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Friendship bracelets are beautiful woven pieces of jewelry that are easy to make and popular around the world. Many travelers bring them home for friends and family as a souvenir, but it’s easy to make friendship bracelets wherever you are.
If you want to learn to make friendship bracelets, you’re in the right place. In this article, we are going to focus on the most important part of the friendship bracelet—the string!
What is the best string people can use for making friendship bracelets? Embroidery floss. Hands down, embroidery floss makes the best friendship bracelets. Embroidery floss comes in two basic types – the high-end version and a cheaper version.
This is a type of yarn that is hand-spun or manufactured specifically for embroidery and other needlework projects. Plus, it works great for making bracelets!
But, it is not the only material you can use. Keep reading to learn more about the best string for friendship bracelets and where you can get it.
The Best String for Friendship Bracelets
There are several different mediums available to use when making friendship bracelets.
| Rank | Thread Material | Recommended Product |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Embroidery Floss | Mira HandCrafts Embroidery Thread |
| 2. | Craft Thread | DMC Prism Thread Pack (Tie Dye) |
| 3. | Rayon Thread | Sulky Of America Viscose Rayon Thread |
| 4. | Perle Cotton Thread | Eleganza Perle Cotton Thread (Coral Reef) |
| 5. | Yarn | Ice Yarns Wool Blend Yarn (Rainbow) |
1. Embroidery Floss
The most popular and commonly used string for making friendship bracelets is embroidery floss.
Mira HandCrafts Embroidery Thread
Check their selection on Amazon.
- A premium embroidery thread that is made with 100% cotton fibers, making it a craft favorite. From fine needlepoint projects to fantastic friendship bracelets, this is the go-to floss for all types of beautiful creations.
- Good choice for experts, beginners, and children.
- Very durable.
- Won’t rip apart when knotted together.
- Great variety of colors.
Le Paon (Rainbow)
Check their selection on Amazon.
- High-quality, 100% cotton embroidery floss that is ideal for all types of projects.
- Le Paon adds beauty and color to any craft.
- Perfect floss for beginners and professionals, alike.
- Durable, yet super soft and the colors won’t easily fade away.
- Each piece of floss has 6 strands.
- Perfect for friendship bracelets.
La Paon (Pewter Gray Gradient)
Check their selection on Amazon.
- Beautiful, high-end floss.
- Great for all types of embroidery and bracelets.
- This thread is super smooth, not at all rough and a tad shiny, so it makes a sweet-looking finished product and feels great in your hand.
- It’s 100% long staple cotton, not satin so it stays nicely in place when tying knots.
- Perfect for all types of craft projects and friendship bracelets, especially when quality really matters.
DMC Color Variations
Check their selection on Amazon.
- 8 pack of cotton floss with variegated colors
- Great for friendship bracelets.
- Excellent value.
To learn how to make a friendship using embroidery thread, check out this video on YouTube by Jada Johnson:
2. Craft Thread
Craft thread is a cheaper version of real embroidery floss. The smooth thread is 6 stranded and made from cotton, yet it is not quite the same as the higher-end stuff. Craft thread is made with slightly lower quality materials, which makes it inexpensive.
Craft embroidery thread usually comes in multi-packs or complete kits. The kits include everything you need to get started – needles, a wide range of colored floss, embroidery hoops and much more!
These kits are extremely popular with beginners, hobbyists, and children because everything you need to start creating hand made crafts are included.
You don’t have to worry about trying to find all of the tools you need or buying everything separately, which can really add up!
This thread is known to break easily if pulled too hard. Here are some great craft embroidery threads and kits to help you get started:
DMC Prism Thread Pack (Tie Dye)
Check their selection on Amazon
- Prism is the lower-end craft thread from the popular DMC line. It is, however, much higher quality than some of the other brands on the market. This affordable alternative is targeted towards younger clients.
- Ideal for making friendship bracelets.
- Comes in a wide array of colors, including the best tie-dye shades available.
Peirich Craft Floss
Check their selection on Amazon
- Peirich Embroidery Floss is a durable soft polyester cotton blend that is tough, yet smooth to handle.
