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Monday, June 13, 2011

Cord & Chain Friendship Bracelets DIY Tutorial Plus a Giveaway

While it may have took a bit of nudging for me to jump on the rhinestone bangle train, when friendship bracelets started making a comeback a few months ago, I was fully on board.  Friendship bracelets are one 80's and 90's trend that I can fully support and embrace, eliciting so many fond memories of weaving bracelet after bracelet, trading them back and forth, building a collection so large it went up half my arm.  Oh all the colors and patterns I had!

While the ones I wore as a kid were the kind you knotted onto your arm for dear life, only to be taken off by wielding a pair of scissors, these little bracelets here easily come on and off, and with the pretty gunmetal chain detail, amp up the sophistication just a bit for a more grown up feel.  They're inspired by a couple of bracelets I picked up at Forever 21.  Here's what you'll need:
I found the braiding cord at a local and thrifty fabric store for $2, but I also saw it at Michael's for just a bit more.  The linked chain is in gunmetal, but can be found in gold & silver as well at Michael's for $3.99, less your 40% off coupon :)  The chain comes in a 24" strip, and using a pair of dikes I cut off a 6" section.  You will also need a pair of scissors and a match.

You begin by cutting 4 sections of cording, 2 longer and 2 shorter pieces.  I cut my cord 18" & 24" long just to give me plenty of wiggle room to work with.  In the picture below you will see a tiny little ring called a jump ring added to the chain.  I added one because I have plenty on hand, and it just made it a bit more of a cleaner look, but this is not a necessary step.  You could just tie the knot directly onto the chain if you don't want to have to buy another supply.  At any rate, make a nice secure knot at the top of the chain, leaving at least 1.5"-2" of cording at the end. 
Your shorter piece of cording is just going to run straight down the edge of the entire length of chain, and the longer piece is what you'll use to make the loops.  The shorter piece lays on top of the first chain link, while you thread the longer piece under the first chain link, and then over the next chain link, making sure to cross over the shorter piece of cord.
 Here's a closer example.  While the shorter piece lies straight, right next to the chain, the longer piece loops under both the chain link and the shorter piece of cord.
 And then it loops over the shorter piece of cord and then back through the chain link.
Pulling the cording taught as you make your way down.
Repeating all the way down the other side as well
 Once complete, pull nice and taught and work out any twists that may have occured
At the starting point, make a loop and tie off with a double knot, allowing enough room for another double knot at the opposite end to loop through.  In essence, we're making a toggle closure here.
 At the bottom end, make a nice and secure double knot
 Trim excess cording at both ends with a sharp pair of scissors
And very carefully singe the ends of the cut off cording to secure the knot.  Do not fear, any black residue will brush off shortly.
Loop around your wrist and you're ready to go!  
I love the stacked look, but it sure looks pretty sitting all by itself too :)
Want me to send you a pair of your own?  Leave a comment telling me your favorite trend from childhood's past and you'll automatically be entered.  Extra entries if you like my Facebook page and if you Follow my blog either through a Reader or Google Friend Connect.  Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.  I'll send one reader a set of friendship bracelets in two glam colors.  Giveaway ends Friday June 17th at midnight PST. 
Good luck!  But remember, if you don't win, it's pretty darn easy, and affordable to make your own!
I'm linking up to Heather's Life Made Lovely Monday and
Today's Creative Blog Get Your Craft On Tuesday
and Sweet Floweret 20 Minute Tuesday 

40 comments:

  1. okay this is seriously too cute!! the trend i remember {as well as cringe at} is necklaces and bracelets made out of rubber bands. weird!

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  2. YOu are too creative for your own good! That bracelet is awesome. I used to rock the double sock trend. The colors matched the double shirt trend I wore at the same time with my sleeves rolled. Scary.

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  3. just printed off these instructions to make a few bracelets at the beach this week: fingers crossed it's as easy as you made it look. :) my favorite childhood trend was best friend necklaces -- the heart or locket ones you would share with your b.f.f. i kind of miss those. can we bring that trend back?

