Lesson #1: How To Make a Friendship Bracelet

Date: July 12, 2026

Instructor: Rachel Rodriguez (Sister)

Other Notable skills: Planning amazing trips, making friends wherever she goes, and talking people into having fun

Meet My Instructor

The very first instructor for the very first lesson was my sister, Rachel. I will say, it was a little bizarre convincing someone I’ve literally known my entire life to teach me a random skill while I take photos and video, but thankfully, my sister is the best. And honestly, she has already taught me a bunch of stuff anyway, so this wasn’t too much of a stretch.

Rachel is one of the most determined people I’ve ever known in my entire life. If she wants to do something (e.g. hike Machu Picchu, go on safari in Kenya, scuba dive in Iceland, etc.), she’s making it happen. I’m very grateful that she was kind enough to walk me through a lesson and be part of this project, and trust me, I plan to have her teach me more throughout the year since she’s just that awesome.

Rachel is extremely qualified to teach me how to make Friendship Bracelets, because she is also a Swiftie. She has been to 5 Taylor Swift concerts and has traded and given countless bracelets, so she’s a pro.

Why This Lesson?

For Rachel, making friendship bracelets is a way for her to decompress, while creating something fun that’s part of a community. 

Before We Began

My experience level: Complete beginner / Some experience / Other

I made one friendship bracelet before that broke because I made it too small. So yes there’s experience. But it was unsuccessful :( 

How I felt before the lesson:

• Excited

• Nervous

This was literally my first lesson for my 40 Lessons Before 40, so I was ready to get the ball rolling, but nervous about how it would go and if I could make an okay enough bracelet with my first go.

What I expected to happen: I figured that after recording everything, I’d transcribe, edit the video however necessary, and write out the blog post, easy peasy.

What actually happened: After the official lesson had ended, I realized that only 9 minutes of video was recorded, since I ran out of phone storage. Not only that, I never actually turned on our mics, so there was also no audio either. Sigh. I took photos throughout the lesson, so hey, silver lining!

The Materials

Friendship Bracelet Kit which can be found at craft stores

Jewelry glue 

Small shallow container to hold beads to be used 

Scissors

The Lesson

Step 1:

Cut a piece of the elastic string for the bracelet. It is important to not make it too short since you’ll want some give after it’s full of beads and has to go around your wrist. 

A rough estimate that I found to be helpful is to cut a string that that's twice as long as your wrist circumference (e.g. my wrist is about 5 inches all around, so cutting a 10 inch long string should be fine. If it’s too long, that’s okay, it can always be cut later to make it fit more snug.

Step 2: 

While it’s nice to freestyle and do whatever you want, Rachel recommended keeping the beads you know you’ll be using in a small container (or a flipped over coffee cup lid) so they are organized and easy to access.

Step 3-4:

For a single strand bracelet, hold or secure (you can use a clipboard) one side of the string. Start adding the beads in the order you want, and MAKE SURE you have all the beads you want for this bracelet (I’ll explain later). She noted that for a single strand bracelet, you have to be aware of how many beads you put on because you’ll need it to fit around your wrist so you can tie a knot to secure it when you’re done.

Step 5:

When you are done putting on all your beads and want to finish up, tie a knot with the two ends of the string.

Step 6:

Tie another knot.

Step 7:

You think I’m joking, but no. Tie another knot, but this time with your finger as a helper by tying the ends around your pointer finger and pulling the strings through the hole so that the knot is on top of the existing one. The elastic string looooves to come undone because it’s silly and stretchy and wants to unravel as soon as you take your eyes off of it.

Step 8-9:

As mentioned before, the elastic strings are tricky beasts, so add a tiny amount of glue to secure the knot. Carefully set the bracelet aside to dry. 

Step 10:

We did it! Now wear your friendship bracelet with pride!

My First Attempt

So obviously the tech issues were a nightmare, BUT my bracelet was in fact a bracelet at the end. However, the fear got the best of me and I made it way too big and I managed to spell my nickname (Lunae) wrong because I ignored STEPS 3-4. A humbling blow, spelling my own name wrong, but hey, you live, and you learn. I’m sure my next one will be orthographically correct. Or I’ll just trade it with someone before they notice ;)

It was such a blast hanging out with my sister who was such a positive teacher throughout the shenanigans, so now I feel READY for my next attempt at a friendship bracelet.

Biggest Takeaways

Three things I'll remember:

1. Turn on the mics.

2. Delete those large files from my phone to have enough storage space to take video.

3. Listen to your older sister. She does know best. 

Final Thoughts

This is a relatively low cost activity that is very calm and quiet, since you need to concentrate to string all those beads correctly, so I’ll try to decompress after a long day by making some for family and friends.

To quote my sister, making friendship bracelets is “stressful and soothing at the same time.” 

As I continue practicing, I’m hoping that it’ll be more soothing as the year goes on!

Lesson Gallery

A Note About This Lesson

This lesson was reviewed and approved by my instructor prior to publication. All photos, videos, and audio shared on this page are published with the consent of everyone featured.