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How to Read Friendship Bracelet Patterns
Once you’ve mastered friendship bracelet knots and have tried your hand at one or both beginner patterns, Candy Stripe and Chevron, it’s time to learn how to read friendship bracelet patterns! There are endless pattern possibilities for friendship bracelets, and you can find tens of thousands of them on friendship-bracelets.net, which is the go-to source for friendship bracelet patterns. There you can find classic diagonal patterns that include diamonds, X’s and the like, as well as playful icon patterns such as cacti, peace signs and smiley faces.
If you’re in need of supplies to make friendship bracelets, our Friendship Bracelet DIY Kits contain everything you need to get started including the colorful yarn pictured above, airplane-approved Fiskars scissors, bright washi tape & more!
Elements of a Friendship Bracelet Pattern
Here’s an example of a repeating pattern featuring interlocking diamonds and X’s. This is the pattern that we teach in our Friendship Bracelets 101 Workshop. On this and all patterns you’ll see a variety of elements:
- A visual of the pattern at the top
- Letters which correspond to string colors below
- Dashed lines on the sides with numbers next to them – these indicate the rows within the pattern
- Bubbles with arrows which indicate the direction of each knot
- Bent edges without bubbles to indicate skipping those strands when knotting a row
The Four Basic Friendship Bracelet Knots
There are four basic types of friendship bracelet knots, which are essentially all the same knot just tied in varying directions. Friendship bracelet knots consist of two knots stacked together (one strand tied around another strand twice), so you have the following four options:
Forwards knot = forwards knot followed by forwards knot
Backwards knot = backwards knot followed by backwards knot
Forwards-Backwards knot = forwards knot followed by backwards knot
Backwards-Forwards knot = backwards knot followed by forwards knot
To learn how to create all four friendship bracelet knots, head to our Friendship Bracelet DIY page.
How to Read a Friendship Bracelet Pattern
- Cut 32+” of Omegacryl yarn or embroidery floss for each strand indicated at the top of the pattern underneath the capital letters. Tie strands all together with an overhand knot 3″ down and secure to fabric with a safety pin or to a hard surface with tape. Lay out the colors in your desired color order according to the order indicated by the letters on the top of the pattern.
- You’ll work through the pattern one row at a time. In other words, you’ll start with Row 1, which is indicated by the “1–” on both sides of the pattern. After you complete all the knots across Row 1, you’ll move on to Row 2, and so on. It’s helpful to use a ruler, book or any other straight object to keep your place on the pattern.
- Before working a row, pair together the two strands of yarn that will get knotted together in the row. If you refer to the pattern above, in Row 1 you’ll pair together strands A+B, C+D, E+F, F+E, D+C, and B+A.
- Starting from the left, you’ll knot the first pair together according to the direction indicated by the bubble. The color of the bubble indicates the color knot that will be formed, so that is the strand that will do the knotting. The other color will be the strand around which the knot is formed. Once your first knot is complete, move onto the next knot to the right and continue until the row is complete.
- VERY IMPORTANT: If your row begins and/or ends with a bent edge that has no bubble, this means that you will skip that strand for that row. For those rows, I recommend placing the blank strands above your bracelet up near the knot to keep them visually out of the way and avoid possible confusion. Once the row in complete and the following row begins with a bubble, you can bring the strands back down join the rest and proceed using those strands in the pattern for that next row.
- Once you’ve completed the pattern, repeat by beginning again at the top of the pattern. With many patterns, such as the one pictured below, the string colors may no longer match up on the second round the way they did the first time around. If it’s confusing to go off of the pattern when the colors don’t match up, you can always write the name of the new color next to the corresponding string letter at the top of the pattern to create a color guide. The color order that the strings are in once you finish the first round of your pattern is the order in which you’re going to want to write them in at the top. It’s best to write in pencil with an eraser handy, that way when it’s time for the 3rd, 4th, etc. round of the pattern, you can erase the colors from the previous round and write in the new ones. Continue repeating the pattern until your bracelet is long enough to fit your wrist or ankle.
- Be sure to tie your knots tightly to keep an even tension throughout your pattern. If you make a mistake with a knot, you can use a pin to undo your knots and start again. One incorrect knot can mess up the rest of the pattern, so I recommend fixing mistakes to ensure your pattern comes out as pictured.
More Fun Patterns!
Once you’ve completed the simple, repetitive pattern above, try giving this one a go! This is the beautiful pattern pictured at the very beginning of this post. It is pattern #9726 from friendship-bracelets.net, however there were a number of errors in the pattern so I’ve corrected them in the accurate pattern below.
Here are some other patterns I love and recommend trying out!
