Simple Friendship Bracelet
Make a slip knot with worsted weight yarn. Get out a fun color of worsted weight yarn and pull about 6 inches (15 cm) away from the yarn ball. Twist the end of the yarn into a loop and slip your thumb and pointer finger through the loop. Pinch the yarn tail while you pull down on the working yarn with your other hand. This makes a slip knot. If you're not sure if you made the slip knot correctly, keep pulling the yarn in opposite directions. A slip knot will come undone instead of tightening into a sturdy knot.
Slide the slip knot onto a size US G6 (4.00 mm) crochet hook. Once you put the loop behind the point of the crochet hook, pull gently until the yarn is snug. Resist the urge to pull tightly or it will be tricky to make chain stitches for your bracelet.
Make a chain stitch to start your bracelet. Wrap the yarn around the hook once and pull it through the loop. This forms a new chain stitch. Don't pull the working yarn tightly after you make the chain stitch or you'll have a hard time working more stitches.
Chain enough stitches to wrap the bracelet around your wrist. Keep making chains until you have a long crocheted cord. Check the bracelet length every once in a while by wrapping it around your wrist. Stop crocheting chain stitches once you can bring the ends of the bracelet together at your wrist. For example, make around 30 chains for a large bracelet or 20 chains for a small one. If you're making the friendship bracelet for a friend, measure their wrist so you know how long to make the chain. You can crochet the bracelet so it's a lot longer than your wrist. This way, you can wrap the bracelet around your wrist several times before you tie it.
Cut the yarn and pull it through your last chain. Leave a 6 to 8 in (15 to 20 cm) yarn tail when you make the cut. Then, pull your hook away so the yarn draws through the last chain stitch you made. You'll use this yarn tail to tie the bracelet around your wrist.
Wrap the bracelet around your wrist and tie a square knot with the ends. To make it easier to tie, grab the yarn tail with the fingers so you can hold it in your palm. Wrap the other end of the bracelet around your wrist and hold it close to your body so you can tie a basic square knot with the ends. It is tricky to tie a bracelet around your own wrist, so ask a friend to tie your friendship bracelet if you're struggling. To make a thick friendship bracelet, make 3 of these simple friendship bracelets. Then, braid them together and tie them around your wrist.
Braided Crocheted Cuff
Leave an 8 to 10 in (20 to 25 cm) yarn tail and make a slip knot. Get out lightweight yarn in any color and pull a long strand of yarn from the skein, but don't cut it. Make a slip knot about 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) from the end of the yarn tail. Choose yarn that's comfortable since you don't want a rough bracelet to scratch your wrist.
Slide the slip knot onto a size US 7 (4.5 mm) crochet hook. Slip the loop behind the point of your crochet hook and pull on the yarn until it's secure on the hook. Don't pull too tightly or you'll have a hard time working your foundation stitches. Read the yarn package to see which crochet hook it recommends you use. If you're using a thinner yard, you'll need to use a smaller hook, for instance.
Make 3 chain stitches to start a foundation half-double crochet (FHDC) stitch. Wrap the yarn around your hook once and pull it through to make a chain. Repeat this 2 more times to make 3 chain stitches that will become a foundation half-double crochet. You're working half-double crochet stitches to form the bracelet without having to make a foundation chain row.
Insert your hook into the first chain and pull up a loop. Wrap the yarn over your hook once and push the hook into the first chain that you made. Then, yarn over once and pull the hook through the loop. This makes a foundation half-double crochet stitch.
Wrap the yarn over the hook and pull it through to finish the foundation HDC. To give you a foundation chain underneath your work, wrap the yarn around your hook once and pull it through the first loop on your hook. Then, yarn over once and pull through all 3 loops on your hook. This finishes 1 foundation HDC stitch. If your stitches are a little loose, pull the yarn tail until the work tightens a little.
Work FHDC stitches until you can wrap the strip around your wrist 3 1/2 times. To work the length of the bracelet, just keep making FHDC stitches until you have a really long strip. To tell if you've made it long enough, hold the end at your wrist and wrap the strip around your wrist 3 1/2 times. For example, if your wrist measures 6 inches (15 cm) around, make your strip 21 inches (53 cm) long.