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  4. LOVE this and will be making several ... If they turn out to be easy enough to make! Do you remember friendship pins? Where we took a safety pin and put different colors of beads on them then put them on our sneakers? Thanks for the great tutorial!

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  5. You are so talented and I like your blue nails. I'd love to get a friendship bracelet from you. ; ) {favorite childhood trend - wearing 2 sets of florescent socks!}

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  6. I love this idea!! So cute yet easily made. My favorite childhood jewelry was the Slap-It bracelets. They would stay straight until you would slap it on your wrist and it would wrap around forming a bracelet. We would walk around slapping them on all our friends in school and trading them for other colors with each other. Oh fun times...

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  7. very cool....i may have to try this!!

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  8. This is too cute!! I love all the new tutorials you've been doing. I need a craft night. One of my favorite childhood memories was the knotted friendship bracelets. I made those for all my friends!!

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  9. beautiful! My favorite childhood trend was my sticker books (I had thousands of stickers) and my photo albums with all my loves in them...you know Kirk Cameron, Michael J. Fox. Wait that was a trend right? It wasn't just me?

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  10. I already "like" your FB page ;)

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  11. Hello! My favorite childhood trend was the mall hair! My bangs were hairsprayed up and I would take blue mascara and put a streak in the middle of them! Wow, I sound old now!!!!! LOL

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  12. Cute! Gosh, favorite trend...How about the Madonna skirt? Not even sure if that's what everyone called it. It was short, stretchy and mine was lavender - I loved it! With my jellies and rubber bracelets of course.

    See you next week my friend. Oh and I'm willing to come test out your pool whenever :-)

    xoxo

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  13. the bracelets are pretty cute! i used to rock the high, side pony tail and wear two pairs of colored socks in jr. high. ah, the good old days ;)

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  14. that is so cute and simple. must try. my fave trend from childhood was the sandals that tied on with giant shoe laces.

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  15. You are so creative! Those bracelets are awesome. I have to say I was a huge fan of cut, off the shoulder, sweatshirts. Flashdance - oh ya, baby. Also rubber bracelets too!

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  16. wow.... how creative you are. These are so much fun. Love your style girlfriend!

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  17. Forgot to re-enter as a blog follower! :) Fingers crossed!

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  18. so sweet! would love it if you'd link it up to my 20 minute tuesday linky party ;)
    details here: http://www.sweetfloweret.com/2011/06/20-minute-tuesday-7.html

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  19. is the pretty nail polish color as crucial to the end result as it looks?

    just wondering. ;)

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  20. So cool! I have a giant gold-toned chain like this and have been wondering what to do with it. I will give this a try!
    Jenni 4 kissed by a frog @
    kissedbyafrog.blogspot.com

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  21. I rocked the double neon socks like no one's business!!

    XO!

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  22. Love this Andrea! I've been looking for a jewelry activity for the girls I work with at church. I think this ones a winner!

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  23. My favorite trend was the button collection on the jean jackets. My favorite button was of Michael Jackson! I loved the way the jacket sounded with all of those metal buttons clanking around. I guarantee if I introduced this "style" to my daughter she would LOVE it!

    And those bracelets are awesome! Oh, and your nail color inspired me to quit biting my nails so some day I can paint them cool colors like yours! :o)

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  24. I also "liked" you on Facebook.

    (I need to get on board with my blog's facebook page... I've done nothing with it!)

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  25. My favorite trend...I have a few.
    Anything neon
    Scrunci socks with my classic Vans
    Slap bracelets
    My puffy painted shirts with matching bike shorts!

    That was fun! Haha.

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  26. LOVE this!

    friendship bracelets were my fave, too! also loved tying a side knot in my hot pink-or any neon color-tshirts!

    xo

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  27. Hi Andrea :) I used to make friendship bracelets too. I also liked the jelly bracelets and slinky bracelets.

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  28. And now I'm really following you. I thought I was before but I guess I wasn't. But now I am. I think.

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  29. Hi!
    Featured this at my 20 minute tuesday wrap up!
    Feel free to grab a "featured" button ;)
    Tina
    www.sweetfloweret.com

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