Make Friendship Bracelets For Concerts + Ideas & Design Guide

Friendship bracelets are a meaningful way to show your friends love and kindness. You can create stylish bracelets that can be cherished and worn as mementos - perfect for celebrating milestones, expressing gratitude, or just spreading joy.

While matching "BEST FRIENDS" bracelets are still a fun trend, below are other types of bracelets that you can make.

TYPES OF FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS

Two main styles of friendship bracelets include knotted macrame friendship bracelets and beaded friendship bracelets, commonly made with pony beads & alphabet beads.

KNOTTED MACRAME FRIENDSHIP BRACLETS STYLES:

• Tie-On Bracelets: all styles of knotted macrame bracelet can be made to tie around the wrist, no clasp is needed - click here for tie-on bracelet instructions
• Braided Bracelets: Braiding is one of the easiest ways to make a bracelet with embroidery floss - you can also use leather or hemp. 
• Spiral Design: tie a series of linear knots to create a bracelets, alternate colors to create a color block design
• Chevron Design (V pattern): embroidery floss is knotted to make a chevron or V design
• Striped Design: similar to the chevron design, but instead of creating V patterns, alternate colors to create stripes
• Zipper Pattern: embroidery floss is knotted to create a zipper-like pattern, this can be done with a single color, or emphasize the zipper design by using several colors of floss

*These bracelets can also be decorated with beads and charms

BEADED FRIENDSHIP BRACLETS STYLES:

• Name Bracelets: spell names with alphabet beads and other decorative beads - click here to name bracelet instructions
• Inspirational Bracelets: share positive messages with alphabet beads and other decorative beads - click here for inspirational bracelet instructions
• Charm Bracelets: beaded or macrame bracelets decorated with charms
• Mixed Media Bracelets: mix and match different materials, bead types, colors & textures
• Pony Bead Bracelets: stretch bracelets made with pony beads and alphabet beads
• Tie-On Bracelets: string beads onto leather, suede, cotton, or hemp cord and simply tie around the wrist, no clasp is needed - click here for tie-on bracelet instructions
  
  

CLASPS & CLOSURES

There are different clasps and closures for bracelets, here are some of the most common:

• Stretch Bracelets: no clasp required, a one size fits most option - click here for stretch bracelet instructions
• Tie-On Bracelets: no clasp required, a one size fits most option - click here for tie-on bracelet instructions
• Clasped Bracelets: bracelets need to be made to a specific size and you will need tools to attach clasps and jump rings. Extender chains can be used to make the bracelet size adjustable.
   

CELEBRATE WITH DIY FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS

• Concerts and Festivals: Friendship bracelets can be stylish accessories that add personality to your outfit. You can also trade and share them with friends and new people you meet. Use alphabet beads to spell out name of your favorite musicians & bands, or lyrics and song names.
• Celebrate Memories & Shared Experiences: Craft themed friendship bracelets to remember special moments like road trips, game days, homecoming, or prom. Share them on the first day of school or other occasions. Friendship bracelets are a a fun way to relive the memories.
• Show Your School Spirit: Unite with your classmates and create school spirit bracelets and necklaces using letter beads and pony beads in school or team colors. You can also make matching key chains and zipper pulls.
• Party Favors: Create and give friendship bracelets as party favors for birthdays, graduation or any other celebration. Personalized friendship bracelets are also a great way to celebrate bridal showers, weddings, the arrival of a new baby or any other memorable occasion.
• Celebrate Friendship: Ideal for birthdays, holidays, or going-away parties, friendship bracelets express appreciation and strengthen the bond among friends. Handmade bracelets will add a personal touch to party favors. Even just a "thinking of you" or "believe in yourself" beaded bracelet is a sweet handmade token of friendship.
• Show Support: With a personalized message, customized, handmade bracelets are a great way to support a special cause or charity. Let your friend know you're thinking of them  or symbol of strength. Use letter beads to create motivational and encouraging messages like "HOPE", "BELIEVE", 'STRENGTH" and other positive words.
• Just For Fun: Get creative and make bracelets for no reason at all! Experiment with different colors, patterns, and beads to express your personal style.
  
