How to Make Anklets with Embroidery Thread

I think just about everyone has seen one of these anklets at least once in their life. I ,myself, survived junior high by making these to pass the time. These colorful anklets are not only fun and addictive, but easy to make. If you can tie a knot, you can make one of these anklets.

Need a project that will travel with you? Since you only need embroidery thread, scissors, and something to clip it with, like a safety pin or binder clip, all your supplies will fit in something as small as a storage bag. Here is how you can make anklets with embroidery thread.

Materials:

• 4 colors of embroidery thread- each cut into 90 inch pieces.
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Line your threads together and fold them in half. At the middle mark tie an overhand knot about an inch away from the middle mark. This will make the loop for tying your anklet on your ankle later.
2. Now pair your colors together to their color mate. When done, you should have 4 matching pairs. For mine it is dark blue, teal, light yellow, and white.
3. Starting with the first pair on your left, take your 1st string and hold it straight down through the palm of your hand and into your curled middle, fourth, and pinky fingers, with your first finger extended to the right and your thumb pointed up.
4. Take your second thread and pull it straight and then grip it with your thumb in the crease between your thumb and first finger. Move the tail of your second thread over the top of the first, creating a 4 shape. Then take the tail for the second thread, go under the first thread, through the hole and then slide the knot towards the top of your threads using your right hand with the thread pulled to the right. Repeat this to create a second knot. Now move your first string out of the way and to the left. The thread you hold in your left hand will always be your core thread and the thread in your right will form the knots.
5. Using your second thread from before, take your first thread in your next pair and tie 2 knots as in the previous step. Continue tying 2 knots on each thread using the thread you began the row with until all of the threads have 2 knots. That will be your first row. It won’t look like much now, but wait until you see more rows together!
6. After your first row is complete, your threads should look like this (using my colors as an example)- One blue, 2 teal, 2 light yellow, 2 white, one blue.
7. Now you want to take your 1st thread in line ( mine is the mate to the blue I just used), this will be your knot thread, and the first thread in the next pair (mine is teal) will be your core. Hold the first teal thread straight down through the palm of your hand and into your curled middle, fourth, and pinky fingers, with your first finger extended to the right and your thumb pointed up. Take your blue thread and pull it straight and then grip it with your thumb in the crease between your thumb and first finger. Move the tail of your blue thread over the top of the first, creating a 4 shape. Then take the tail for the blue thread, go under the teal thread, through the hole and then slide the knot towards the top of your threads using your right hand with the thread pulled to the right. Repeat this to create a second knot. Now move your your core string out of the way and to the left.
8. Repeat tying 2 knots per core string until you reach the end of the row, then start the next row using the first string on the left as your knot string.
9. Repeat these rows until your anklet is the desired length to fit the ankle you are making it for. Tie off by tying an overhand knot against the last row.
10. Divide then end threads in half- four and four. Now braid the 2 sections. You can either do this by adding an extra thread to another thread on a 3 strand braid, or you can do a 4 strand braid.
11. Once finished, attach the anklet by placing it on the ankle, run on of the braids through the loop on the starting end of the anklet and tie it to the other braid.