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Check on this list of easy techniques to start and end friendship bracelets for a professional-looking finish. If you are wondering how to begin your bracelet with a loop buckle, or finish with an adjustable bead or button closure, read on more tips!
Do you love to make friendship bracelets?
When I was younger, my friends and I didn’t know any special techniques to start and finish our friendship bracelets. We’d just tie the loose strings together around our wrists with a simple (and permanent!) knot. We’d wear our bracelets around the clock until they broke or we cut them off!
Now, it seems like there are so many techniques you can use to start and end your bracelets. Use them to make removable bracelets, adjustable closures, and just an overall more professional look.
One of my new favorite techniques is to start a friendship bracelet with a loop buckle and end it with button closure. Check out all the tutorials below!
Related Posts
- How to Read Friendship Bracelet Patterns
- How to Tie the 4 Basic Friendship Bracelet Knots
- Friendship Bracelet Color Ideas and Combinations
Starting Techniques
When you want to keep it simple, it’s perfectly fine to start a friendship bracelet by tying all of the strings together in an overhand knot.
If you want to get a little fancy, check out these tutorials with other ways to begin friendship bracelets.
How to Start with a Loop (aka Buckle)
This tutorial will show you how to start your project with a simple, quick friendship bracelet loop (buckle). You can add this loop to just about any pattern.
How to Make a Teardrop Loop
Sometimes, especially with wide bracelets, you might want a teardrop-shaped loop. This video will show you how to make a teardrop loop for your friendship bracelet.
How to Start with a Barnacle Knot Buckle
The barnacle knot is essentially a variation on the simple loop buckle. It adds a few macrame-style square knots around the bundle of strings. This pulls the loop into a teardrop shape and creates a “neck” or square knots between the loop and the body of the bracelet.
How to Make A Straight First Row
Sometimes, especially with wider alpha-style patterns, you may have a hard time making a straight first row. This video will show you how to straighten up that first row with a straight edge loop for friendship bracelets.
How to Start a Wide Bracelet
If you are starting an ultra-wide bracelet pattern, you may need to employ a few specialty techniques to keep it from curling up at the ends.
One of the best ways to start your wide bracelet pattern is by making two loops (aka buckles) at the beginning.
Endings and Closures Techniques
Ending a friendship bracelet can be as easy as tying all of the strings together in a simple knot. Then you can use the loose ends to tie the bracelet on to your wrist.
But, if you’d rather make a removable or adjustable bracelet, you’ll want to follow one of the tutorials listed below.
How to Make Shaped Triangle Ends
There are a lot of ways to start and end bracelets. One of my favorite ways to finish the bracelet with a v-shaped or triangle-shaped end.
This technique works especially well when you’ve chosen a pattern with a natural v-shape, like a chevron pattern.
In short, what you’ll do is use the two outer most strings to create knots around all of the other strings, gathering them up one by one.
Here is a great video that explains the process.
How to Finish a Bracelet with Twisted Ends
One of the simplest ways to finish a friendship bracelet is to divide the strings into two pairs bundles, and ply those bundles together to create two twisted ends.
How to Make a Button or Bead Closure
You can also thread a button or a bead on to the end of your bracelet. The button or bead should be the right size to pass through the loop on the other end.
- Choose a button with four holes, if possible.
- Thread the two outer strings through the holes in the button, making an x shape across the front of the button. Make a few knots with these two strings to secure the button.
- Finish the bracelet by tying all of the strings together with an overhand knot.
How to Made an Adjustable Bracelet Closure
You can also make your friendship braceletes adjustable so that you can easily get them on and off.
Here is a video that explains one of the techniques for making adjustable bracelets.
Finishing with a Metal Clasp or Ribbon Clamp
And finally, you can finish your friendship bracelet with a jewelry clasp or ribbon-style clamp.
Metal jewelry clamps are easy to add to your bracelets. You’ll need two wide crimp-style connectors, a few jump rings, and a clasp for this technique. You’ll also want some pliers and a dab of glue.
- Cut the loose threads off both ends of the bracelet.
- Add a little glue to hold the threads together at the ends and stop them from unraveling.
- After the glue dries, put the end of the bracelet inside the clamp. Press the clamp closed with pliers. The clamp has tiny teeth that will keep the bracelet from coming out or falling apart.
What’s Next?
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Sarah Stearns Founder and Editor
Sarah Stearns has helped millions of makers find their next craft project with free patterns and step-by-step tutorials on her blog, sarahmaker.com. Read more.
With over a decade of experience in knitting and crochet, she has been featured in prominent publications like The New York Times, Scientific American, Good Housekeeping, Vox, Apartment Therapy, and Lifehacker.
