Brazilian bracelets trio classic, chevron, spur yarn skeins

How to make a brazilian bracelet yourself ?

Popular and timeless, the famous Brazilian bracelets, also known as friendship bracelets, we love making them at school, at camp... and even when we're grown-up. When summer comes, we multiply these colorful bracelets on our wrists and sublimate our ankles.

How do I make a braided bracelet? Easy to make, the knot in a Brazilian bracelet is always the same. Knots are formed by one wire wrapping around another. A knot is made in three steps. And these 3 steps must be repeated 2 times on the same thread.
To find out all you need to know about the Brazilian knot, and understand the terms right-side-up and upside-down knots, take a quick look at the data sheet: Learn to tie a Brazilian bracelet knot.

If you're a beginner and have never made a Brazilian bracelet before, follow all the steps below to make the most beautiful braided bracelet. Once you've got the hang of it, don't hesitate to take inspiration from our braided bracelet tutorials to make your own jewelry for this summer.

1. The classic Brazilian bias bracelet

Step 1:
Choose your skein wires and their number according to whether you want a thin Brazilian bracelet or a wide, cuff-styleBrazilian bracelet. Here I've chosen 10 wires and 5 colors.
Cut about 80 cm of wire each. Tie your wires together.

Depending on how you want to close your friendship bracelet, there are different solutions (I show you 1 in each tutorial). Here I've chosen a braid closure.
So knot your wires together, but make sure you leave enough wire above your knot.

Step 2:
Tape your wires to a table, for example.
Then arrange your wires in any order you like. Here I wanted to create a gradient effect, so I positioned my wires from darkest to lightest, twice in a row since my wires are double.

The threads overlap, but don't worry, as soon as you've made your first row, the threads will instantly be in order.
The 1st row will be the least beautiful of all, but as you knot your next rows it will improve a little.

Tip: When tying your knots, be careful not to snag the threads next to you, especially when you make your first row.

Step 3:
The classic Brazilian bracelet is only made with right-side-up knots. To show you better, I've moved the bracelet forward a little, but the following steps are exactly the same for the 1st row of the bracelet.

Take the leftmost thread, which we'll call the 1st thread. Pass it over the next one, in this case the light purple: this forms a 4.

Step 4:
Pass your 1st thread back inside the 4, this time underneath your 2nd light purple thread.

Step 5:
Now grab the end of your 1st thread and tighten. Your 2nd thread remains stationary, so the knot forms around it. Repeat steps 3-4-5, always using the same two threads.

Caution: Whatever your pattern, knots must be made twice on the same thread.

Step 6:
Repeat steps 3-4-5 again, twice in the same order, but with different threads. Follow the order of your wires: for a classic bias Brazilian bracelet, the left-hand wire is always the one used to make the knot.

So with your 1st thread, the dark purple one, make knots around the other threads, one after the other (2 times around the pink, then 2 times around the light pink, then 2 times around the white etc.).

Your 1st row is finished when your 1st thread is on the far right, and you've made knots around each of your threads.

Step 7:
Now your 1st yarn, the leftmost, becomes the light purple yarn.

Repeat the previous steps (3-4-5-6), knotting your light purple thread around your other threads. And so on with each thread, each color, until you get the right bracelet size (here stop it a little early, so you can make the braid for the "clasp").

Step 8:
Tie all the wires together.

Take your wires and start making a braid. Tie a knot to finish the braid, and cut off any protruding wires. Tighten the knot and add a dot of glue.

Do the same on the other end of your bracelet, after the 1st knot you've made.

Your braided bracelet is now ready, and all you have to do to wear it is tie the braided parts together.

2. The Brazilian herringbone pattern bracelet

Step 1:
Choose your skein of wires and their number. Here I've chosen 8 wires and 4 colors. For a herringbone pattern, you'll need two colors.
Cut about 80 cm of yarn each.
Tie the threads together.

Step 2:
Tape your wires to a table, for example.
Then arrange your wires opposite each other, dividing each of your colors symmetrically into two parts. (example here: light yellow, red, dark yellow, orange, orange, dark yellow, red, light yellow).

The threads will overlap, but don't worry: as soon as you've made your first row, the threads will instantly be in order.
The 1st row will be the least beautiful of all, but as you knot your next rows it will improve a little.

Tip: When tying your knots, be careful not to snag the threads next to you, especially when making your first row.

Step 3:
The Brazilian chevron bracelet contains two parts: your 1st wires on the left where you'll make right-side-up knots, your other wires on the right where you'll make upside-down knots. To show you better, I've moved the bracelet forward a little, but the following steps are exactly the same for the 1st "row" of the bracelet.

