Woven Paper Friendship Bracelet Craft

Construction paper or scrapbook paper in multiple colors

Scissors

Tape

A ruler for measuring even strips

Cut long, narrow strips of colorful paper — about half an inch wide and 10 to 12 inches long. You need at least 8 to 10 strips.

Choose two or three colors. Lay three or four base strips side by side lengthwise. These are your warp strips.

Tape one end of the base strips together to a table edge to hold them steady while you work.

Take a strip in a contrasting color and weave it horizontally over the first base strip, under the second, over the third, and so on.

Push the woven strip tight against the taped end.

Weave the next strip starting with the opposite pattern — under the first base strip, over the second. This alternation creates the classic woven checkerboard.

When the woven section is long enough to wrap around a wrist (about 6 to 7 inches), tape both ends securely. Bend into a circle and tape to form a bracelet.

Thin, stiff paper works best. Construction paper is ideal. Tissue paper is too flimsy for weaving.

The tighter the weave, the stronger and more attractive the bracelet. Push each row snug against the last.

Use color patterns intentionally — alternating rows of two colors creates stripes, three colors creates a more complex pattern.

These paper bracelets are fragile compared to fabric ones, but they are easy and fast to make. Perfect for a friend's birthday or a classroom exchange.

Once your child masters the flat weave, try a diagonal weave by cutting strips at an angle. This creates a herringbone pattern.