CLASSIC DIAGONAL PATTERNS
- Pattern #31185
- Pattern #97104
- Pattern #91367
- Pattern #85119
- Pattern #88411
- Pattern #86804
- Pattern #96022
- Pattern #94159
- Pattern #94818
ICON PATTERNS
- Peace signs (Pattern #2321)
- Cacti (Pattern #4574)
- Smiley Faces (Pattern #3491)
- Yin Yangs (Pattern #5)
- Suns/starbursts (Pattern #2117)
- Hearts (Pattern #1112) – this is the same pattern as the one in our blog post on Heart Friendship Bracelets!
Reading friendship bracelet patterns can be a little confusing at first but keep working through it and reading these handy diagrams will soon become a breeze! Be sure to leave any questions in the comments below.
Let us know if you try your hand at reading friendship bracelet patterns by posting photos on Instagram and tagging @theneonteaparty or email them to me directly at marisa@theneonteaparty.com! I can’t wait to see what you create!
Peace, love & neon,
Marisa
How do you know how much macrame or embroidery floss you’ll need?
Hi Krin! Thank you for your question! You want to measure approximately 3x the length you want your finished project to be, so a 12″ friendship bracelet will call for 36″ of string. 32-36″ is the amount we recommend for an average bracelet for a woman’s wrist. Always better to cut more than less! I hope this helps! -Marisa
I feel so stupid asking this but I forgot, how do you tie different knots and what are their def. or like…..*confused*.
Hi Taylor! No worries! We have a whole section on our site dedicated to this: https://theneonteaparty.com/online-craft-studio/friendship-bracelets/ — You’ll find the second lesson is a guide to friendship bracelet knots. Hope this helps!
Thank you so much! Plus, your website name is FABULOUS! I can now read and use friendship pattern bracelets! Thanks!
Hi Camille! Thank you so much for you kind comment! I’m so glad you found this post helpful!! Be sure to tag @theneonteaparty on Instagram so we can see what you create after learning how to read friendship bracelet patterns! Happy crafting 🙂 -Marisa
Once finished with the first row, starting from left, do you continue by starting the next row on the right?
Hi Geneva! When you move onto the next row, start again on the left, always. I hope that helps!! Let me know if you have any more questions! Happy crafting!! xo, Marisa
What about patterns with rounded ends?? Do I still leave them out for that row?
Hi Skyler! That’s a great question! Though I’m not sure what types of patterns you’re referring to… Feel free to email me a photo at marisa@theneoneteaparty.com and hopefully I can help! 🙂
thank youuu i love this blog and i try now bracalet again thank you :DDDD :****
Thank YOU Elif!!! So glad you found it helpful!!!! Have fun making friendship bracelets!! -Marisa
If I finish a bracelet and it isn’t long enough do I start from the beginning with the current string colors or do I match them up with the colors I started with?
Hi Bianka! You can always tie a new piece of string in the same color onto the end of the too-short string, then keep making your bracelet as usual! You’ll have a little knot in your friendship bracelet somewhere but it will be discrete and allow you to finish your bracelet to length. I hope that helps! -Marisa
Hello! What kind of string are you using in the photo above? I love the colors!
Hi Sammy!! I’m using Omegacryl, which you can find on our site! Here is the link: https://theneonteaparty.com/product/omegacryl-yarn/
We also have a friendship bracelet kit that comes with all the supplies including Omegacryl! https://theneonteaparty.com/product/friendship-bracelet-diy-kit/
Let me know if you have any other questions! -Marisa
how do i repeat the pattern on the second pic? it’s confusing, i don’t know how to continue.
Hi Kayla! Once you finish the pattern, you start right back at line 1. The colors will no longer match up the way they did the first time around. If it’s confusing to go off of the pattern when the colors don’t match up, you can always write the name of the new color next to the corresponding string letter at the top of the pattern, that way you have a color guide. The color order that the strings are in once you finish the first round of your pattern is the order in which you’re going to want to write them in at the top. It’s best to write in pencil with an eraser handy, that way when it’s time for the 3rd, 4th, etc. round of the pattern, you can erase the colors from the previous round and write in the new ones. I hope this helps!!! – Marisa
I cannot for the life of me figure these things out no matter how hard I focus. I’ve watched so many YouTube videos on how to read these but I still don’t understand lol
I’m so sorry you’re still struggling Elizabeth! I know it can be challenging to learn from online tutorials, rather than having someone help you in person. I’ll be releasing a video on how to read FB patterns later this year — it will be as clearly explained as possible, so mine will help you! Be on the lookout for it. Best is to sign up for our email newsletter at the bottom of our website as we’ll send an email once FB videos are live! Best of luck in the meantime!! <3
Once finished with the first row, starting from left, do you continue by starting the next row on the right?
Hi Geneva! When you move onto the next row, start again on the left, always. I hope that helps!! Let me know if you have any more questions! Happy crafting!! xo, Marisa
Every time I have tried to make a bracelet the top few rows are alway a giant mess. Is that how it should be then flattening as you proceed?
