You knew it was coming; you just didn't know when.
That's right, children of the '80s, we're going to make FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS today!
Unlike the creations you may have woven in Elementary School, these embroidery-floss wonders will be made with a cardboard loom. And you won't believe how easy they are. They're especially easy to pick up and put down at any point, which is handy when you're out camping in the woods and get called upon to chop some wood, or go on a hike, or reapply bug spray for the 300th time.
Here, Kelly models a finished floss bracelet. The ends have been threaded through an oversize button and tied off, but you can just as easily tie it in a regular old knot.
This is how it starts. From left: a bracelet that's just getting started, a bracelet that's completely woven and ready to be removed from the loom, and a finished bracelet.
Set Up:
Cut a cardboard circle about 3 inches in diameter.
Cut eight evenly spaced notches around the perimeter of the circle.
Poke a hole in the center with scissors.
Choose three colors of embroidery floss.
Cut seven lengths of embroidery floss about as long as your arm, from your extended fingertips just past your elbow. (Angie likes using three strands of one color, and two strands of the other two colors.)
Tie all seven strands of floss into a single knot, about 2 inches from one end.
Poke the knot through the hole in the center of the cardboard.
Slip each strand of floss through a different notch in the cardboard circle, leaving one notch empty.
Get Started:
Hold the loom with one hand, making sure the empty notch is at the bottom of the circle.
Now, count three notches counter-clockwise from the empty notch, and pull that strand of floss over the top of the loom and slip it into the empty notch, as seen below.
Angie pulled the green strand past the yellow and blue strands and
slipped it into the open space. Exciting. Wouldn't you like to see her do it again? But first, notice that she has rotated the loom so the empty space is at the bottom of the circle again. (Trust us; it's easier this way.)
This time, the yellow floss loops up and over a strand of green and blue floss. Let's see that one more time. Again, Angie rotates the loom so the empty space is at the bottom of the circle.
And she's looped a strand of blue floss up and over a green strand and another blue strand. Riveting. Absolutely riveting, right?
Repeat the above steps over and over and a round, woven bracelet emerges from the bottom of the loom. It's like magic!
Now go forth and weave. Tomorrow, we'll be playing with fire. Literally.
