At Home with Bounty

Pony bead friendship bracelets remind you of the bond of friendship you have with another person. Friendship bracelets use string and simple knots to create various patterns. This friendship bracelet uses four strands of colored hemp string; two to form the knotted pattern, and two to form the core of the bracelet. Adult supervision required.

What You'll Need:

• Colored hemp twine
• A ruler
• Safety scissors
• A clipboard
• Tape
• Colored pony beads

Instructions:

1. Cut one piece of hemp craft string 60 inches long and another piece 24 inches long. Fold both strings in half. Make a simple overhand knot to join both strings in the middle and form a loop that is just slightly larger than the diameter of the pony beads.
2. Place the knot under the clipboard's clamp to hold the strings in place. Separate the strings so the two long strands are on the outside and the two short strands are together between them. Tape the two short pieces to the bottom end of the clipboard but leave about two inches of slack in the strings.
3. Make a left knot by taking the long, left string and crossing it over the two middle strings to form the numeral "4". Take the right string and lay it over the left string, on the right side of the two middle strands. Reach through the triangle in the "4" and pull the left string through. Slide the knot up to the clip and make it snug. The two outside strings reverse sides--left becomes right, and right becomes left.
4. Make a right knot by taking the long, right string and crossing it over the two middle strings to form a reversed "4". Take the left string and lay it over the right string on the left side of the two middle strands. Reach through the triangle in the "4" and pull the right string through. Slide the knot up to the clip and pull it snug. The two outside strings reverse sides again.
5. Repeat the left and right knots four to eight times each. The knots form a square pattern around the two middle strings, and the number of knots determines the bead spacing of the pony bead friendship bracelet. Try to make each knot as snug as the previous knots.
6. Thread the two middle strands through a pony bead and slide it up to the knots. Make another series of alternating left and right knots using the same number of knots as the first series. Alternate between left and right knots.
7. Continue knotting and adding beads until the bracelet is long enough to fit comfortably around a wrist. Add a last bead and make four to eight alternating knot pairs. Make a final overhand knot and trim the strings with the scissors. Place the bracelet around your wrist and put the last bead through the loop to fasten it.