How to Make a Bandana Bracelet

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posted on 16 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Bandana bracelets can be great fashion accessories for guys or girls. They don't cost much at all, and are very easy to make. Making bandana bracelets can be a fun little project when hanging out with friends. All you need is a bandana and a few minutes of time, although an extra set of hands might be useful too.

Steps

Making Thick Bracelets

Open up the bandana. Lay the bandana on a flat surface. Spread the edges outward until the bandana is a large square. Smooth any folds so that the bandana lies flat. Turn the bandana so that one corner is facing you. This will make it easier to fold into a bracelet.

Fold the square bandana into a triangle. Take the bottom corner of the bandana in your fingers and bring it to meet the top corner. Smooth the center fold and you should have a nice triangle shape. If you don't want your bracelet to be as thick you can cut your bandana across the fold line to create two triangles. Once folded, the half bandana will look very similar but it will feel a lot less bulky.

Fold the top corner down. Take a couple inches of fabric from the top corner and fold it down over the rest of the bandana. You can fold the section slightly larger or smaller depending the width you want your bracelet to be. Continue to fold over the width of the bandana until you reach the folded part of the triangle you made.

Begin wrapping the bandana. Start by placing the folded bandana on your wrist. Leave a little more length hanging on the left side than the right, if wearing it on your right hand. Take the right side and wrap in under your wrist, then pull it over the top of your wrist. If you have a flat surface to work on, you can also lay your wrist on the folded bandana. Leave a little more of the length of the bandana on your right side. Fold the right end over your wrist. Then, fold the right end underneath your wrist again so the end is sticking out on the right side again.

Wrap the other segment. Hold the part that went over your wrist with the hand that is wearing the bandana. Then grab the left piece with your free hand. Wrap the left end of the bandana under your wrist, then over the top of the wrist.

Grab the ends. Hold on to the left end with your left hand. Use your fingers on your right hand to grab the right end. If you have to, use your teeth to grab it and move it to where your fingers can hold the end in place by pressing it to your palm. If you're with a friend, have your friend grab the ends and tie them for you.

Tie the ends into a knot. Bring the left end over the right end, then wrap it underneath. Pull the left end down while holding the right end in place to tighten the knot. Knot the ends twice to help keep your bracelet from coming undone too easily. Adding a second knot may make difficult to untie, and you may have to even cut it off to remove it. If you want to keep the bracelet on permanently, adjust the bracelet to a comfortable size and tie a second knot. Wrap the left end around the right again and pull the end through the loop, then pull both ends until tight. You could also use a hair pin, safety pins, or rubber bands to hold your bracelet ends in place. Put a pin through the left end, then through the right end and fasten the pin to keep them together. Or wrap a rubber band around the left and right ends to keep them held together. Either of these methods will work if you have such items handy.

Tuck the unwanted ends. Take the remaining tips of fabric sticking out from the knot or pins and tuck them underneath the bracelet. You can also trim off the ends with scissors if you prefer.

Making Skinny Bracelets

Cut a 1.5 inch strip from the edge of the bandana. Use scissors to cut a small slit about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) from a corner of the bandana. Hold the bulk of the bandana in one hand and pull the corner until the fabric rips. The strip will tear away in a straight line. Keep going until you have removed the strip from the rest of the bandana.

Soak the strip in a bowl of water. Take a small bowl or cup and fill it halfway up with water. Put the bandana strip in the water. Move it around slightly The fabric may be a bit resistant to water, so give it a couple minutes to soak. Remove the bandana strip and squeeze out the excess water.

Twist the strip. Twist each end with your fingers. Twist one end away from you, and twist the other end toward you. Eventually you will meet in the middle and have one long twisted piece of fabric.

Wrap the strip around your wrist. Hold one end in your right hand. Use your fingers and hold the bandana in place against your palm. Wrap the bandana around with your wrist with your left hand.

Wrap the strip around a second time. Bring the bandana around your wrist again. Stop when the end in your left hand reaches your palm again.

Adjust the tightness of the bracelet. You might want to leave a little slack in the bracelet so it fits comfortably on your wrist. Just be sure you don't make it too loose so that it falls off easily. Once you tie the knot you won't be able to adjust it, so find a comfortable fit first.

Tie the ends with a double knot. Keep the right end in place with your right fingers and your palm. Bring the left end over the right, then underneath. Wrap the left end around your finger and pull the right end through to make the knot. Try resting your arm against a table to help hold the bracelet in place if you are tying the knot yourself. You may also need to use your teeth to grab and hold pieces. You may want to ask a friend to help to tie the knots if possible. Having an extra set of hands will make tying the bracelet much easier to do.