Make an inside-out knot: Take the rightmost thread, the last one. Pass it over the previous one, in this case the yellow one: this forms an upside-down 4.

Step 4:
Iron your last thread, red, inside the 4, passing underneath, this time, your previous thread, yellow.

Step 5:
Now grab the end of your red thread and tighten. Your yellow thread remains stationary, so the knot forms around it.

Repeat steps 3-4-5, always using the same two threads.

Please note: Whatever your pattern, knots must be made twice on the same thread.

Step 6:
Repeat steps 3-4-5 again, twice in the same order but with different threads. This time, however, stop in the middle of your threads (here at the light yellow thread). You know this is the center of your wires, because if you've respected symmetry you should have two wires of the same color next to each other. It's at this point that you must stop, and not tie a knot on the 2nd thread of the same color.

So, with your last thread still there, make knots upside down around the other threads, one after the other (2 times around the light pink, and 2 times around the light yellow).

Your red thread is now in the center of your threads. Your 1st row is finished when your 1st thread is on the far right, and you've made knots around each of your threads.

Step 7:
Now knot the left-hand threads. Tie your 1st red thread to the others, this time knotting them right side up.

Now you have 2 threads of the same color, red, in the center. Tie them together to make the point of the chevron, with two right-hand knots.

Step 8:
Repeat these steps, remembering to tie right-side-up knots on the left-hand threads and reverse knots on the right-hand threads. Continue until you've gone all the way around your wrist (or ankle ...).

Step 9:
Once your bracelet is finished, tie all the wires together.

No clasp this time. Originally, the Brazilian bracelet was attached directly to the wrist, like a friendship bracelet, with no possibility of removing it.
To do this, take the ends of your bracelet, put the bracelet on your wrist and tie a double knot. Add a dot of glue and trim any protruding wires.

Your knotted bracelet is ready!

3. The Brazilian wheat ear bracelet

Step 1:
Choose your skein of wires and their number. Here I've chosen 6 wires and 4 colors.
For the ear of wheat pattern, you always need an even number of wires, and one main wire, here I've chosen white.
Your main thread must be present in the same number as all your other threads combined. Here I've chosen to add 3 colored threads (light blue, green and blue), so I need 3 white threads.

Tip: For a strong herringbone pattern, I recommend 2 colors, with black as the main color.

Cut about 80 cm of thread each.
Tie your threads together, leaving a loop to act as a clasp (to insert a button, don't make the loop too big).

Tighten the knot. Trim any excess wires and apply glue all around your knot to secure the wires.

Step 2:
Tape your wires to a table, for example.
Then arrange your wires in any order you like, always alternating a colored wire with a wire of the main color (here white, light blue, white, green, white, blue).

The threads will overlap, but don't worry: as soon as you've made your first row, the threads will instantly be in the right order.
The 1st row will be the least beautiful of all, but as you knot your next rows it will improve a little.

Tip: When tying your knots, be careful not to snag the threads next to you, especially when you make your first row.

Step 3:
The Brazilian herringbone bracelet is made in the same way as the chevron bracelet, with right-hand knots on your left-hand wires and reverse knots on your right-hand wires.

Take your 1st strand and tie two right-side knots around the 2nd strand (to find out how to tie a right-side and a left-side knot, read the data sheet: Learn how to tie a Brazilian bracelet knot, or look at the previous models).

Step 4:
Still using your 1st thread, tie 2 more right-side-up knots on the next thread, the 3rd (in this case, the white one).

Step 5:
Now take your last thread, in this case the blue one, and tie 2 reverse knots around the second-to-last thread, in this case the white one.

Again with your last blue thread, tie 2 reverse knots around the previous thread, here the green.

Step 6:
Now you normally have your 1st and last threads in the center.

Tie them together 2 times. This is where the herringbone pattern differs from the herringbone pattern.
For herringbone, you tie the middle yarns together with a right-hand knot.
For herringbone, you tie the wires in such a way that your main wire makes the knot around the second. So you'll alternate knotting forwards and backwards.

Here, as I started my row with my main white thread, when I reach the center, I'll tie a right-hand knot on my blue thread.
If you've started your row with a secondary thread, don't worry, if you've respected the right number of threads, your last thread should be a main thread and in this case you'll just have to tie a knot upside down.

Step 8:
Repeat these steps for your entire bracelet: 2 right-hand knots on wires 2 and 3 with wire 1. 2 reverse knots on wires 4 and 5 with wire 6.
A right-hand or left-hand knot between wires 1 and 6: your main wire always knots the other wire.

Step 9:
Tie all your wires together to stop your bracelet.

Pass the wires through the button of your choice, in this case a small drop button.
Tie the wires around the button ring. Add a dot of glue and trim excess wires.

Your Brazilian bracelet is ready!