Friendship bracelets are bracelets given from one friend to another as a symbol of friendship. They are handmade and usually made out of embroidery floss or thread. There are various styles and patterns, but most are based on the same simple half-hitch knot. The making of friendship bracelets is a version of macrame.
The amount of thread used in bracelets can and usually does vary. The smallest pattern, a double chain knot, requires two strings. The candy stripe can have as few as three strings and as many as forty, based on pattern and thickness. Because of their versatility, they are worn by both males and females of all ages. They are particularly popular with pre-teen and adolescent girls and with present-day hippies, deadheads or Rainbow Family participants. These friendship bracelets are commonly worn by both male and female teenagers, surfers, and Camp counselors.
History and traditions
The knotcraft and hand weaving used to create traditional patterns stems from Native American handcrafts, particularly from Central American tradition. According to indigenous tradition, the recipient of a friendship bracelet must wear it until the cords wear out and fall off naturally. The idea is that the friend paid for it with the hard work and love that made it, and the recipient repays the friend by honoring the work. Removing the bracelet before it naturally falls off is a sign that the friendship has gone sour. Another variation of this tradition is that the recipient of a bracelet is entitled to a wish. After the bracelet wears out and falls off naturally, the wish will come true!
Patterns
- Pattern names vary slightly from place to place, but overall they are fairly similar.
- Alpha bracelets (with letters/symbols)
- Basic diagonal stripe
- Bordered chevron
- Broken ladder
- Chevron
- Diagonal threes
- Double chain knot
- Rag rug
- Swirl and braids (a combination of a braid and chinese staircase)
- Totem pole
- Chinese Staircase
- Zig zag
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