- The bright colors are resistant to fading.
- Perfect for creating personalized string bracelets.
- Easily add cute charms for extra flair.
- Great for beginners that just want to dabble without dishing out the big bucks.
Paxcoo
Check their selection on Amazon
- This Paxcoo tool kit comes with everything you need to make loads of friendship bracelets for you and all of your friends.
- Makes a great gift for a young crafter just starting to experiment with simple handicraft projects.
- Durable polyester cotton blend.
- Good range of colors.
Electop Craft Embroidery Floss
Check their selection on Amazon
- Complete kit. Includes everything you need for a slew of beautiful projects, including thousands of friendship bracelets.
- It’s soft and easy to work with.
- Not super shiny like some other embroidery threads.
Houkr Craft Embroidery Floss
Check their selection on Amazon
- Cross stitch and embroidery supply kit.
- Good starter kit that includes a cool storage box to keep supplies organized and 50 vibrant colors.
- Tangle-free bobbins are labeled with corresponding color numbers, so you can quickly and easily find the floss you want.
- Perfect for friendship bracelets.
Mira HandCrafts Embroidery Thread
Check their selection on Amazon
- Premium Quality 100% Cotton.
- Ideal for friendship bracelets.
- 50 skeins of different colors, rainbow assortment
- You can split the thread according to your needs.
- The floss has a nice luster.
- Works smoothly without breaking down or fraying.
3. Rayon Thread
Rayon is made from a blend of natural and synthetic materials. It is commonly referred to as viscose rayon. The clinical definition is “a manufactured fiber composed of regenerated cellulose.”
This means that rayon is created from wood pulp mixed with some chemicals and then processed. Cellulose is extracted from the wood pulp, which is obtained from the bark of timber.
The bark is removed from the timber and then chipped into tiny pieces. The pieces are boiled under pressure, then chemically treated.
This pulp is washed and dried and is then called viscose rayon. Because of all the chemicals added and used to break down the fibers, rayon can not really be considered a natural thread.
The end result is a silky material that can be dyed into a wide array of colors, including fluorescent colors. Because of the silky texture, rayon is incredibly difficult to tie.
When using it for making bracelets, cotton thread is required to keep it all together, however, it still makes a stunning and vibrant bracelet.
Rayon thread is generally used for machine-made crafts. The spools are designed to fit on a sewing or crocheting machine and that makes them easier to work with on a machine. Handcrafting can be difficult, but not impossible.
All you need is a fine crochet hook. With a fine crochet hook, you can create fabulous designs, garments and friendship bracelets. Check out this patriotic thread on Amazon.
4. Pearl (Perle) Cotton Thread
Pearl (Perle) Cotton is very similar to yarn because of its fullness. The balls promise to deliver intense volume and dimension to every embroidery project.
My favorite Perle cotton thread is this beautiful option from Eleganza in the color scheme “Coral Reef”. They also have a lovely pastel version.
It is reputedly the most beautiful thread in the world. The luminous, highly mercerized cotton thread is non-divisible which creates a slightly raised effect to finished products.
The 100% cotton is a 2-ply, S-twisted thread with extremely high luster. It is sold in 4 different weights (3, 5, 8 and 12) and a decent variety of colors.
Pearl Cotton will give your project a more textured effect than regular cotton floss and are totally colorfast. Anything you make can be washed over and over without fading. The thread can be washed at high temperatures.
5. Yarn
Yarn makes larger bracelets, making it the ideal material for turning your pattern into a full-size bag.I love Ice Yarns Rainbow Wool Blend Yarn on Amazon.
Yarn is spun in a long continuous stretch of interlocking fibers. It is suitable for making mass production textiles, various sewing, crocheting, and knitting projects, as well as weaving, embroidery, and rope making. When made into a fine thread, yarn is perfect for hand and machine sewing.
Yarn can be made with animal fibers such as wool, silk, and cashmere. Plant fibers, like hemp, cotton, and bamboo. Or synthetic fibers that include nylon, polyester, and rayon.
Up Next: Needlepoint Vs. Embroidery – The Difference