Hi Ashlyn! Thank you for your question! The first row of any friendship bracelet is usually quite messy, as that row is what gets all the strings lined up for the rest of the bracelet. By the second or third row it should start to come together neatly. My best advice to ensure a flat bracelet is to pay attention to your tension and make each set of knots snug up next to the previous set of knots, almost locking them into place. If your knots snug up nicely next to each other, you’ll get the flat bracelet you’re hoping for! Don’t hesitate to reach out with any follow-up questions! Thanks, Ashlyn!! -Marisa
I was found a few patterns that have white and black arrows. Do the white arrows mean something different?
Hi Mel! Not to my knowledge! Probably just different people making the patterns and using different colors. 🙂
I know you have said that you always start from the left… But I have seen aome YouTube videos that go from left to right and then the next row is right to left because of the pattern and I have also seen them come from left to right until the middle one then right to ledt until the middle… That is the only thing I’m not understandin… Is how to tell if the pattern calls foe left to right always or especially if the pattern calls foe it to come from both ways
Thanks for your help in advance…
Zteddy75
Hi there! If you’re reading patterns, it should matter whether you start right to left and left to right. If you’re free knotting, going from left to right will result in an diagonal line going downward left to right; and vice versa if you start right to left. I hope that helps!
Hi! I am wanting to do the bracelet pattern #9726 which is like the colorful bracelet you have started at the top of the page. But I am sooo confused! Am I supposed to be working from left to right on every row? Or going from A-F on the left, and then A-F on the right to meet in the middle? Or am I supposed to start from the middle (FF) on row one and keep working with F outwards until I get to row 6? Or something completely different? I hope this question makes sense to you! I really wish you would do a video tutorial on this pattern bc I love it and can’t find a video tutorial anywhere for this pattern. Thanks!!
Hi Sydney! Thanks for your questions! There’s lots to unpack here… sending you an email now!
what does it mean when the arrow points sideways on bracelet patterns?
Hi there! If an arrow is pointing sideways, it is a “forwards” knot. However, that means you’re probably looking at an Alpha pattern in which the knots travel back and forth horizontally, rather than on an angle. You can find more info about reading Alpha patterns here: https://friendship-bracelets.net/tutorials/2 You’ll see the bubbles have diagonal arrows in this tutorial, but you can apply these instructions with -> and <- arrows. I hope that makes sense / helps! Happy Crafting! -Marisa
Hi, love the bracelet pattern! However, when reading pattern 9726 I’ve noticed that there is a forward-backward knot on the pink string in row 23, but the string still ends up on the right side. Is this meant to be a forwards knot or is the pattern supposed to mirror the right side? Thank you!
Hi Camille! Thanks for your question! If you do a forwards-backwards knot there, it SHOULD move to the left position if you’re letting the knot fall to it’s natural position when the knot is complete. The forwards-backwards knot (second knot, row 23) mirrors the neighboring backwards-forwards knot (fourth knot, row 23). I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any followup questions! -Marisa
Hi! I am having trouble with a pattern that I found. There are letters on each stand but they are out of order. How do I follow the pattern?
I would like to work off of printed patterns so I can mark them. Is that possible?
Hi Karen! Yes of course! The ones pictured in the blog post can be printed by saving them to your computer, opening them in preview and printing! You can also print directly from friends-bracelets.net if you’re viewing patterns there. Last, you can always screenshot the pattern you’re looking at and print the screenshot. I hope that helps! xx, Marisa
What are the odds that you linked the exact patterns I was going to search for?! Definitely want to do yin yangs! Thanks for the guidance, I didn’t realize there were so many pattern options!
The options are endless! 😍
Hi! This question might sound really stupid, so sorry in advance, but when you tie the overhand knot at the beginning, do you fold your strings in half, and then you get the number of threads required for the pattern? In the picture of the example, how many actual “pieces” of yarn did you cut? Thanks! I’m really confused.
Fantastic question, Soph! You can either cut individual strands OR double the length of yarn and fold them in half as you mentioned (this creates the “mirrored” effect. In the example photo, there 5 total strands of yarn that were then folded in half, creating 10 working threads.
When reading a pattern that uses multiple strings of the same color and a knot intersects 2 strings of the same color, how do you know which string is the base and which is used for the knot? Should I just assume the string on the left is the knot tying string?
Hi! I found a pattern that I really like online, 8 strings and only forward knots (it just makes diagonal rows of color nothing fancy). Does that mean that I have to do 2 knots on string A before moving to 2 knots on string B etc? Or is it just one knot on each before moving on to the next string?
Hi Charlotte! You’ll want to complete two forward knots before moving on to the next string.