Knot a Sliding Bracelet with a Two-Color Braid
A flat braid and a pair of sliding knots make a friendship bracelet that needs no clasp or beads. Choose two colors with enough contrast to see the strands cross. The bracelet should open wide enough to pass over the hand without being pulled hard.
Size the braid before tying
- Three 45 cm lengths of flexible cotton jewelry cord, about 1 mm thick, two in one color and one in another
- Tape, scissors and a flexible measuring tape
Measure around the widest part of the hand with the thumb tucked in, then around the wrist. For a wrist of 16 cm and a hand of 21 cm, start with a braid roughly 17 cm long. Leave at least 8 cm of unbraided cord at each end for knotting and adjustment. For larger sizes, add cord to all three starting lengths.
Braid and close the loop
- Gather the cords and tie an overhand knot 9 cm from one end. Tape the knot to the table. Bring the left strand over the center, then the right strand over the new center. Repeat at even tension until the braid reaches the desired length.
- Tie a second overhand knot at the end of the braid. At each end, keep one long strand as the sliding tail and trim the other two a few millimeters beyond the knot. Tug the long tails to check that the braid knots hold before proceeding.
- Curve the braid into a circle so the long tails overlap in opposite directions. With one tail, tie an overhand knot around the opposite tail, keeping that opposite tail straight as the sliding strand. Repeat with the other tail around the first. Pull each knot snug around its track without locking it in place.
Check the range before trimming
Slide the knots apart or together and measure the loop at its widest and narrowest. Tie a small stopper knot near each free tip so the sliders cannot run off the ends. If the hand will not fit through, leave more travel between the slider and stopper or remake with longer tails. If a slider sticks, loosen and retie it before cutting any excess.
