Whether you’re thinking of crafting with 7 string bracelet patterns or a string bracelet patterns simple enough for kids to understand, it’s always best to go back to the basic principles of bracelet making so you will get the best results.
Now, a friendship bracelet is essentially a woven/braided type of bracelet made of string that is either synthetic or made of more common textile materials such as cotton and nylon. Those who don’t want to create conventional-looking and woven friendship bracelets can settle on using leather cords, faux leather cords, cotton cords, and the like. But then again, to each his own.
This guide will be focusing on the more traditional method of creating friendship bracelets, which is taking several strings and creating patterns out of them through simple knotting and weaving.
Table of Contents
Knotting tips
Many of the patterns that you will be seeing online require a lot of knotting to create the background colors. Unfortunately, you can’t just cross strings together and expect the background colors to stick.
In order to create a colored background for your strings, it is necessary to create the right knots and repeatedly use the same knotting patterns until each row’s color requirement is achieved.
There are several kinds of useful knots for coloring the background of a patter, which we will be described in detail here.
How to make the right knot?
The first type of knot that we’d like to teach you is the right knot. It is so-called because the not terminates when you tighten everything up when you pull the string to the right.
To begin this knot, wrap the string around the vertical string and place the end over itself to the left.
Repeat the same motion (wrap to the right, place over through the left side). Once you have two loops both going in from the right, simply pull and you have your first knot. Now if you haven’t tried this before, you will have to repeat the same motions several times depending on the pattern that you are following.
How to make a left knot?
The second type of knot is called the left knot. The left knot can be done exactly like the right knot, only the string will be entering from the right instead of the left. Wrap one end of your string around the other sting from the right, loop it above and repeat the same loop below.
Once you have two loops again, simply pull and the knot should appear instantly. You know that the knot was successful when the tension allows you to move on to the next knot without unraveling the previous one.
What is the background string?
Whenever you color a pattern with these knots, you are crafting with the pattern’s background string/s. Background strings are the colored strings that allow you to ‘paint’ across the patterned canvas of the friendship bracelet.
Obviously, the patterns are going to be more vivid when you work with numerous threads, for example, 7 string bracelet patterns or some string bracelet patterns simple that have at least five or six strings.
How to make a downward knot?
When creating letter patterns on bracelets, take note of where the string is coming from. Most of the time, you will need to work with downward knots instead of left knots or right knots.
Downward knots look exactly like left/right knots, but they cut across from above. Loop to the back of the horizontal string, pull over the string then loop downward again. The direction of the end of the string should be coming from below.
If it’s coming in from below, the downward knot is successful. When creating a pattern for the first time, we recommend that you examine the pattern carefully and work letter by letter. Count how many strings you need for the background and how many strings or colors are required for the additional image or letter.
In the case of a simple letter pattern on 7 string bracelet patterns, what is usually required is seven strings for the background color and one to two strings for the letter pattern. More strings associated with the additional image means you will get a thicker or heftier image.
As you work across the background strings, you will reach the opposite end – simply knot back from the opposite end and just move down the next row. This will ensure a neat and unbroken weave for 7 string bracelet patterns or whatever pattern you happen to be working on.
Choosing the right string for your project
If you are having a tough time with the current type of string that you have, you may want to explore other strings that may be better suited to your skills or temperament as a creator. Embroidery threads are usually a good choice for all skill levels because the threads are hardy and come in a lot of pretty colors.
The thinner ones may be tougher to handle because they can unravel quickly, so you can just go down the gauge so you can work with thicker threads.
Take note that the thicker the threads, the wider the friendship bracelet would be, so if you don’t mind the friendship bracelet widening a little, you should be fine with embroidery thread or cotton threads in the lower gauge. If you are strapped for cash and would like to save a little, you can try crafting threads because these are cheaper as they are made from synthetic materials.
The downside is that they can break more easily, so be careful when crafting and don’t expect much from the string when it snaps when you try to undo a wrong knot. You are also free to experiment with yarn, though these are softer and the string behaves a little differently when knotted tightly against other strings.
Can you combine strings? We do not recommend combining strings as synthetic strings and cotton strings do not work well together. It’s possible that you will see some unraveling or snapping as friction between strings can weaken fibers and eventually lead to problems. You are, however; free to combine different colored threads from the same class of string.
More articles you may interest:
How Many Types of Strings and How to Choose for DIY Bracelet?
3 Easiest Friendship Bracelet DIY Ideas: Chevron, Letters & Beads Bracelets
What are Friendship Bracelets as Special Gifts for Someone?
How Do You Make Chevron Bracelets
