How to Make a Friendship Bracelet for Beginners: Easy Diagonal Stripes

Four colors and a row of diagonal stripes make a lovely first friendship bracelet. You use the same knot all the way across, so there is only one movement to practice before the pattern starts taking shape. Pick colors your child likes, clip the floss down, and work through the first row together.

Quick Answer

Start with four lengths of embroidery floss, each about 28 inches long. Tie them together about 2 inches from one end and clip or tape that knot down. Use the leftmost color to tie double knots across the other three strands, then start a new row with the color now on the left. Repeat until the bracelet fits, finish with a knot, and leave tails for tying it on. The steps below show the hand movements.

Table of Contents

• What you need
• Get set up
• How to tie the knot
• Your first bracelet: diagonal stripes
• Finish the ends
• When something looks off
• Frequently asked questions
• What to try next

What You Need

• Embroidery floss in four colors. Cut one length of each color, about 28 inches long. Keep each piece of floss intact; you do not need to separate it into its tiny individual threads.
• Scissors. Younger kids can help measure while an adult cuts.
• Something to hold the top. A braiding clip, clipboard or tape on the table frees both hands for knotting.

Choose colors that look different from each other so it is easy to follow each strand. If your child is making a gift, our friendship bracelet color meanings can give them ideas. They can also just pick their friend's favorites.

These lengths come from the diagonal stripe design in our kit booklet. Other designs and wrist sizes may need more floss, so follow the instructions for the bracelet you are making.

Get Set Up

1. Line up the ends. Hold all four pieces of floss together with the ends even.
2. Tie the starting knot. Tie an overhand knot about 2 inches from one end. Leave that short section free; it will become one of the ties.
3. Clip it down. Secure the knot so it stays still while you work. Both hands should be free to hold and wrap the strands.
4. Spread out the colors. Lay the four long strands side by side. For this example, put blue, red, yellow and green in order from left to right.

How to Tie the Knot

For the first knot, you are working with blue and red. Blue does the wrapping, while red stays straight. Keep the yellow and green strands out of the way for now.

1. Make a number 4. Cross blue over red, leaving a loop on the left. The blue strand makes the angled part of the 4, and red makes the straight part.
2. Go under and through. Bring the blue end under red and up through the loop on the left.
3. Slide it to the top. Hold red straight with one hand. With the other, pull blue up and to the right until the knot sits snugly beneath the starting knot.
4. Repeat on the same strand. Wrap blue around red the same way once more. Those two wraps together make the complete knot you will repeat across the bracelet.

If the strands keep moving together, hold red a little more steadily while blue wraps around it. You can demonstrate one wrap, then let your child try the next.

A note on names: this complete knot is commonly called a forward knot. Our kit booklet calls each wrap a right knot and tells you to repeat it to make a double knot. For this bracelet, always make both wraps before moving to another strand.

Your First Bracelet: Diagonal Stripes

You have already made the first knot in the first row. Keep using blue until it has traveled across all three other strands.

1. Finish the blue row. After knotting blue around red, use blue to make the same double knot around yellow. Then make a double knot around green. Blue is now on the far right, and the order is red, yellow, green, blue.
2. Start a red row. Red is now the leftmost strand. Use it to make a double knot around yellow, then green, then blue. Red finishes on the right.
3. Keep going one row at a time. At the start of each new row, take the strand on the far left. Use that same color all the way across before starting another row.
4. Check the fit as it grows. Unclip it now and then and hold the knotted section around your child's wrist. Stop when it reaches comfortably around, leaving room to tie the ends without making it tight.

If you pause halfway across a row, keep the color you were using separate from the others. The far‑left strand tells you which color comes next only when you have finished a whole row.

Finish the Ends

Gather the four long strands and tie an overhand knot just below the last row of stripes. Leave tails about 3 inches long for tying, then trim. The short tails above your starting knot form the other tie.

Want braided ties? At each end, divide the four strands into three groups: two strands together, then one strand and one strand. Braid those three groups, treating the paired strands as one, and knot the tip. Leave enough length to tie the bracelet comfortably before trimming anything shorter.

Have someone help tie the two ends together around the wrist. Check that the bracelet feels comfortable and does not pinch. If the knotted section is too short, add more rows before finishing. If it is too long, see how to fix a friendship bracelet that is too big.

When Something Looks Off

• The wrong color is showing. Check which strand is wrapping. For a blue row, blue wraps around each of the other colors while they stay straight.
• There are gaps. Slide each wrap up snugly before making the next. Check that you have made two wraps on each strand.
• The bracelet curls. Pulling harder is not always the answer. Our guide explains why friendship bracelets curl and how to help them lie flat.
• A knot landed on the wrong strand. An adult can carefully loosen it with a needle or pin, then put the sharp tool away. Try undoing a fresh mistake before pulling it tighter.

There is no row you have to master it by. If your child wants a break, leave the bracelet clipped down, spread out the strands and mark the next step in the instructions. Put the work somewhere younger siblings cannot reach it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should the strings be for a friendship bracelet?

For this four‑color diagonal stripe, start with four lengths of floss about 28 inches long each. Longer bracelets and other patterns may need more, so check the pattern before cutting.

How many strings do you need?

This bracelet uses four pieces of embroidery floss, one of each color. Keep the tiny threads within each piece together. More pieces can make a wider bracelet, but four keeps the first rows easier to follow.

Is a diagonal stripe bracelet good for beginners?

Yes. Every knot uses the same movement in the same direction, and each row uses one color all the way across. Contrasting colors help you see which strand is doing the wrapping.

What is a forward knot?

It is a complete knot made with two matching wraps around the same strand, moving from left to right. Make a 4 shape, go under and through, pull it snug, then repeat once on that same strand.

How do you tie off a friendship bracelet?

Tie all the strands together in an overhand knot below the last row, leaving tails for tying it on. You can braid those tails for a tidier finish. Check the fit and leave enough tying length before trimming.

What to Try Next

Once your child can follow a row of stripes, they might like to choose another design. Chevrons and diamonds add changes in knot direction. Our guide to reading a friendship bracelet pattern explains how to follow the symbols and keep track of the rows.

Start Your First Bracelet

Our Friendship Bracelet Kit includes embroidery floss in 100 colors, a braiding clip and illustrated instructions for more than 20 designs. Choose four colors for the first one and keep the booklet beside you as you work.