Typing all day, peeling nail polish, or fluttering while talking-- my hands just can't stay still. So it didn't take much more than a few trend reports and a breeze through a fabric store before I restarted one of my favorite crafts from childhood: making friendship bracelets. Since I'm not trying to score an invite to a superfun co-ed sleepover birthday, help me: how can I decorate with friendship bracelets?
When I saw the return of the friendship bracelet in Vainstyle's trend report, I was instantly hooked all over again. Maybe someday I'll pick up a useful hobby like knitting, but for right now, the repetitive knotting of friendship bracelets is soothing and automatic. Which is why I anticipate always having more than I can give away, slowly drowning in a sea of colorful embroidery floss. Here are some preventative measures I've come up with:
• Shadowbox collection:Pick the "butterflies" of the group, pin and display in shadowboxes.
• Perk up a pillow: Use bracelets as piping, or sew onto the cover in a pattern.
• Deck the halls: Tie bracelets together to form garland and dress a tree.
Does anyone else have this problem? Do you have suggestions for me? Share in the comments!
Image: Vainstyle.com.
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OMG! I'm going out to buy thread right now. I feel the bit of the friendship bracelet bug.
Add a caribener and make a wristlet keychain?
Learn to knit?
Send them to orphanages in under-privileged countries. I went to the Dominican Republic, and we handed out bracelets in schools and an orphanage. It was like Christmas for them.
I second the knitting suggestion! It's a learning curve initially, but then you start producing things you can actually use and gifts people will actually love!
I love making them too. Put tassels on them and use them as bookmarks! Christmas is coming!
Ever done seed bead weaving? I had one of those little bracelet looms and loved it when I was an older kid.
ooh I like lal's idea! Or talk to urban schools or urban kids clubs about using them for a fundraiser? That would be satisfying I'd think :)
what a great idea lal!!! If you don't end up doing that, you could sew them together and make doilies, placemats, potholders, headband, tied in a stack around a bottle to make a vase, a scarf or blanket for your pet mouse, etc. The possibilities are pretty endless..
Napkin ring? Tie around curtains?
You could make them a tad shorter and use on wine glasses for parties.
Napkin rings, yes!
Tie around solid colored vases/small planters in groups of 3 or 5 to add some interest.
Glue those you don't care to wear any longer to a strip of magnetic paper for cute, fun magnets.
Tie them together to make a longer strand, then wrap around white string lights before hanging over your bed or somewhere fun.
Wrap around a jar of homemade cookie/brownie/pancake mix and use to attach a gift tag. Pretty AND an extra gift for the special someone.
And, most definitely the best of all is that suggestion to give them to children in need at homeless shelters or orphanages. It's amazing what a small gesture like this will do. Even better, volunteer to teach them how to make one! Bring supplies for the kids and leave extras.
You could sew elastic on the ends of a really long one and use it as a headband.
If you have a dog and can get the proper hardware, you could make them into a collar and a leash.
Throw them out!
How long and wide can you make them before you become impossibly tangled in thread? A belt would be a great colorful accent --- and if your friends are like me, they'd really enjoy having a friendship belt!
The belt has one clear advantage for the recipient: you wear it occasionally, not every day. (Some of my nieces just discovered friendship bracelets, and I end up wearing them all the time to avoid hurt feelings. Adorable but not exactly my style.)
- Make them long enough and in design-worthy colours to glue onto a wooden picture frame.
- Starch them and make napkin rings.
- Come to think of it, if you start doing increases/decreases, and starched your creations, you could probably go crazy with structure, just as you can with knitting. Make lamp shades! Make scultures! Make vases!
Now, I'm tempted to re-start a new craft in the midst of a move, which is not wise....
I really love lal's idea to donate them to children in orphanages!
You could try to get in touch with someone who is volunteering abroad through a program like International Volunteer HQ ... they have a Facebook page and people are constantly posting about upcoming trips on it (looking for others traveling to the same area during the same time, mainly)
I'm sure you could get in touch with one of them and get them to bring the bracelets along to an orphanage. They'd be light an easy to pack so it wouldn't be hard to bring along. Bonus, they could take pictures with the kids wearing them and send them to you when they get back from their trip.
Sell them as Missoni knockoffs
crocheting – much more up your alley. It's just more knots!
Also love the idea of donating/ teaching either near you or overseas but my first thought was Etsy! Everyone had such wonderful ideas, you could make so many different things to sell!
Make them longer and use them as trim on pillow cases, place mats, table runners, clothing etc.
Are they strong enough to be used as drawer pulls?
Seriously? On Apartment Therapy??
Shoelaces!
Or use to decorate wrapped gifts. Christmas etc is coming!
Sew/fasten them together to make coasters or a cool table runner or placemats. Curtain tie-backs (safely) in a baby or child's room. Tie gift bags shut. Pet collars. Instead of tassels on something. Bookmarks.
"How can I decorate with friendship bracelets?"
Just don't.
I wish I had friends to make this article even relevant.
send all of your extra ones to me! seriously, i'll give you my address, i love them so much!
You can also make them in different patterns but the same colors - or black and white and add them to cuffs, collars, pillows, etc. as trim. Get larger 'thread' and longer 'thread' and make scarves for the holidays. Use the larger versions to make oblong pillows. Whatever you do, they're pretty and original - just make them bigger/smaller/longer/shorter for whatever craft you're interested in making. Modpoge will allow you to wrap vases in them or cover small frames with them (as mentioned earlier). Whatever you do, enjoy it.
I'm making these out of some of my grandmother's doilies....and friendship bracelet knotting. So adorable and useful!
http://www.igobykatie.com/2011/07/mimis-colorful-window-plant-diy.html
You all are so creative! Thanks for the project ideas and the donation option - never thought bracelets could make a difference :)
I LOVE lal's idea. Look into companies like Tom's and find out ways you can benefit people who are in need - how your passion can help other people. Good luck!
How 'bout these??http://www.moredesignplease.com/moredesignplease/2011/8/4/vintage-twist-on-friendship-bracelets.html
Do adults make friendship bracelets for each other? Never heard of them... I feel old now!
This is how I make friendship bracelets and they come out pretty nice http://howtofixstuff.blogspot.ca/2012/04/how-to-make-friendship-bracelet.html