Friendship Bracelet With Teardrop Loop and Triangle Ending

In this instructable you will learn how to create a "teardrop loop" at the beginning of your bracelet, the basic knots for creating a friendship bracelet, and a triangle ending. These bracelets are very cute and fun to wear, and I often receive many compliments on them. Some tips before you begin: find a comfortable place to make the bracelet such as at a desk or table to maintain healthy posture and prevent back pain. Other than that, I hope you find my instructable informative and helpful! Let's start knotting!

Supplies

• 5 different colors of embroidery string
• a clipboard (to hold the bracelet in place)
• scissors
• several hours

Step 1: ​Cut Your String

You are going to need way more than you think. For one string, cut 5 feet. This will be the string the shows on your loop so pick a color you like. For the other 4 strings cut 4 feet for each. If you don’t feel like measuring, just measure it with your arms. Two arm lengths will do, and slightly more for the 1 other string.

Step 2: ​Begin Making Your Teardrop Loop

Put the 4 strings together. Leave the longer one aside, folded in half as well. With your long string, you will attach it with the loop in the pictures. This loop should be in the middle of all the strings. All ends should be even in length.

Step 3: ​Start Making the Knots for the Loop

You will attach your strings to a clipboard or something to hold it down above the knot you just made. From here begin making forward backward knots with your long string around ALL the other strings. You will do half of the knots on this side of the center. I recommend around 7 forward backward knots (which is really 14). Next, flip the strings around so the part you just did is underneath the clip on the clipboard. Now, you will do backward forward knots. Do this so that all the knots will line up to the outside of the loop. Do 7 more on this side. You just did your loop!

Note: backward forward knots and forward backward knots are very similar, but are done in reverse order of each other. A forward knot will look like the number 4, done twice in a row, a backward knot will look like a backwards 4, and is also done twice. A forward backward knot will be two knots, one in the shape of a 4, one the opposite of a 4. Backward forward are the exact opposite. The importance of these is where the string ends up.

Step 4: ​Transition From the Loop to the Bracelet

This is where you will need to begin looking at your design. Look at your design and locate a triangle shape. For mine, the blue one is right at the beginning so I will use that one. Next you want to look at the strings leading into the knots made by the blue. The order is symmetrical on each side and will be for the entirety of the bracelet. The order from edge to center is light blue, pink, dark blue, yellow, green. Starting with light blue, on the left side of your bracelet, do a forward backward knot onto all 4 of the other strings. Then leave the light blue aside. Next, with pink, a forward backward knot onto the remaining 3 strings. Leave the pink aside. Next, with dark blue, a forward backward knot onto the remaining 2 strings, leaving the dark blue aside. Next, with yellow, a forward backward knot onto the green, leaving the yellow aside. No need to knot your green with anything yet. Your strings are now in order on one side of the bracelet! Now, do the other side in the exact same order, only with backward forward knots. This is a reverse of the other side, so the knots are opposite. Once they are all in order, you connect the green strings with either a forward forward, or backward backward knot. It doesn’t matter, just make sure both knots go the same direction.

Step 5: Begin Following Your Pattern

For an arrow pointing right (its diagonal down and right but I’m calling it right), you will do a forward knot (4 shape). Keep in mind that this is two forward knots. For an arrow pointing left, a backward knot is done (2 of them). Also, based on your pattern, you will be able to see which string does the knotting (the one you will be able to see), and which goes underneath. Make sure to pay attention to the order of the colors that is shown by the smaller strings in between the knots in your pattern, these are just as important as the main knots. Finally, forward backward and backward forward knots are signaled by arrows that turn. An arrow going right then left would mean doing a knot forwards, then backwards (only one of each). An arrow going left then right would mean doing a knot backwards, then forwards (only one of each).

Here’s a progression of the first two rows. From left edge to center, forward knot of light blue onto pink (from now on, its’s implied that there are 2 knots for each knot), forward knot of light blue onto dark blue, forward knot of light blue onto yellow, forward knot of light blue onto green. From right edge to center, backward knot of light blue onto pink, backward knot of light blue onto dark blue, backward knot of light blue onto yellow, backward knot of light blue onto green. Notice how after two knots each time, the strings switched places. Now that the two blues are in the center, tie them together with either a forward or backward knot (be careful, the bracelet it still fragile; held together by only a few strings).

For the second row, from left edge to center, forward knot of pink onto dark blue, backward knot of yellow onto pink, forward knot of pink onto green, backward knot of light blue onto pink. From right edge to center, backward knot of pink onto dark blue, forward knot of yellow onto pink, backward knot of pink onto green, forward knot of light blue onto pink. Now the pinks are in the center. Knot them together.

Continue following the pattern until you have enough to cover around 3/4ths of a wrist.

Step 6: Make the Triangle Ending

Now that you have created the bracelet, it is time to finish with a triangle ending. Begin with string second to the edge on the left side. For me, this is the light blue. Do a backward knot onto the outside string. Next, take the 3rd string from the edge, backward knot onto both the 1st and 2nd string from the edge. This pulls the strings towards the center. Next take the 4th string from the edge, backward knotting onto the 3 strings you just used. Finally, take the center string on the left side (mine is yellow). Backward knot onto the other 4 strings on the left side. Repeat these steps on the other side with forward knots.

Step 7: Finish It Off!

Now that you have all the strings in the center, take the 5 strings from each side, separate the two sides (5 strings each). Twist the strands the same direction. Next, wrap the two big twisted strands around each other. Make it pretty tightly wound. When you achieve a desired length, knot it once, and cut off the excess. Congratulations, you just make your friendship bracelet with a teardrop loop and triangle ending!