How to Make String Bracelets - Easy Fishtail Pattern

Pick at least four colors of six-strand embroidery floss - six gives you a brighter rainbow. Cut every strand to the same length. Three feet per strand is the sweet spot. Two and a half feet works but you'll be cutting it close.

Lay all the colors flat on a dark surface so the ends line up evenly. The strands have to start at exactly the same place or the loop you'll make next won't sit straight.

Fold all the strings in half so the cut ends meet at the bottom. The fold at the top is going to become your closure loop, so make it just a tiny bit bigger than the button you're going to use - any bigger and the bracelet slips off your wrist.

Pinch the loop and tie a tight knot just below it using the strings themselves. That single knot is what holds the loop in place while you braid the rest.

Tape the loop to a pillow, a piece of fabric, or your jeans - anywhere you can pin it flat so both your hands stay free. A safety pin works just as well.

Now split the strings into two even halves. Lay them out on either side of the knot in the color order you want repeating. The order on the left mirrors itself on the right - that's what gives the fishtail its rainbow stripe.

Take the outermost string on the left side. Bring it across all the other strings on the left and lay it down the middle, between the two halves. Then take the outermost string on the right side and do the same - bring it across everything on the right and lay it down the middle next to the first one.

That's one full pass. Two strings have moved from the outside to the inside. The braid hasn't started looking like anything yet - keep going.

Now there's a new outermost string on each side. Grab it and bring it to the middle, same as before. Left first, then right. Pull each string snug against the braid as you lay it down so the colors stack tight.

After three or four passes the rainbow stripe down the center starts showing up. From here it's just rhythm - left, right, left, right - until the bracelet wraps around your wrist with about an inch to spare.

Once the bracelet is long enough, gather all the loose strings at the bottom and tie them in one tight knot. Add a second knot on top of the first to lock it.

Now pick four strings to trim - two from each side - leaving four threads to thread through the button. Push the button against the knot and feed two strings through one buttonhole and two through the other. Pull tight.

Knot the four button strings tight against the back of the button. Trim every loose end down close to the knot - any string longer than a quarter inch will fray over time.

For extra security, dab a tiny drop of clear nail polish or super glue right on the final knot. Let it dry before you wear it. That's it - thread the button through the loop at the top and the bracelet is ready to wear.