Friendship bracelets are handmade decorative bracelets made of cotton, silk, linen, thread, or hemp thread, traditionally given as a symbol of friendship and peace. They are made by tying a series of small knots and can be decorated with beads or braids. The roots of friendship bracelets can be found in traditional Native and Central American fiber arts.
Friendship bracelets are decorative bracelets made of cotton, silk, linen, thread, or hemp thread. They are traded around the world as symbols of friendship and peace, primarily among young adults. Traditionally, friendship bracelets are handmade, so the friend who wears the bracelet has a gift of time and energy, as well as ornamentation. Friendship bracelets should be worn until they wear down and fall off naturally, a process that can take anywhere from a few months to over a year, depending on how the bracelet is made and worn.
The most common type of friendship bracelet is made with embroidery thread, which is strong and brightly colored. Other types of textiles can be used as well, although the thread is usually kept thin so friendship bracelets don’t become too bulky after they’re made. In some cases, beads will be added to the friendship bracelet for additional decoration. The process for making a friendship bracelet is related to macramé or crochet, and involves tying a series of small knots. To tie a knot, a thread is passed over and then under a neighboring thread before being pulled through and knotted again. When the double knot is complete, the artisan moves on to the next section of the friendship bracelet.
The number of strands used to make friendship bracelets varies widely, usually between two and forty strands. A larger number of strands can be used, but they reflect the expenditure of a great deal of time and energy, and result in a very wide friendship bracelet. Small two-strand friendship bracelets are very common, as are six-strand bracelets, with the six strands representing the letters in “friend.” Long tails of thread at each end are tied around the wrist, usually by the person giving the friendship bracelet, and can also be decorated with beads and braid.
The roots of friendship bracelets can probably be found in traditional Native and Central American fiber arts, which included brightly colored wrist and ankle bands made of knotted threads. The designs used are also very common in Native American art and include elements such as stripes, simple animal figures, and checkered patterns, depending on the skill of the craftsman. Friendship bracelets appear to have caught on in the United States in the 1970s, when many people were exploring traditional crafts, and soon spread to the rest of the world as well.
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