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They're back, baby! Friendship bracelets were a staple of my youth in the late nineties and early aughts, decorating my arms, and numbing my fingers from braiding. Now, they're one of the biggest gifts among teens and tweens, and there's no reason for parents and other adults to be left behind. I get it, as we get older, our tastes and friendships change, but I love my friends. They are my chosen family, so why not get them a fun little piece of jewelry? And DIY kits for making friendship bracelets? I can tell you from personal experience that making them with your child is a true joy. Did you know that kids aren't just teaching each other how to do a lark's knot for bracelets anymore? It's our job to teach them this valuable life skill so that they too, can get in trouble during study hall for taping embroidery thread to the desks.
Here are my (and my daughter's) favorite friendship bracelets and DIY friendship bracelet kits.
Rainbow is a theme in several of our favorite bracelets, and these are too much fun to skip. With "squad" spelled out on each one, they're the perfect friends' group gift. I love them for school trips or beach outings to remember it by.
Am I an absolute sap for loving this pair? Maybe, but I'm ordering it for me and my daughter anyway. The sentiment of always remembering how lucky you are to have each other is precious.
If you are of a certain age, you will remember having to weave these designs yourself. I think I could do a few of these in my sleep even now, but if your kid isn't as crafty? This is a cheap and cheerful set.
Even if your trio is down to two after one of you were reunited with your family so that you could become king, you'll always have this bracelet to remember all of the good times, and how well you fit together.
I bought this for my daughter last week, and I've basically only seen her for mealtimes since then. It's a huge kit with beads, threads, shells, everything you could want in a DIY friendship bracelet kit. So far, she's only made one that is questionable. ("brother" on one half, "butthole" on the other.)
My son isn't so much into friendship bracelets, or bracelets of any kind, but he doesn't hate these. They're light and easy to wear, and the little plaque is in a deeper copper color, and not really readable from far away.
Much like it's important to learn how to change your tire even if you have roadside assistance, it's good to learn the classics of friendship bracelet crafting. My daughter is catching on really fast, and she may best her teacher very soon thanks to YouTube tutorials.
And the holder and braid helper? It's a wildly useful aid. It comes with 20 pre-cut threads, and since it uses simple embroidery thread, it's easy to grab more.
The bubble beads, the rainbows, the unicorns, all of them work together to make a great set of friendship bracelets perfect to give out as a party favor, or just for your own child.
Vinyl friendship bracelets have returned. Do you remember these? I loved them. Mostly because they never got gross no matter how many times my dumb behind wore them in the pool or in the ocean. Now your kids can make the same mistakes!
Gold and pink and black are three super-popular colors with tweens, at least according to mine, and this set is so stackable and fun. I like these for adult friends as well, as they are just a bit more grown-up.
Smiling motifs are back. They're actually before my time, even, so it's fun to see our kids get to play around with it. Mixed and matched with other friendship bracelets is the way to go with this set.
Engraving is what makes this friendship bracelet special. I love the idea of having them engraved with a saying that means something to the people wearing it. This is sophisticated and stylish for a friendship bracelet, and we love that.
Could you die? How cute are these? Yes, the mini bracelet cannot be worn by kids under age 3, but that 4-8 year sweet spot before they really start to be annoyed by your existence? That's what this bracelet set is for.
Oh, you thought Rainbow Looms were a thing of the past? Au contraire, thanks to the addition of little charms, they're more popular than they've been in a long time. My kid has boxes and boxes of them, and makes new ones all of the time.
Charm-style friendship bracelets offer a bit more elegance than threaded or beaded, which means they're wonderful for older kids or parents and children. This set is made of durable stainless steel, so it won't oxidize or get uncomfortable.
One of the more thoughtful choices on the list, this friendship bracelet features a picture bead in the center. You send them the image, and they put it in the magnifying bead. It's terribly sweet.
There aren't a ton of affordable gold or gold-plated options for friendship bracelets, so this one immediately caught my eye. The symbolism of the rising and setting of the sun just makes it that much more powerful.
The spendier friendship bracelet upgrade, this rope-style gold vermeil bracelet from Monica Vinader is quite lovely on its own or stacked with other bracelets. Great for adult friends, sisters, or as a graduation gift.
Who says that friendship bracelets can't be a little more rugged? Leather bracelets with meaningful sayings burned onto the inside are a pleasant change of pace for friendship bracelets, and they look great stacked with others, as well.
4YoreElves 48 Candy Bracelets Individually Wrapped
My daughter insisted that these bracelets be included in the list. Kids still really love these, and even though I think they taste like sweet and sour chalk, kids think they're spectacular.
Cat Bowen has been covering parenting and home for over a decade. At Best Products, she has tested hundreds of products for parents and for the home, often spending dozens of hours per product to ensure her reviews are accurate and informative. Prior to joining the team, she was at Romper where she covered everything from breastfeeding to child sleep habits to abortion rights access. You can find her work on Bustle, Romper, and more. Cat is a bit of an intellectual magpie and perpetual student, most recently receiving a graduate degree in gender studies where she examined a topic that vexes so many — pockets in women’s clothing.
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