Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting and Exchanging Taylor Swift Friendship Bracelets – Great

If you’re going to SoFi Stadium to see Taylor Swift this week, chances are that you’ll also encounter thousands of people with arms adorned with friendship bracelets.

The inspiration for the bracelets comes from the lyrics to Swift’s song “You’re on Your Own, Kid” from her “Midnights” album.

’Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned
Everything you lose is a step you take
So, make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it
You’ve got no reason to be afraid

Swifties across the country have been trading homemade bracelets in the parking lots outside of concerts (and yes, friendship bracelets will be allowed at SoFi). Some bracelets have favorite lyrics spelled out on them; some bear deep-cut references to memes from Taylor’s Tumblr days.

Ready to start making your own friendship bracelets? Here are some tips to help you get started.

Turn the bracelet making into an occasion

Creating a fun occasion can make the time pass (the work of making bracelets can be tedious!) and be a way to brainstorm and bond with fellow fans.

When Christina Ragland of Denver discovered the friendship bracelet trend on Twitter, she threw a bracelet-making party in preparation for Swift’s Denver concert on July 14.

“Everyone brought a food or drink related to a [Taylor Swift] song,” Ragland said. Among the more memorable concoctions: sangria that was red — like Swift’s album with the same title, name, and “Midnights”-themed cocktails with golden sugar on the rim and sparkling cider.

Angie Arreotúa joined a Facebook group chat for Swift fans in Los Angeles. This past weekend, she helped to coordinate a bracelet-making party in Culver City, open to anyone who wanted to come. For five hours, she and a group of other fans discussed their favorite albums while stringing beads.

“It was amazing. Making bracelets is the way we connect with more fans. It also feels therapeutic to take the moment to sit and talk with more Swifties,” Arreotúa said.

When gathering materials, consider accessibility

When Nicole Thonn went to purchase beads in Houston to make bracelets before the Nashville concert in early May, the stores were sold out. When she looked for supplies online, she had two imperatives in mind: get the stretchy clear string and make sure to buy extra letters.

“No matter what size you make it, [the bracelet] will then stretch to fit anyone and it’s easy to take on and off [when you trade them],” Thonn said. She made a bracelet for each of Swift’s 10 eras.

In preparation for the Aug. 5 concert at SoFi Stadium, Dawn Hamilton of Woodland Hills worked with a small business online to adapt an electric bead spinner. Her daughter Emerson uses a wheelchair and has minimal motor skills.

“That hasn’t stopped her from making friendship bracelets,” Hamilton said. She shared a tutorial on her Instagram showing how Emerson uses the device. The custom switch-adapted automatic bracelet maker rapidly puts a cup of colorful beads on string.

Express your creativity. Pick phrases and songs that mean something to you

Swift has many iconic lyrics from across her eras that have special stories. Pick ones that mean something to you and that you can share with others.

For Thonn, she made a purple-beaded bracelet with the phrase “Come back to me Eli,” an inside joke from the bonus track song “If This Was a Movie” on the album “Speak Now.” The real chorus is “Come back to me like, you would, you would if this was a movie.”

You might run out of letters early, so start getting creative. When Ragland ran out of vowels, she texted friends for a quick brainstorm.

“Make the bracelet you really want to make first before you run out of letters. As you run out of letters, make lists of songs that don’t have e’s in them,” Ragland advised. After fashioning a double-set with the words “Capture it” and “Remember it” from “Fearless,” she made one with the letters “YBWM” — an abbreviation for “You Belong With Me.”

Colors can communicate different eras. At a local Joann’s craft store, Ragland purchased black, silver, and gold beads for “Reputation,” and another friend brought pastels to her bracelet-making party in honor of Swift’s “Lover” album.

Ragland had made a bracelet with the phrase “Holiday House” from the song “Last Great American Dynasty,” the first song she said she learned on Swift’s 2020 “Folklore” album. She had listened to Swift throughout middle school, high school and college, but some lyrics developed new meanings.

Ragland made a bracelet spelling out “betty” in honor of her family. She moved to Denver earlier this year, a few weeks after her mom passed away. While driving down the highway, she began to cry while listening to “betty”: “I’m only 17, I don’t know anything, But I know I miss you.”

As Swifties get older, they might find the songs will grow with them. “Certain phrases will strike you again as you have different life experiences,” Ragland said.

Trading bracelets can be nerve-racking. Be fearless

According to Swifties, concertgoers are very welcoming. Whether it’s one bracelet or 50, bring them to the concert and trade them before the show starts. Don’t be afraid to approach others with bracelets.

Rosie Hirschman, 10, dressed up with red sunglasses when she attended the Boston show. She said she spotted many older girls walking around with arms of friendship bracelets, offering to trade or hand them out before the concert began. Despite not having brought any bracelets to trade, she received a few of her own.

“There were so many bracelets. I got [bracelets with songs from] ‘Midnights.’ I got ‘Speak Now.’ My favorite is ‘Paris,’ ’cause the beads are really thin and fun to stretch out,” Hirschman said. She likes to keep these bracelets in her jewelry box and wear them for good luck.

Don’t have time to make bracelets? Some Swifties have decided to purchase premade bracelets from sites like Etsy.

“If you don’t want to trade, you don’t have to. Even if you think your bracelet looks bad, it doesn’t. It’s just a way for the fan base to bring people together,” Thonn said.

After the show, spread the love

Many Facebook groups have popped up for continuing the bracelet trade after the concert is over. Swifties are posting pictures of their bracelets and volunteering to mail their gear to the next concertgoer.

For Ragland, she kept a few favorites, but packaged up the rest of her traded bracelets for another family.

“It was great. We chatted about the times we had seen Taylor before and how this is her kids’ first time seeing her [perform live],” she said after passing on the bag.

You never know what conversations or friendships may begin just from exchanging a bracelet.

“Everyone is really encouraging,” Thonn said. “It’s a great way to meet people who are there for the same reason.”