Have you ever seen someone sporting a colorful braided bracelet and wanted one for yourself? Look no further! Here are some easy-to-follow instructions on the entire process for a basic bracelet with a sliding closure. Will you choose a natural look and use jute twine, or will you opt for the pop of color Chinese knotting cord provides? What type of charm do you want to display? Or, would you want to use rhinestones? Charms can easily be obtained from prior jewelry or from stores around town. I wonder what could be upcycled from Goodwill or NU2U. The possibilities are endless!
Supplies:
4 yards hemp twine or Chinese knotting cord
A connector or charm of some type
An embroidery needle
Scissors
Instructions:
Start by cutting your cord - 2 30-inch, 2 20-inch, 1 10-inch. Fold and loop one 20-inch piece through your connector and pull the ends through. Repeat this with the other 20-inch piece. Go ahead and anchor your connector. I usually do this by pinning it to my jeans or taping it to the table.
Take one 30 inch piece and center it under the cord you just attached. Now, you're going to start knotting! Put the right order over the middle strands and under the left cord. Slip the left cord under the middle strands and through the loop that's now on the right side. Pull it tight and slip the knot up to the top, right against your connector.
Now, fold the left cord over the middle strands and under the right cord. Slip the right cord under the middle pieces and through the loop on the left. You just completed your first knot!
Keep repeating the steps until the length is what you want. The sliding clasp should take about half an inch, so keep that in mind. By alternating sides, you're making a braid that lays flat.
To finish, thread one cord through your needle. Slip the needle inside about 4 knots, then poke it through and pull the cord all the way through. Repeat with the other cord.
Cut off the excess cord and save it for later. You can use a lighter (if you're using cord) to carefully melt the tips you just cut for extra hold.
Repeat steps 2-6 on the other side.
For the sliding closure, shape your bracelet into a circle, overlapping the four middle pieces. You can use the excess cord to tie everything together at the ends.
Center the 10-inch cord under the 4 middle pieces. Tie the strands as you did for steps 2-4, making the length about a half-inch. Finish it as you did in step 5 with the needle. Remove the excess cords from the ends.
Tie off the sets of middle strands, making sure to adjust it to the fit of your wrist. Snip the excess. You can also use a lighter to melt these tips too.
Voila! Your macrame bracelet is complete!
Show off your finished bracelets! Post photos in the comments or come to the Wyrkshop and show off your hard work! We'd also love to showcase your creations on our social media.