I’ve got a fun bracelet project for you to try that’s a bit of a revival project. I loved making wish bracelets when I was growing up, especially in the summer. It’s cheap, it’s easy, it’s fun – all ways that it make a great camp craft or group craft idea! You only need a couple supplies for this project, and I’ll show you how to make wish bracelets today.
It’s been like 20 years since I used to make these, so I am just going to say, I feel they’re due for a comeback. Can I declare such a thing? It’s similar to a friendship bracelet, and makes up really quickly (I did this short stack in an hour).
The idea behind a wish bracelet is that you make a wish, and tie it on. Eventually, the hemp wears out, and you will lose the beads. Which sounds sad, but when this happens, your wish is then “released” and is supposed to come true. And because 20 years ago I loved making wishes, I loved, loved these bracelets.
You need some hemp twine and large seed beads, making this a really inexpensive project, too. You need beads at least size 6/0.
Edit to add: some people have asked for video! So I put this YouTube tutorial together. You can view it in action (it’s under 8 minutes from start to finish), or you can scroll down for the photo step-by-step.
Tie a knot in the end. Make your ends longer than this, aim for about 2 to 2 1/2 inches (I really wasn’t sure if I had cut enough length when I started taking photos). Now, braid your three strands down about three inches. Nothing fancy, just a simple braid.
Now, because I’m right-handed, I’m going to add beads from the right. When I show you how to do this, feel free to add them from the left instead if that’s more comfortable for you. But you’ll only be adding beads on one side, and I will show you what I mean.
That strand I have just pulled from the right to the center, I threaded a bead onto my strand. Snug it up close to the braid, and pull your left strand to the center like normal.
Now that you’re pulling from the right again, add another bead on the strand you pull to the center.
When you pull from the left, no bead. When you pull from the right, add a bead. Add all seven of your beads. Why seven? Because that’s a “lucky” number, of course! ;) There may be a real reason I don’t know, but mine always had seven as a kid, so I made them up with seven now. You could always play with a different number of beads if you like!
Once your beads are all added, braid the rest of your strand normally, adding another 3 inches in length (give or take, depending on your wrist size, of course). Tie the end off and trim the strands up evenly.
Nice easy to follow post. I love the bracelet Easy and quick to create and lovely result. THANK YOU!!
Can you use any kind of beads.
LOve wish bracelets! Made these for Baby shower, Birthday parties. Always nice to see fresh ideas. ?
Wow! Such a beautiful and colourful bracelets. I really impressed with your creativity. This bracelet is very easy to make by following your steps. I am so excited to try this. Thanks for sharing.
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This is the bracelet that has cost me the most to do what I tried to do and I did it again and never came to the same result as in the video?
Thank you! It was great help. What I most loved about it was how you presented the information. Brilliant and helpful
Could you use Pony beads instead??
Pony beads are a bit big but they would work
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Your video is off center so your braiding is barely visible. Darling idea. I will try to follow uyou still photos since the video doesn’t clearly show the braiding.
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You certainly put a new spin on a topic that’s been written about for ages.
Excellent stuff, just great!
Thanks for finally talking about >Wish Bracelets – Happy Hour Projects <Loved it!
Hey Adrienne. I tried making two bracelets, but I’m assuming I braided too loose, because the beads slip out of it’s twine hold. Would packing tape work to hold down the bracelet while I braid?
I use a clipboard to hold the twine tight and then adjust the clip farther down the braid as necessary.
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Well done Adrienne!!., such good fun!…. and to Haadia., Yes!…. you can use yarn. : ))
Veronica
Hi,
Thanks for the tutorial. I have one question, though-can I use yarn instead of hemp? Anybody can reply, because I need to make these ASAP.
Thanks,
Haadia
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Are these meant to just fall off when it wears out?
Can you make a twine rope without beads for men?
Why seven beads ? That is Jesus number and like said before seven days in a week .About how long will these last before they fall apart ? As I am allergic to metal these will make the perfect bracelet for me. Thank you so much for posting good instructions
Hi Sally,
The writer mentioned it before; she chose 7 because it is a lucky number! You can do as many beads as you like-but try to stay between 5-7. You don’t want the bracelet getting too big!
I can’t wait til my granddaughters sees these. Simple but elegant. I envy your creating these patterns. I always have to copy some one else’s ideas. I have only been doing macrame about a year. I am almost 86 years old and having eye problems but I love it. More seniors should try it. I’m never lonely and I live alone. Thank you.
Finally instructions that are understandable.
Agree – great instructions for beginners!! Thank you! :-)
Hello. I loved your video and bracelets, but how do you keep the beads from popping out of place?
Keep the cord as tight as you can, comfortably. It still happens on occasion that a bead will come out of place after it’s finished, but that happened to me on the souvenir ones I used to buy back in my teen years too, sometimes. Mostly, though, they should stay in place.
What lovely simple idea. So relaxing. Some verses for wishing bracelets would complete this project. Thankyou for sharing.
