Easy Friendship Bracelet Ideas

Friendship bracelets are one of those lovely crafts that never really go out of style. They are colourful, portable, fairly low-mess and brilliant for making, wearing, swapping or gifting.

If you are looking for an easy screen-free craft for children, teens or beginner makers, bracelet making is a great place to start. Here are a few simple friendship bracelet ideas, plus how to choose the right bracelet kit for your project.

Why friendship bracelets make such a good beginner craft

Bracelet making is a lovely project when you want something creative but not too complicated. It is colourful, satisfying and easy to come back to over a few short sessions, which makes it a good choice for patient children, teens and grown-ups too.

Friendship bracelets are also perfect for gifting. You can make matching bracelets for friends, choose someone’s favourite colours, or create a little pile of handmade bracelets to wear, share or swap.

Woven friendship bracelets: the easiest place to start

Woven friendship bracelets are a brilliant choice for beginners because the loom helps guide the process. Instead of learning lots of different knots, you move the threads around a small round loom to build up a neat, twisted bracelet.

This makes woven bracelet kits especially good for children aged 7+ with adult supervision, as well as teens and adults who want a relaxing, repetitive craft. They are a good option for rainy days, school holiday crafting, sleepovers and quiet weekends at home.

Knotted friendship bracelets: the classic chevron style

Knotted friendship bracelets are the traditional style many of us remember making when we were younger. They are created by tying threads in a repeated pattern to build up a colourful chevron design.

This type of bracelet takes a little more patience and concentration than the woven version, so it is best for older children, teens and adults. Once you get into the rhythm of the knotting, it is a really satisfying project to make over a few quiet sessions.

Friendship bracelet ideas to try

Make matching bracelets for friends

Choose the same colours for each bracelet, or make each one slightly different so everyone has their own version. This is a lovely idea for best friends, cousins, siblings or party guests.

Choose colours for a theme

Try rainbow colours, soft pastels, favourite team colours, party colours or shades that match a holiday outfit. Choosing the colours is half the fun.

Use them as sleepover favours

Bracelet making is a calm activity for sleepovers because everyone can sit around the table, choose their colours and make something to take home.

Create a school holiday craft basket

Pop a bracelet kit in a basket with scissors, snacks and little bags for finished bracelets. It makes an easy rainy-day craft set-up without needing lots of extra planning.

Make bracelets as handmade gifts

Finished bracelets can be tucked into birthday cards, used as stocking fillers, added to party bags or given as small thank-you gifts.

Which friendship bracelet kit should I choose?

Are friendship bracelet kits good for parties and sleepovers?

Yes, bracelet making is a lovely activity for parties, sleepovers and craft afternoons. It is colourful, creative and easy to set up at the table, and everyone gets something handmade to keep at the end.

For groups, the woven bracelet kits are the easiest place to start because the loom makes the process simple to follow. You can add extra looms if more than one person will be making bracelets at the same time.

A few tips before you start

• Choose your bracelet colours before you begin.
• Keep your threads neat as you work.
• Take breaks if the project starts to feel fiddly.
• Younger children may need help starting and finishing.
• Do not rush it. Bracelet making is meant to be slow and satisfying.