Chevron Macrame Friendship Bracelet

Chevron Macrame Friendship Bracelet.

Our kids made Chevron Macrame Friendship Bracelets and gave them away by the bunches. They wore several on their wrist or ankles at all times and didn’t take them off until they fell apart! 

In my mind’s eye I can still see long colorful strings pinned to their jeans in the back seat of the car. They would cross the strings, tie knots and make beautiful patterned bracelets while we traveled. This one craft, Chevron Macrame Friendship Bracelets, kept them busy for hours upon hours. I’m thinking the same thing will be true for the grands.

Colorful Embroidery Floss

My main job was to keep my kids supplied with Embroidery Floss. Boom. I could do that. There is still a good supply downstairs in my craft stash. (I know, minimize…but I NEED MY CRAFT SUPPLIES! Seriously, I use them all the time.) Really the only other supplies you need are some tape and a scissors. So cool.

So when I went to the store to find Embroidery Floss for this craft, I found that there were some options on small skeins that were similar in weight if you think your grands will want to do quite a few bracelets. Otherwise, the embroidery floss option works great.

Instructions (check out the video!)

So- writing out instructions for how to make these was a lot harder than I bargained for. Be sure to watch the amazing video to see it being done in real time! A picture/video is worth a thousand words.

These instructions are to learn the technique so only use three colors of floss. As you gain skill and confidence increase to 4 or 5 colors. This will make the bracelets more colorful and wider as well.

Step 1: Cut the floss to length

Cut 3 strands of floss 72” long and fold in half (so there are six 36 inch strands). For this tutorial we are using blue, green and yellow floss which match the video instructions. I’ll refer in the instructions to those three colors. Of course, you can use whatever colors of Embroidery Floss you desire!

Tie a knot at the folded end of all of the floss about ¾” from the fold. 

Scotch Tape this looped end to the table (or Safety Pin it to your jeans like my girls did).

TIMEOUT:

First it is important to learn these two basic macramé knots.

Left hand knot (goes from the left to the right)

Take the far left blue strand and cross it over the top of the next green strand, like a bent “L”.

Wrap the blue strand around the back of the green strand and back out through the loop of the blue strand.

Hold the green strand and pull the knot you just made up to the top where all the floss is knotted so it is tight.

Repeat to finish the left hand knot.

Note- always do the left hand knot two times for this bracelet pattern.

Now the green strand is on the far left and the blue strand is second over from the left.

Right hand knot (goes from the right to the left)

Take the far right blue strand and cross it over the top of the next green strand, like a backwards bent “L”.

Wrap the blue strand around the back of the green strand and back out through the loop of the blue strand.

Hold the green strand and pull the knot up to the top where the flosses are knotted so it is tight.

Repeat to finish the right hand knot.

Note- always do the right hand knot two times for this bracelet pattern.

Now the green strand is on the far right and the blue strand is second over from the right.

Step 2:

Now, to make a chevron macrame friendship bracelet! Cut and tie the floss as described above in step 1 (three folded in half for 6 strands).

Tie a left hand knot using the left blue over the next green strand. Repeat

Then tie a left hand knot using the left blue over the next yellow strand. Repeat

The blue strand that had been on the left is now in the center.

Step 3:

Tie a right hand knot using the right blue over the next green strand. Repeat.

Then tie a right hand knot using the left blue over the next yellow strand. Repeat.

The blue strand that had been on the right is now in the center.

So, both blue strands are now in the middle of the 6 strands.

Tie the two blue strands together in the middle of the bracelet. (You can use either a left hand or a right hand knot, it doesn’t matter). Repeat.

Step 4:

Repeat step 2 and 3 with each of the green strands that are on the far left and on the far right.

When finished the 2 green strands are now in the middle of the 6 strands.

Tie the two green strands together in the middle of the bracelet. Repeat.

Step 5:

Repeat step 4 and 5 with the yellow strands that are on the far left and on the far right.

When finished the 2 yellow strands are now in the middle of the 6 strands.

Tie the two white strands together in the middle of the bracelet. Repeat

NOTE: Repeat his pattern until the bracelet is the desired length. Isn’t this fun?

Step 6: Tie off the bracelet: 

Braid the three strands on the left to about 4 inches long. Tie a knot. 

Braid the three strands on the right to about 4 inches long. Tie a knot.

Clip the ends to look neat. Not too short or they will unravel!

Friendship bracelet story.

So I’ve been told that the friendship bracelet came from Central America and was created to be a sign of a good and long friendship. The gifted friendship bracelet would be tied on with a wish and not taken off till it wore off. As it fell off the wish would come true! I’ll have to ask my girls if that part about a wish was true or not! Regardless, what a fun thing to make for a friend for Valentine’s Day, a birthday, or any day! 

Step 7: Put on the chevron macrame friendship bracelet. Make a wish!

Use the two braided ends to tie through the loop on the other end of the bracelet so it stays on. Don't forget to make a wish! 🙂

There are so many other patterns of friendship bracelets that you can make if you want to expand on this craft after mastering the Chevron Macrame Friendship Bracelet. One pattern per post is quite enough though. Perhaps more later!?

Supplies

• Embroidery Floss in various colors (3-7 colors)
• Scissors
• Scotch Tape
• Safety Pins (optional)

Enjoy!

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Credits: Video by October Creative, Ben and Laura Heller.