Read an Excerpt

Friendship is such an important part of life—and friendship bracelets are a terrific way
of celebrating it. Even in today’s technological world, with all the devices and gadgets
that surround us every day, there is something wonderfully authentic about friendship
bracelets. They are a meaningful way of showing you care (without spending tons of
money). They are a token of love, friendship and gratitude, and are also easy to make!
Friendship bracelets are often made with a specific person in mind; this makes them
imminently more meaningful than any store-bought trinket. Plus, friendship bracelets
are the perfect size for tucking into an envelope to mail, slipping into a schoolbag as a
surprise gift, or decorating a larger gift.

Spectacular Friendship Bracelets is a colorful collection of more than 30 friendship
bracelets. Some of the bracelet designs are elegant and sophisticated; others are
playful and fun. Some designs call for patience and careful knotting; others just
require applying glue and adding colorful findings. There is something for everyone,
and every design can be adapted to the colors you love or available materials.
Each design in Spectacular Friendship Bracelets comes with an estimation of how long
it will take to make (none take more than 1 hour!), is ranked according to difficulty
and accompanied by step-by-step full-color photographs. The size of many designs is
adjustable, which is an advantage if you’re making the bracelet for a surprise gift, as it
doesn’t need to be measured in advance.

Before you start, make sure you have all the necessary tools and materials. If you need
scissors, make sure they are sharp; if you need a lighter, make sure it works. If you’re
using beads or buttons, make sure they fit on your string or cord. Don’t feel bound
by the materials and colors described in the book; choose the materials you love, and
enjoy the process of creating with them.