DIY Pink Ribbon Friendship Bracelets

We’re crafting for a cause with this DIY Pink Ribbon Friendship Bracelet tutorial! Let me provide a little background on how this project came to be…

When I was 10 and she was 40, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily, thanks to great doctors, treatment and a mastectomy, she was declared cancer-free for close to 10 years.

Unluckily, around age 50, my mom’s cancer returned. Leftover breast cancer cells had migrated to her organs and took home there. After years of treatment for this second and much uglier battle, my brother Jess and I lost our mom on June 1st, 2012. She one month shy of her 55th birthday.⁠

There are too many stories along the lines of my family’s. Too many lost loved ones due to cancer of all forms.

A few weeks back, one of our fabulous teachers, Jen, reached out about collaborating on a friendship bracelet workshop in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month to benefit Susan G. Komen and the fight against breast cancer, the answer was a very easy YES.⁠

The workshop is on Weds October 30th, 2019, 6:30-8:30pm at SGK’s NYC headquarters — you can sign up here!

But with the majority of our crafty community spread around the globe, I wanted to take Jen’s beautiful idea to the next level and offer a Friendship Bracelet Kit filled with an assortment of pink yarn PLUS Pink Ribbon Friendship Bracelet DIY to give you all a chance to participate in raising awareness & funds for breast cancer research!

With the purchase this limited edition kit, all proceeds will be donated directly to Susan G. Komen Greater NYC and bring us one step closer to finding a cure.

Once you have your kit at the ready, follow this tutorial to make your very own Pink Ribbon Friendship Bracelets to show your support and share with those who need the strength.

Another fun idea: Use this pattern using our kit or your own materials to make Pink Ribbon Friendship Bracelets to sell and donate proceeds to your breast cancer organization of choice!

YOU’LL NEED:

• Omegacryl yarn or embroidery floss in 2-3 colors (pinks, black, white)*
• Tape measure*
• Scissors*
• Tape* or safety pin*
• Pink Ribbon friendship bracelet pattern (below)

*Supplies are included in our Pink Ribbons Friendship Bracelet DIY Kit!

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Before starting this tutorial, you’ll want to acquaint yourself with how to read friendship bracelet patterns, which you can learn in this blog post. The pattern we’ll be learning in this post is based on Pattern #16 from friendship-bracelets.net. We’ve simply updated the colors to match our “Pink Ribbons” scheme.

Once you have a handle on how to read friendship bracelet patterns, continue the tutorial below!

PATTERN OPTIONS

The friendship bracelet pattern we’re using in this tutorial lets you choose whether you want one or two color ribbons in your design. We created two versions of the same pattern – Version 1 shows the pattern with a single ribbon color, while Version 2 shows the pattern with two alternating ribbon colors.

PINK RIBBON PATTERN – VERSION 1

STEP 1: Prep your string

Cut eight 36″ strands** – four in each of the two colors. If using Omegacryl, each strand will be 3-ply. Tie all eight strands together about 3″ from the end, then tape or pin down your knot and organize your strands in the following order: A B B A A B B A. Your “A” color will be the color of your background and your “B” color will be your ribbons, so order your colors accordingly.

**Tip: You can double up each strand of string to make a thicker and faster bracelet! If using Omegacryl, each doubled up strand should be 6-ply.

STEP 2: Follow the pattern above

If you haven’t yet, be sure to acquaint yourself with how to read friendship bracelet patterns, which you can learn in this blog post. You can follow that tutorial along with the pattern above. Once you reach the last line of the pattern, you’ll start again at the top until you’ve created your second ribbon. Continue repeating the pattern until your bracelet has reached the desired length!

STEP 3: Finish your bracelet with braids on the ends

To finish your bracelet, tie a knot below the pattern the same way you first tied your strings together. Braid a 2.5” braid and tie a knot after the braid to secure. Tie a braid on the other end as well and secure with a knot. Trim off the excess yarn. Now your bracelet will be easy to tie on and remove when showering, sleeping, exercising, etc.

PINK RIBBON PATTERN – VERSION 2

STEP 1: Prep your string

Cut eight 36″ strands** – four for your background color, two for ribbon color #1 and two for ribbon color #2. If using Omegacryl, each strand will be 3-ply. Tie all eight strands together about 3″ from the end, then tape or pin down your knot and organize your strands in the following order: A B C A A C B A. Your “A” color will be the color of your background and your “B” color will be ribbon #2, and your “C” color will be ribbon #3, so order your colors accordingly.

**Tip: You can double up each strand of string to make a thicker and faster bracelet! If using Omegacryl, each doubled up strand should be 6-ply.

STEP 2: Follow the pattern above

If you haven’t yet, be sure to acquaint yourself with how to read friendship bracelet patterns, which you can learn in this blog post. You can follow that tutorial along with the pattern above. Once you reach the last line of the pattern, you’ll start again at the top until you’ve created your second set of ribbons. Continue repeating the pattern until your bracelet has reached the desired length!

STEP 3: Finish your bracelet with braids on the ends

To finish your bracelet, tie a knot below the pattern the same way you first tied your strings together. Braid a 2.5” braid and tie a knot after the braid to secure. Tie a braid on the other end as well and secure with a knot. Trim off the excess yarn. Now your bracelet will be easy to tie on and remove when showering, sleeping, exercising, etc.

And there you have it! Powerful Pink Ribbon Friendship Bracelets to make, wear, and share — all for a tremendously important cause.

Do you advocate for a different cause? Use this same pattern and swap the colors to create a customized ribbon friendship bracelet to show your support for an organization you believe in or make a bunch and sell them to raise money!

As always, let us know if you have any questions in the comments below! If you make this DIY, be sure to tag @theneonteaparty & #craftforacure on Instagram so we can see what you created and help spread the awareness for breast cancer and other important causes!

Peace, love & neon,
Marisa