So, apparently, my 13 year old self turned up this weekend, and wreaked havoc on my world.
Man, that girl is insane.
Before I talk about friendship bracelets, let me say this....
She ran through sprinklers. Dreamed about how beyond fab the future was going to be. Painted her toe nails and got nail polish everywhere, and didn't even care, just shrugged and kept going. She turned up all the speakers full blast, made homemade pizza and didn't clean up the mess (luckily I picked up after her). She rolled in the wet grass. Ate lime popsicles, listened to things like this and this (Oh dear Duckie!), and this too, oh! Waiting for a star to faaaaaaaal....
She put on no sun screen, what's new? And she left wet towels and clothes glopped on the floor everywhere. Her Esprit t-shirts, scrunchies and neon pink and black Body Glove bathing suit were even hanging in the bathroom.
(I might steal a Swatch watch for payment, if she'll take one of 10 off.)
She went on to repeat this behavior accompanied by different 80's songs for 2 days.
The Cutting Crew, Mr. Mister, Ice-House, Glass Tiger, Duran-Duran.
You know, the whole gang turned up, Amadeus Amadeus!
Not surprisingly, she was extra amused that there was no no no parental supervision.
She went bonkers over this.
Jumped on the bed over this fact, in fact.
She almost stole Mister Lovee's car and went joy riding.
What a girl.
It was so refreshing to see her again, but she did no chores, so that was annoying.
Ah, 7th and 8th grade...
The main thing she left behind?
Friendship bracelet making obsessions.
I lost so many friendship bracelets due to teacher confiscation as a girl, you see. Because I was obsessed with knotting embroidery floss in class, and was interested in little of anything else like Algebra, Social Studies or Science class. Bleh!
I decided to try my friendship bracelet making skills this weekend, while 13 year old me was here. See if I even remembered?
Of course, I had to try it with yarn first.
Since I have yarn of the brain.
If you need a refresher, or have never made friendship bracelets before, go here.
This site is great for all types of friendship makings.
I basically just stuck to the candy stripe.
Only instead of two knots with the yarn, I did 3.
I decided to try embroidery floss again, just for kicks.
And then, I got addicted.
I have about 4 different ones started, to give away.
And then, I made Mister Lovee a bracelet using the candy stripe technique, and a necklace.
I used to have a long necklace type one (like below) in purple and pinks with tiny bells in it, hanging from my hair in college, like a dread lock sorta. I loved that thing.
Lovee liked his crafty jewelry a whole lot.
I used a button for his necklace clasp.
He thought I was brilliant with the making of his friendship bracelet.
:)
Isn't that hilarious??
He didn't know that most young kids whip them out one right after the other.
Or at least, they did when I was growing up.
In fact, he didn't really know what friendship bracelets were, except that you could buy them in border towns and on vacation islands.
He was probably driving around the country in his school bus when I was in 7th grade obsessing on weaving these little things.
But one thing, he wore them all weekend.
I laughed every time I looked at him because, coupled with his sun tanned skin and disheveled long curly hair, he looked like he had just gotten back from vacation. Or like, I had stolen him off of a beach somewhere.
After I made Lovee his, I got really inspired and using the easy candy stripe weave, I started this (below), which was really back breaking because of the amount of floss I used.
I am not thrilled with it, as I thought I would be....
But I'll still finish it.
When I got bored with the one above, I went back to the technique for making friendship necklaces, and tried using a little gold tiny ribbon I had, mixed in with embroidery floss, to make a different one.
Then I was really hooked, this was more my style...
It went well with the yarn ones.
Then I made a little black and off-white embroidery floss one for myself, and I liked it stacked in with the others...
Then I wondered, will I really wear these?
So I decided to couple them with one of my gold chain bracelets I wear all the time...
And then I was like, hmmmm....
I wonder how these would look with my other jewelry I wear all the time?
I was surprised to see that they were actually fun to add to your regular fine jewelry stuff.
And so, now I am thoroughly re-addicted to some of my 13 year old shenanigans.
Friendship bracelets included, only glammed up a little.
Sorta fun, no?
I love the tiny one with the gold ribbon, which uses this easy weave.
I need more of that with some light teal.
And bonus, you can add little bells and beads too as you go, yumm yumm!
Or make some for your hair.
You can find lots of tutorials for hair wraps on YouTube.
Like I need another hobby?
Why is this stuff so addicting I ask?
And time consuming too :)
Why can't vacuuming be as addicting??
Although, I do like vacuuming.
But, maybe folding laundry?
Do you have any friendship bracelets tales from days of yore?
Do you feel a nudge to make one coming on???
Once you start......
Obsession.
Back soon,
Love, V
ps: Why not make a 4th of July inspired one? Maybe out of yarn, gold, red, white and blue? Could be fun? Or teach your kids if you haven't already?? Kids love learning things like this, don't they? Making something you can use is so exciting.
My mom taught me how to crochet the simple chain stitch when I was 4, and I loved watching cartoons while sitting inside of my pillow case on the giant brown couch, making mile long chains :)
