Are you struggling with gift ideas this season? Jewelry and friendship bracelets are always appropriate, and if you have no idea what friendship bracelets are, we’re here to help.
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What Are Friendship Bracelets?
Friendship bracelets are given to symbolize the bond between two people. The bond can either be platonic or romantic, as many platonic bonds develop to romantic relationships. Either way, you can begin gifting with items like friendship bracelets as they do not connote anything other than friendship bonds.
Friendship bracelets have been around since the 1980s, and the basic look of these bracelets hasn’t changed in all the decades that have passed. The techniques used in creating bracelets now were the same techniques used back in the 1980s. What we see now, however, is more variety in the beads used for beaded constructions, and the materials used for DIY efforts have also become cheaper, generally speaking.
These bracelets are often made of floss, yard, elastic cords, leather cords, cotton cords, embroidery cord, and even wires. There is a lot of variety when it comes to friendship bracelets, but the most popular type is made of multiple strings of yarn or floss and is called the chevron friendship bracelet.
The chevron friendship bracelet is a beefed-up version of what children usually braid (candy-stripe friendship bracelets). The double-chain knot is commonly used for two-string and three-string patterns. Full chevron bracelets can have as many as ten or twelve strings, depending on the design and intent of the person creating the chevron bracelet.
Friendship bracelets are unisex and can be gifted to any gender or sex. If you are creating one for a friend and that friend is touchy what his or her fashion, it would be best to base your design on what your friend considers acceptable manner or aesthetic. That way, he or she won’t have any problems wearing the friendship bracelet that you created in the first place. A durable friendship bracelet can be worn all day, and you can even swim with it, as long as it locked properly – either with a knot, manual lock, or a separate bracelet clasp with a mechanical lock.
There are no hard and fast rules for creating this type of bracelet. As long as you are having fun and you know the basic knots to complete the bracelet, we recommend that you just have fun and be as creative as possible with your friendship bracelet so it will turn out fine.
When To Gift Someone a Friendship Bracelet
You can gift a friendship bracelet to anyone as long as you have a minimal level of bonding with that person. Both new acquaintances and longtime friends can be given this type of bracelet.
Don’t be shy – they will appreciate your effort, and being given this kind of bracelet is a unique opportunity to rekindle friendships and to communicate more regularly again to friends who may have become busier through the years.
Friendship Bracelet Patterns
There are three different classes of friendship bracelet patterns: chevron, beaded, and chevron with letters. As we have discussed earlier, chevron bracelets are an upgrade of the candy-stripe bracelet that has fewer strands. Chevron bracelets can have as many as twelve strands, and the more strands that you use, the more complex the output usually is. Chevron patterns can be simple alternating colors, or they can be angled or crossed over with four colors.
Chevron bracelets can also feature shapes like diamonds and other forms. Double-chain knotting can also be used to draw minute features in the bracelets. Zigzag patterns are very popular with kids because the model looks dynamic, as well as hearts and stars and other everyday objects that are woven into the main design.
The second type of bracelet is the chevron bracelet with letters. The letters are also braided into the canvas of strings with a variety of knots. This is a particular type of bracelet that takes a little bit more effort to create, but it is going to be all worth it because you can add the name, initials, or even birth date of your special friend.
More knots are needed to pull it off, so you may want to practice a little before heading over to this design.
The third type of friendship bracelet is the beaded bracelet. As the name implies, this friendship bracelet makes use of different kinds of beads. What differentiates beaded bracelets from chevron bracelets is if you don’t know how to braid or weave, you don’t have to.
You can use other kinds of cords like leather cords or elastic cords to create your friendship bracelet. We recommend getting high-quality leather cords or cotton cords, as these hold up to daily wear and tear quickly. Make sure that you are using a durable cable when creating this type of bracelet (if you are not weaving), so the beads will not come undone when the bracelet is finally worn.
Meanings of Friendship Bracelets
Giving friendship bracelets is considered one of the most important ways to show appreciation to a friend. The object is pure and innocent, and depending on how you create the bracelet, you can put a lot of signification into it to make the bracelet even more memorable for your friend.
You can teach your kids to make friendship bracelets so they won’t have a hard time expressing themselves to their friends. Adults on the other have more deft hands, and you can buy more materials to make more complex bracelets. This is a good thing because you can put much of your natural artistry and creativity into what you are doing.
You can give friendship bracelets during birthdays and other similar occasions, and also during the holidays or just any time where you can get to be with your friends. Remember: you don’t need a significant event to give friends gifts. Because what are friends for, right? They should appreciate your efforts whenever that may be.