Fold the strip into thirds and slip stitch to join the bracelet. Spread the crocheted strip straight and pull 1 end back towards the other end. Wrap the strip in a loop that curves away to bend the strip into thirds. Then, push your hook into the end with the working yarn so it goes through the strip that's hanging loose. Make 2 slip stitches to pinch all three strips together. This keeps the folded strips in place while you braid the bracelet.
Lay the strips flat and braid them together. Take out your crochet hook and pull the loop of yarn so it doesn't unravel. Place the crocheted piece flat so you have the 3 strips lying next to each other. Then, braid the 3 of them together, keeping the strips loose as you work. Lay your crochet hook at the top of the strips or tape them to hold the top end in place while you braid.
Thread the yarn onto a needle and whipstitch the end. Once you've braided the length of your bracelet, cut the working yarn and thread it through the eye of a needle. Then, sew over the edge of your bracelet's end a few times and tie it off. If you don't want to tie the ends together in a basic square knot, add a button closure.
Crocheted Bracelet with Beads
Slide 30 beads onto embroidery thread. You can use as many beads as you like, but try 30 to get started. Just slip them onto your choice of thread or yarn in the order that you want them to appear on your crocheted bracelet. To make a heavily-beaded bracelet, use between 30 and 50 beads, for instance. If you're using large beads, you might only want 5 to 10 beads, though. Don't cut the thread before or after you add the beads since they'll slip off if you do.
Pull 7 to 8 inches (18 to 20 cm) of yarn from the beads and tie a slip knot. Slide the beads down towards the wrapped embroidery thread and pull until you have a 7 to 8 in (18 to 20 cm) yarn tail. Then, make a slip knot near the end of the tail. Remember, to make a slip knot, twist the yarn into a loop. Put your thumb and forefinger through it and pinch the tail. At the same time, pull down on the working yarn.
Put the knot on a US C (2.5 mm) crochet hook and make 39 chain stitches. Place the slip knot behind the point of the crochet hook and pull gently to secure it to the hook. Then, wrap the yarn once around the hook and pull it through the loop to make 1 chain. Repeat this 38 times to make a total of 39 chain stitches. Once you finish the chain stitches, you'll have a crocheted cord that forms the basis for the bracelet.
Slip 1 stitch and slip stitch into every chain across the cord. Once you reach the end of the cord, push your hook into the chain stitch you just made. Wrap the yarn around the hook once and pull it through the loop. To finish the slip stitch, pull the loop through the other one on your hook. Repeat this for every stitch across your bracelet.
Make 1 chain stitch and slip stitch into the next 4 stitches. Create 1 chain stitch at the end of your cord and make 4 slip stitches so your bracelet has a smooth space before you add beads to it. This starts the third row of your bracelet.
Slide a bead onto the bracelet and slip stitch to secure it. When you're ready to add a bead, push your hook into the next stitch. Instead of working it right away, slide the closest bead onto the bracelet. Then, make a slip stitch so the bead stays in place. It might help to put your pointer finger on the bead while you're slip stitching so it doesn't wiggle around.
Add beads with the slip stitch for the next 29 stitches. Repeat this for the next 29 stitches to add all of the beads to your bracelet. Then, slip stitch the last 4 stitches of your bracelet without adding beads. This makes the smooth end that you'll tie to the other end of the bracelet.
Slip stitch into every stitch back across the bracelet. Finish crocheting the other side of the bracelet so the beads are centered. To do this, just make a slip stitch into each stitch along the beaded bracelet until you reach the other end.
Leave a 7 to 8 in (180 to 200 mm) tail and pull it through the last stitch. Cut the yarn to leave a long tail and use your hook to pull it through the end. Tug tightly on the yarn to secure the bracelet.
Cut 14 to 15 in (36 to 38 cm) tails for each end and braid them. To make decorative ends for the bracelet, cut 3 pieces of embroidery thread so they're 14 to 15 inches (36 to 38 cm) long and pull them through the last stitch. Tie them to the bracelet and braid them together. Repeat this for the other end to finish your bracelet. You can adjust the length of the braided ends before you use them to tie the bracelet to your wrist.
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