Ukraine Friendship Bracelets + Free Tutorial

Upon the onset of the war in Ukraine, like everyone else I wanted to do something to help....  

For over a month, I donated 10% of my online sales to non-profits organizations, but as of week 6, I wanted to do something different. As of April 1, I started designing special bracelets to wear in solidarity with Ukraine with the goal in mind to create a fundraiser, or many especially if other makers like you join in the effort. 

I am already selling mine locally at the Chico Art Center Gift Shop with 25% of sales going to the Ukraine Red Cross and I will be selling them at the Chico ART Festival in May with 100% of the profits going to non-profit organizations helping in Ukraine with the humanitarian crisis. I hope this will inspire you to make some bracelets as a fundraiser too.

First I needed colors...

The 8 colors of C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord I have been using,  are reminiscent of the Ukraine flag. Four colors represent the sky and sea, Sky Blue, Caribbean Blue, Blue Lagoon and Capri. The other four, the fields of wheat, corn, and sunflowers are Wheat, Golden Yellow, Marigold, and Gold. Originally for the yellows and gold, I had chosen Lemon, but after making a dozen bracelets or so I switched to Gold, as I had not used any Lemon yet.  

 

I also originally though I would be using only the Tex 400 size with 0.9mm in diameter, but later on I needed the standard weight of C-Lon Bead Cord with 0.5mm in diameter for parts on the bracelets. I am in the process of designing a new bracelet variation that will be completely made with the standard size. 

These C-Lon Cord sets are available on my news page HERE. Or you can make your own set... 

The first group of bracelets I made are Multi Strand Bracelets from my Far Niente Series, that's the "Do Nothing" Series as they are fun and quick to make... The pattern is available at the bottom of this web page HERE.

 

Several of the bracelets have no beads, a Pura Vida style bracelet, however made with higher quality cord and a better construction. The peace dove carrying an olive branch charm got added as a last minute idea to make these bracelets more meaningful. Attach the charm right onto the 3-strand braid in between the knot and the sliding knot closure. 

The others are made with 4mm Czech Fire Polished floating beads. I matched the Antique Brass Metallic with the Antique Brass Peace Dove Charm, and the Argento with the Antique Silver Peace Dove. The 4mm Czech Fire Polished Beads are available HERE. 

The next group of bracelets incorporates pewter peace beads made in the USA with high quality plating by TierraCast. The choice of finishes is either a 24k gold plate or a sterling silver plate. This group bypass the multi stand center and it braided all the way through with overhand knots keeping the sliding knot panel from sliding too far in.

I am still not 100% sure of the best method to insert the central beads. Only 1 cord will fit into its hole... and so far I have tried it several different ways. I think I like to one at the very top. That's the last bracelet I made in this group. It has an overhand knot on each side of the bead, one cord through the beads and the other two are left behind the beads. Another change, this last one has the ends left loose and turned into a thread tassel instead of the cut and melted ends.

 

This next series was made with the same concept, but the central beads are replaced by the charms. Oh, and as with the last group, I started making the square knot sliding closure with the thinner standard C-Lon Bead Cord instead of using the Tex 400 Bead Cord. I like the proportions better. I will make all future all bracelets in this style like this. 

 

For the next style, I went for a minimalist look light to wear. I also wanted to play around with new stopper/sliding beads I just got. They are 6 mm wide and 3 mm long and have a silicone insert with a 1.2 mm opening. They are very simple and quick to make. Here is the free tutorial showing how to make one of these bracelets.

Materials 

–> C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord - Colors for Ukraine 

–> Peace Charms & Beads - made in the USA out of pewter with good quality plating.

–> Smart/Stopper/Sliding Beads for Closure - Available in various metal finishes, made in Europe with good hypoallergenic standards.

 

Tools 

–> Macrame Board - a mini-board with option #1 will work as it includes T-pins and tapestry needles

 –> 100% Organic Beeswax and/or Thread Magic - or get a mini-board with option #2 or #3

 –> Thread Burner - or get a mini-board with option #4

1. Cut 3 pieces of C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord 18 inch (50 cm) long.
Iron the curls out on low heat setting.

 

2. Tie an overhand knot with all 3 cords leaving a 6 inches tail.
To tighten the knot, pull on one cord at a time.

3. Make a 3-strand braid 2.5 inch (6 cm) long.
For best results, cross the cords at 90º from each other.
That means the cords are crossing the vertical line at 45º.
Stop by inserting the cords into slots on the side of the board.

 

4. Add the charm onto one of the cord, then continue the braid until it is 5 inches (12 cm) long. 

5. Tie an overhand knot at the end of the braid with all 3 cords. 

 

 6. Melt 1 of the cords at each overhand knots with a thread burner. Push the melted ends right into the knot, taking care not to melt the remaining cords or the knot. 

 

7. Cut all the cords at the same length.

 

8. Make a self needle with beeswax at all the ends. 
If you do not know how to make a beeswax self needle, check this post, it has all the best ways to load beads onto cords. 

 

 

9. Insert the cords through the stopper/sliding bead closure and separate the cords in two groups.

 

 

10. Tie an overhand knot 5.5 inch from the center charm.
Repeat for the other set of cords.

 

11. Melt one of the cord at the last knot. 
Repeat for the other set of cords.

12. Insert the peace beads and tie an overhand knot right after the beads using tweezers to keep the knot against the bead. 

Now you have a choice as to how to finish the ends of the cords.
Melt the end of the cord right into the knot, or leave the end of the cord as is after cutting it away for the knot, or...

13. Cut the cords and separate the plies of the nylon fiber with a blunt ended tapestry needle.

 

14. Apply some beeswax to the C-Lon Tex 400 Bead Cord that slides in and out of the closure. It will keep the cords from separating.

 

Let me know if you end up making any bracelets like these in support of Ukraine. Of course you can make the same design for a school fundraiser in the school colors. There are lots of possibilities and design options to explore, certainly more than I can explore all by myself. But hey, I already have lots of other new ideas for my next batch of bracelets!