1989 style friendship bracelets

How to make a friendship bracelet from elastic thread?

Today, we're delighted to present a creative project that will delight Swifties (as Taylor Swift fans call themselves), as well as those who want to make friendship bracelets. Inspired by Taylor Swift's iconic 1989 album, we suggest you make four models of elastic bracelets in shades of blue, purple and cream. Making elastic bracelets is very easy and requires very few tools: a pair of scissors, a ruler and glue. No need for pliers or other accessories. Choose your beads and elastic thread from the list of materials at the bottom of the page and let inspiration guide you.

For these bracelets, we've chosen affordable polymeric heishi beads, different types of alphabet beads and colorful plastic and resin beads. Check out our other synthetic beads and bead mixes. And why not take advantage of this tutorial to invite your friends to make these bracelets together? You'll be able to share materials and enjoy a moment of conviviality and creativity together.

Did you know? It's very popular to exchange friendship bracelets at Star concerts and fan gatherings. Taylor often wears them on her wrist. The craze apparently stems from the lyrics of one of her songs: "Make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it". The lyrics are taken from the song "You're on your own, kid".

But these bracelets are also suitable for those who want to make friendship bracelets or regressive bracelets. This trend is also driven by a wave of nostalgia. Indeed, this type of bracelet was very much in vogue among the young teenagers of the 90s-2000s, who are now in their thirties or forties. Perhaps you'll recognize yourself?

Here are a few tips before you get started:

• Read the descriptions in the photos below, as some bracelets may require you to add beads to your basket.
• You'll need to make a bracelet the size of your wrist +2 cm for thin bracelets. Option: There are trays that allow you to make bracelets of the desired size by placing the beads around a cylinder to see how it looks before threading everything onto the wire (see the variation section in the equipment list).
• Cut a sufficient length of wire to be able to string the beads and make the knot without worry, so cut between 35 and 40 cm of wire.
• Pre-stretch your thread by pulling on both ends to loosen it. All elastic wires relax a little. This way, your elastic bracelet won't stretch when finished.
• Use a bead with a large hole to hide and glue your knot inside.
• Finish the bracelet with a double surgeon's knot rather than a crush bead.