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A handmade friendship bracelet created with colourful embroidery thread using a simple cardboard loom in an Atlas Playbook activity.
Arts & Crafts

Friendship Bracelet

Make a colourful friendship bracelet with a simple homemade cardboard loom.

Looking for an easy friendship bracelet activity for kids? In this Atlas Playbook video, Coach Dan shows you how to make a colourful friendship bracelet using embroidery thread and a simple homemade cardboard loom.

Age4+ years
Time20 mins
EnergyCalm
KitSome
See what you need
Kit list Set-up How to play Variations

Why children love it

Friendship Bracelet Making is a lovely hands-on craft that allows children to create something colourful and personal to wear or share with a friend. Using a simple homemade cardboard loom and embroidery thread, children can explore different colour combinations while developing their fine motor skills, concentration and patience. It's a rewarding activity that encourages creativity and gives children a wonderful sense of achievement as their bracelet takes shape.

What you'll need

Already got these bits? You’re all set.

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How to set it up

  • Cover your work surface and make sure you have a clear, comfortable space to work.
  • Gather your embroidery floss, cardboard, pencil, scissors and a coaster or something circular to draw around.
  • Choose seven strands of embroidery floss in your preferred colours.
  • Make sure you have enough cardboard to create a circular loom with eight evenly spaced slots.
  • Keep a ruler or measuring guide nearby to help cut the embroidery floss to the correct length.
  • Ensure an adult is available to help younger children with cutting the cardboard and making the centre hole.

How to play

  • Start by measuring and cutting seven strands of embroidery floss.
  • Then create a simple eight-slot cardboard loom with a hole in the middle.
  • Tie your 7 strands of embroidery floss together in a knot.
  • Pull the knot through the cardboard and place one strand into each of the 7 slots.
  • Pull the 3rd strand of embroidery floss into the empty slot until your bracelet is long enough.
  • Tie a knot in the end and then tie it around your wrist.

Make it easier

Pre-cut the seven strands of embroidery floss to the correct length.
Prepare the cardboard loom in advance, including the eight slots and centre hole.
Use contrasting thread colours to make it easier to identify individual strands.
Help younger children count three strands back before moving the thread into the empty slot.
Demonstrate the first few movements slowly before letting children continue independently.

Make it harder

Challenge children to complete their bracelet independently, from measuring the thread to creating the cardboard loom.
Experiment with different colour combinations to create a repeating pattern in the finished bracelet.
Try using more similar thread colours, requiring greater concentration when following the weaving sequence.
Create a longer bracelet or matching friendship band while maintaining an even, consistent weave.
Challenge children to teach someone else the weaving technique using clear, step-by-step instructions.

Atlas tip

Measure the length of your hand to just past your elbow to ensure you have enough embroidery floss to fit around your wrist.

Safety notes

Adult supervision is recommended, particularly when younger children are using scissors.
Use child-friendly scissors and provide assistance when cutting cardboard.
An adult should help create the centre hole in the cardboard loom using a pencil or suitable tool.
Keep loose embroidery threads away from the neck and avoid wrapping them tightly around fingers or wrists.
Ensure finished bracelets fit comfortably around the wrist and can be removed easily.
Keep scissors and small craft materials out of reach of very young children when not in use.

Read the video transcript
Hello, everyone. It's Coach Dan. Come and make a friendship bracelet with me.

For this quick and easy project, you will need a pencil, a pair of scissors, a coaster, some embroidery floss, and some cardboard.

A quick tip for getting the length of your friendship bracelet right is to measure from your hand to just pass your elbow and then snipping it there. This now becomes your template, and you'll need seven strands in total.

We now need to draw around our coaster onto the cardboard and cut out the circle. Once this is done, we need to draw and cut eight evenly spaced small lines around the cardboard. Draw some anti-clockwise arrows and punch a hole in the center with a pencil.

Now take your seven strands of embroidery floss and loop a knot at one end, and pull it through the hole in the middle.

Place one strand in each of the slits. And now the magic can begin.

With the empty slit facing towards you. Count three strands back, following the arrows, and take this strand into the empty slit and then rotate the cardboard so the new empty slit is facing you.

And that's it. Rinse and repeat until your bracelet is long enough.

Once you're happy with the length of your friendship bracelet, simply pull it out of the cardboard. Tie a knot in it and tie it around your wrist.

And there we have it, a friendship bracelet.

I hope you have fun making yours.
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