Thank you so much for sharing your bracelets. Very pretty! And your
right easy to make and great gifts.
Hello, thank you very much for putting the pattern in picture form as well as video. I keep having to stop it, re-wind and start again and so it goes on. When one is getting into their “Waiting for God Period” it takes us slightly longer to do things which has come to me as a bang as I have always been over active so now I have to find things I can do sirtting in a hospital bed in my sitting room in order not to go round the bend. So as I have always sewn and knitted I have decided to do Macrame and you will surely be pleased that you are on of my sites I WISH to follow. Thank you for being so conciderate.
Happy New Year from a newcomer.
Thank you for posting all of these tutorials. I’m learning so much and will be making three of these today. :Let me know if you’d like to see pictures of them. :)
nice bracelet blog. Look very nice .I am trying to wear tt
A wonderful job. Super helpful infomration.
Thanks Rita, I love this idea!! I couldn't remember how to get my icons to stay put – but I knew you would have it on your site!! I can always count on you for these kinds of issues.Thanks for all that you do.Cindy
Thanks for the great instructions! Where did you purchase your supplies?
Just the dollar store! But you can find seed beads and hemp in pretty much any craft store or craft section of a superstore.
I may have missed this detail, what gauge twine do you recommend?
You know, when I wrote this, I was just using dollar-store hemp and beads, which are never labeled well for size (and never consistent, either). But, this is thicker than a 10-lb hemp and thinner than 20lb. The quality of your beads will make the biggest difference on the weight of your twine, size 6/0 in an economy brand isn’t going to have as uniform holes as something name-brand.
If you’re using a good quality bead (which is pretty much anything with a name brand: Miyuki, Toho, Matsuno) it will have a consistently larger hole, and 20-lb hemp will work great for size 6/0. If you are using a Chinese non-branded bead, that’s still fine! But you’ll want something thinner like 10-lb hemp.
Hope that helps!
Super cute! I used to do macrame back in the day so am pretty sure I can make these and rock them too! Great tutorial!
Wow, looks so simple and so cute. I’ll try to make one too. Thanks for sharing! :)
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Those are so adorable… and so simple! I think I’m going to make some right this moment with my daughter! :) Lisa
Nice to meet your blog ! I’m from Barcelona. Thanks for sharing this cute tutorial !!! I love this bracelets.
Silvi
How do you keep the beads from ‘popping’ out of the braiding?
Two things – practice creating a tight braid, and also using seed beads that are a snug fit to the twine. If they do pop out, you can push them back in. Hope that helps!
I used to LOVE these! Clicked over here from your non-wearing-out-wish-bracelets. Although I am thinking this could be a really fun thing for me to make in my wedding colors & then as we are on the plane for our honeymoon, my (then husband) and I make a wish & tie them on together (since we are doing an adventure-honeymoon in Central America, chances are they won’t last till we come home – so then while we are on our honeymoon, our “dreams can come true together”
:-)
I love this idea. Thanks for sharing this tutorial. I want to try it. So cute!
Those are really cute! I havent seen them before. these are so nice and easy to make it. thank you so very much for sharing this.
Yey, I was 'stumbling' and there you were! Love these bracelets Adrianne!
I really don't know what mm they would be, I pulled them from my stash that has been accumulating over the past 10-15 years (wow, that's sort of sad, LOL) but they are the biggest size seed beads. Some of mine also didn't fit, even though all the beads looked the same size. One thing you can try if it's close is to use a bead reamer and open up the hole just a little bit more. I also had better luck when I made more by buying hemp twine that was smaller in diameter, as well (which I found at Michael's).
I stumbled across your blog today, by way of Pinterest! Love, love, love this!
What size mm beads did you use? I can't seem to find any at my local Joann's or Michaels that have a large enough hole. :(
We have called these prayer bracelets. Each bead (7) reminds us to say a prayer each day.
Great instructions and pictures. So simple to make and simply beautiful! Thank you for taking the time to post pics and instructions. I can't wait to make these with my daughter.
Certainly sounds just as zany as WarioWare, but I found Smooth Moves irksome, so this isn’t for me.Shame the multiplayer got du30#d-down&e82mb; Especially since multiplayer funtimes are a shared strength of many music games, mini-game compilations, and Nintendo overall.
Loved this post, so sharing this on my site. Thanks Mango mom :)
I love them! So simple and so cute! And had instantly made one for me – I could´t resist!
Thank you for showing!
Susana.
So simple and cute! I made one for my daughter and a month later she still has it on (and waiting so patiently for it to fall off so her wished come true)! Thank you for sharing!
I LOVE these! My daughter has recently been into making beaded bracelets and necklaces, and I think these would be right at her level! I'm going to share them on my PreschoolPowolPackets Facebook page too!
I would love to make these with my daughter, but haven't the funds to buy supplies just now. What about using yarn and pony beads, would that work? :)
Very cool. Thanks for sharing!!
IJWTS wow! Why can’t I think of thgins like that?
