bundle sizes, lengths and tips for keeping tension even.
Chevrons, diamonds, zigzags and diagonal stripes, explained row by row.
A zigzag bracelet tutorial with six strings: knot diagonal rows to the right, turn, and knot back to the left. Includes an original four-color layout and advice for clean turns.
A wide chevron bracelet uses 10 or 12 strings for a bolder band. Here is how much floss to cut, how to keep that many strings in order, and how to hold a sharp V.
This diamond friendship bracelet pattern joins a chevron row and a reverse chevron row into navy X shapes, then fills each diamond with a ring of color around a yellow center.
How to design diagonal stripe bracelets by changing the string order: stripes of different widths, single-string accent lines and rows that lean left, with three original layouts to knot.
Learn the classic chevron friendship bracelet with eight strings in four colors: the mirrored setup, knotting each side toward the middle, and the center knot that forms every V.
A row-by-row candy stripe tutorial using eight strings and only the forward knot, with an original tangerine, aqua, cobalt and cream layout and tips for keeping the diagonal stripes even.
The backward-forward knot is the mirror of the forward-backward knot. Tie it with the right-hand string to keep a color on the right edge or close a shape.
The forward-backward knot shows a color without moving the string. Learn how to tie it and where patterns use it: left edges, turning points and shape outlines.
The backward knot is the forward knot in a mirror, moving a string from right to left. Learn the steps, why it feels clumsy at first, and grips that help.
Plan an ombre friendship bracelet that fades smoothly: how to choose and order four shades, avoid hard jumps, and what the gradient looks like in candy stripe, chevron and horizontal bands.
Eight original color combinations for friendship bracelets, each with three to five floss colors, a mood and the pattern that suits it, plus simple rules for building your own palettes.
Learn how complementary, analogous and triadic schemes from the color wheel translate into floss choices, why light-dark contrast matters on a narrow band, and how one neutral string ties a palette together.
Repair a friendship bracelet instead of restarting it. Learn to unpick a knot with a pin and fix wrong colors, gaps, curling, uneven edges and a string that runs short.
Finish a friendship bracelet so it stays tied and looks tidy. Learn when to stop knotting, how to lock the last row, and how to make braided or twisted ties and trim them.
Three adjustable closures for friendship bracelets, with steps for each: a square-knot sliding knot, a loop with two braids, and a button loop that offers two sizes.
Three ways to begin a friendship bracelet, an overhand knot, a folded loop and a braided loop, plus how to anchor the strings with tape, a clipboard or a safety pin.
Find out how long to cut friendship bracelet string for each pattern type, with a table of lengths and simple adjustments for wrist size, loop starts and long working strings.
Six-strand cotton embroidery floss is the standard thread for friendship bracelets. See how it compares with pearl cotton and craft thread for strands, sheen, colorfastness and price before you buy.
A zigzag bracelet tutorial with six strings: knot diagonal rows to the right, turn, and knot back to the left. Includes an original four-color layout and advice for clean turns.
Five original winter color palettes for friendship bracelets, the patterns that suit each one, and practical advice on sizing, batching and wrapping bracelets made as holiday gifts.
A wide chevron bracelet uses 10 or 12 strings for a bolder band. Here is how much floss to cut, how to keep that many strings in order, and how to hold a sharp V.
Five original summer color palettes, the fastest patterns for knotting outdoors, and practical advice on wearing cotton floss bracelets in pools, salt water and strong sun without ruining them.
Horizontal stripes come from one working string knotting back and forth across fixed base strings. Here is the setup, the row-by-row method, clean color changes and how row counts set band width.
The reverse chevron bracelet flips the classic V into an arrowhead by knotting from the center out to the edges. Learn the row, the color order and how to combine both directions.
Start with a simple stripe, learn the four knots, and move on at your own pace. Every tutorial on the site is free to read, no sign-up needed.