  

Choosing the Perfect Beads and Colors

• Theme Colors: Choose craft beads in a specific color scheme to match an event theme or your favorite color combo. Pony bead mixes are available in themed combos like Jewel Tone Beads, Mermaid and Princess Inspired Colors, Earth Tones Bead Colors or Pastel Colors. 
• Rainbow Colors: You can't go wrong with an array of rainbow bead colors. Create rainbow theme bracelets, or use just 2 or 3 colors of the rainbow to make your own color combo.
• Bead Sizes: For bracelets, beads of 8mm or smaller are usually the most comfortable. Of course you can use larger beads if you are going for a certain look. You can also mix different bead sizes on one bracelet.
• Alphabet Bead Size Tips: Use 6x9mm pony beads and 7mm cube alphabet beads for a perfect match in size and hole dimensions. Experiment with round 7mm alphabet beads and other craft bead shapes to create more variety in your bracelet designs. Use our Bead Size Chart to help you with bead sizes.
  
  

Bracelet Making Tips

• For a 7" bracelet, use around 30 beads and 12" of string, adjusting for size variations.

• Explore different bead sizes, colors and styles to create a variety of bracelet designs that can be worn individually or as sets
  
  

Project Ideas for Making Friendship Bracelets

• Knotted Embroidery Floss & Pony Beads: Personalize bracelets with macramé knots and large-hole beads like alphabet, heart, or star beads.
• Stretch Bracelets with Letter Beads & Charms: Create layered, personalized bracelets using letter beads, charms, and vibrant pony beads.
• Heart Theme Bracelet: Design cheerful heart-themed bracelets with stretch cord, perfect for Valentine's Day gifts.
• Concert & Festival Bracelets: Stack colorful bracelets on your wrists to add personality to your outfit and spark conversations. Incorporate alphabet and number beads to capture song names, lyrics or your favorite musician.
• Gender Reveal Bracelets: Craft adorable stretch bracelets in blue, pink, or any other color for gender reveal parties, and add accents like ribbon and charms.
  
  

Instructions: The Classic Stretch Bracelet

Materials 

• Elastic cord
• 6x9mm pony beads, alphabet beads, and craft beads
• soft place mat
• scissors
• bead stopper, clothes pin or binder clips
• beading needle (optional, but can make stringing beads faster and lessen fatigue, recommended if you are making a lot of bracelets!)

Easy Stretch Bracelet Instructions

1. Cut 11-12" or elastic cord
2. Attach a bead stopper (or clothes pin / binder clip) to one end of the elastic to keep beads from falling off while you are working
3. String beads in the desired order
4. When finished, double knot the elastic and trim the access
   
   

How Many Beads Do You Need?

Using 6x9mm Pony Beads: To make a 7" bracelet, you will need about 30 pony beads. To make a necklace that is about 18" in length, you will need about 76 pony beads. To make a necklace that is about 24" in length, you will need about 102 pony beads.

• 150 pony beads can make about five 7" bracelets and two 18" necklaces
• 500 pony beads can make about sixteen 7" bracelets and five to six 18" necklaces
• 1000 pony beads can make about thirty three 7" bracelets and thirteen 18" necklaces
• 2000 pony beads can make about sixty six 7" bracelets and twenty six 18" necklaces

*Fun Fact: About Fifty One (51) 6x9mm pony beads makes 12" of length 

*Above info is based on using 6mm wide beads. If you use different size beads, the number of beads you need will change depending on the bead size.

Handy Bracelet Bead Calculator

If you are working on a large project and making multiple bracelets for a party, concert or event, use our Bracelet Bead Calculator to help you figure out how many total beads you need and calculate the amount of string you need.

Follow our easy stretch bracelet instructions for a quick and delightful crafting experience. Don't hesitate to explore other bracelet styles for added creativity. Making friendship bracelets is a joyous way to spend time with loved ones, expressing personal style through beads, charms, and endless color combinations. Share memories, celebrate achievements, and spread happiness with these thoughtful, affordable gifts. Create and share your own set of unique friendship bracelets today!