Congrats on winning The Readers Choice Award from Live.Laugh.Rowe. Obviously we liked this a lot because we voted it our fav project! I look forward to more inspiring ideas from you.
Have a great night,
Maureen
Your story was really inmavfotire, thanks!
You could definitely see your enthusiasm in the work you write. The world hopes for more passionate writers like you who aren’t afraid to say how they believe. Always go after your heart.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
I want to let you know that I found it on pinterest, but it was linked to a spam site. You should report the pin for your intellectual property.
http://pinterest.com/pin/198580664789536788/
Good thing your photo was detailed and I still found you. Best of luck. :)
Love these bracelets! Featuring them today on Thursday's Top Ten! Thanks for sharing at Shine on Friday!!
I feel sasitfied after reading that one.
I am lucky enough to live near a Melkite Seminary and can join the Priests, brothers and a Bishop for Othros (Matins) and Divine Liturgy.What a blessing!
I know I have commented on this before, but I just wanted to let you know that I am featuring your cute bracelets at today's link party! Wahoo!!!
http://twoyellowbirdsdecor.blogspot.com/2012/04/thursdays-temptation-link-party-13.html
Jill
Featured these lovelies at the LLL Thursday par-tay :)
xo,
Kelly
http://www.livelaughrowe.com
I love this bracelet! I want to make a couple for me and my girls! Thanks for sharing on Blog Stalking Thursday!
thecraftyblogstalker.blogspot.com
adrianne-
yup. totally made these in junior high. which was 20 years ago. gah. we are old, lol… takes me back… i could use a few wishes coming true about now…
i'm featuring you today from last week's creative juice party. i'm also sharing this at pinterest and facebook. thanks for linking up and have a lovely week!
very pretty! i would love for you to link this post or any other posts you want up to my weekly link party called spread the love. it's a weekend wrap up party where you can share anything and everything you want! there is also a really awesome vinyl giveaway going on there right now too, so go check it out! http://www.lovenotesbylauryn.blogspot.com/2012/04/spread-love-5-decallove-giveaway.html
have a wonderful weekend!
{love} lauryn @ lovenotesbylauryn.blogspot.com
I don't have any of this in my stash but I plan to buy it and make some anyway because they are so darn cute and remind me of my teenage years as well. Also, I am on high doses of steroids and I can't wear a lot of my regular bracelets right now due to swelling, this I can make to fit me., Thanks for sharing! I too am now subscribed to your blog.
Those are so cute!! I love the look of the twine. So pretty! Thanks so much for sharing at Thursday's Temptation.
Jill
I love this!!! I kind of like the idea of the hemp wearing down and the wish being released too. Thanks so much for linking up at LLL Thursday. Have a Happy and Blessed Easter.
I am bookmarking this for a fun summer project with my kids. Thanks for the step by step.
This is a perfect project for our upcoming girl scout meeting. And I bet I have everything in my craft stash too(is that scary?) Quick and easy, I love it!
These are so cool! I work with special needs high school kids and I think I may have them do this. :o)
I use to make things like that all the time, but I have not dun it in such a long time thanks for the reminder. I love your Blog and the pictures are wonderful. I'm following you on GFC, I would love it if you could come and visit me @ http://www.arosiesweethome.com/
I have a Sunday link party it is still open if you would like to share.
Thanks
Rose
Super cute by the way, and I never knew all that fun stuff about wishes and 7 lucky beads. Love it.
This is probably a dumb question, but how do you fasten it on to wear?
I LOVE these :) I have been browsing the internet trying to find a fun project for my niece when she comes over, because any one person can only take so much of Netflix — and this is perfecttt. Thanks for sharing lovie :) I'm your newest follower from the hop by the way. Please follow my blog at the happily ever after project
Yes, just tie them on! That's why you'll want “tails” that are a little longer than what's pictured above. They are much like a friendship bracelet. :)
Do you just tie these onto your wrist? No hooks or any kind of clasp? Going to make some tonight. Have to keep my hands busy to justify sitting and watching tv. Haha Thanks. Excellent tutorial.
Yeah the idea is not to take them off so they wear away so your wish can get released. ??
Cool! I have everything on hand to make these already. My girls will love them, great spring break project this weekend.
These are so fun! I love the colors!
Link this one up, too!
http://crafting-cousins.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-i-wore-sunday-week-10.html
~Natalie @ Crafty Cousins
Those are really cute! I havent seen them before. It does seem kinda sad that they wear out, but like the idea of the wish being released :) Need to add these to the to-make list with my girls!
can yousnsnsn
My 7 year old is going to love this!! I can't wait to make some with her. Thanks for the great tutorial.
I've never heard of these (I think I was much older than you 20 years ago,..well now too I guess huh, lol). They are adorable and I am definitely making these with stash stuff. Yay.
They are so cool! I've never made them before. I'm going to get some twine so I can make them for some friends :) thanks for sharing.
This post actually made my day. I admire her creativity.