Braided Bandana Bracelets – 2 Ways
Craft these adorable braided bandana bracelets with two unique techniques! When you’re done, check out this rag rug friendship bracelet pattern! This post contains affiliate links.
Bandana bracelets are the latest trend and I’m all in! I have a few posts on this in the works, including a tutorial on different was to tie them, a post with a few more basic ideas and general tips.
But meanwhile, I wanted to share with you two ways to make braided bandana bracelets.
Now, you may have noticed that I didn’t use real bandanas, because I just wanted to craft with what I had handy… So I used “fat quarters“! I’ll offer more fabric tips in my main post when it goes live (make sure you sign up for updates or follow me on social!)
Of course, you can use real bandanas – or try it with t-shirts, old jeans/denim clothing, or anything fabric! In fact, it’s a great way to repurpose old and torn clothing – so let’s get crafting!
My best tip: choose a fabric with a tighter weave to minimize shedding. That is, not a loose, soft, linen-y fabric (light the light blue) rather a stiffer fabric that feels more like a bandana (like the blue and gold one).
2 types of Braided Bandana Bracelets
I created these two ways with different accessories.
Magic Braid with (or without) Charms
On one, I used the “magic braid” method. This is a method that has you only braid the middle portion so that the sides are totally intact!!
This makes for a more secure bracelet (although I did use the wrong fabric on mine.)
On this bracelet, I added a single charm, threaded onto one of the running strings. You can add a few charms, but I wanted to use this key one which looks great on its own.
You can learn more about how to make a magic braid bracelet here.
Regular Braid – Beads, Charms Blank
The other one uses a regular braid – just knot the three strands together. This one I cut too short (oops). I will share how to finish it off in another post but meanwhile, just make sure to leave enough length to tie your bracelets off!
On this one, I decided to teach you how to add beads to braided bandana bracelets. It’s very simple as long as you get good, large-hole beads. You can also do this one with charms, of course, and in the images you get a peek at the non-braid bandana bracelets post I’m working on.
These braided bandana bracelets are a really fun craft to put out at a party. Give kids an assortment of fabrics and bandanas – pre-cut or not. Hand them the large-hole beads, the charms, and a small assortment of tools and fabric scissors. Put out some samples for inspiration and let them get crafting!
How to make braided bandana bracelets
Supplies Needed
- Bandanas or other fabric – stiff is better, and fat quarters work great
- Fabric scissors (I recommend having one like this and another to work with details.) Save these scissors to use only with fabric to keep them sharp and in perfect working order.
- Large hole wood beads AND/OR Charms and jump rings
- Pliers to work with the charms
Process
Magic Braid Bandana Bracelet
1. All measurements are approximate. This is supposed to be a “fun” craft – not one where you pull out rulers.
Cut a strip of the bandana or fabric. If using a bandana, use the whole length. If using fabric, do about 1.5-2 feet in length (longer is better, you can always trim it later).
It should be about 2 inches wide. IF your fabric is very stiff, you can go a bit narrower.
2. Fold your fabric in half. Cut two slits about two inches deep at about 1/3 increments. Keep in mind that your bracelet fabric twists, so you want it generally even in spacing but it doesn’t have to be very accurate.
3. Unfold. You’re now going to braid those three center portions of your fabric strip.
4. Braid left over center and then right over the new center.
5. Take the bottom end of the bracelet and bring it from the back to the front through one of your slits. Straighten your bracelet. You’ll see a braid forming from both sides – the bottom and top.
6. Continue braiding – left over center and right over center. Bring the bottom end from back to front through the other slit – that you did not do before.
7. When you straighten it out, it should look like this – a braid formed from both directions.
8. I recommend making your braid quite tight. I did another set of braids – left over center, right over center, bring to the front, alternating which slit you bring it through. You should have a tightly braided ropey center.
9. To add a charm: Open a jumpring (get one large enough to fit over the cut bandana/fabric comfortably. Pull out one string of your braid enough to get a comfortable opening.
10. Place the jumpring on that bit of fabric.
11. Hang the charm and close the jumpring. Repeat with more charms if you’d like.
Beaded Braid Bandana Bracelet
1. Cut three even strips of fabric or bandana. Each one was about half an inch wide and I actually didn’t make it long enough – so follow my size guidelines above: about 22 inches long – you can always trim it later. This is a thicker fabric, meaning I was able t make thinner stripes.
2. At the bottom end of each, cut off the two corners to form a point.
3. Tie the ends together at the top, leaving enough “extra” on top to tie it after (4-5 inches)
4. Start braiding! I did three full sets of right over center and left over center.
5. Curl the notched end and thread a bead onto your center strip. You should be able to nudge it into the bead and through it quite easily if you’re using a nice, stiff fabric, large hole bead, and cut that point.
6. Braid three more (left over center, right over center, left over center) and thread on another bead.
7. Repeat step 6 with another bead (right over center, left over center, right over center and bead). Braid six (3 sets) like you did in the beginning.
8. Tie the braid together at the end to hold the strands together.
Your braided bandana bracelets are complete! You can definitely mix and match styles – add charms on the second (separate strand) version but if you want to add beads to the magic braid version you’ll need to do it on the ends – outside the braid.
