Candy Stripe Friendship Bracelet

This candy stripe bracelet pattern is a classic friendship bracelet technique. Watch the video or follow the step by step tutorial to learn how to make one.

Friendship bracelets are so much fun to create. I remember making this simple bracelet during long road trips and then giving them to my friends.

They are perfect for older kids to make because they take a bit more technique than other crafts.

This candy stripe pattern is a classic style. Once you get the repetition, it should come together fairly easily. If you need a bit of practice, try the spiral bracelet first.

To create the stripes, you are creating a pattern of double knots. This bracelet uses a basic knot (the forward knot) and is a great pattern for beginners.

You can use this bracelet craft in several ways.

• Give them to your best friends.
• Use them as colorful gift wrap ribbons.
• Pass them out as handmade Valentines.
• Make them at a sleepover.
• Create them during long car rides.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, we may receive an affiliate commission.

No time to make this embroidery thread bracelet? Pin it for later!

If you’re currently in planning mode, that’s ok! Pin this to your favorite Pinterest board. That way you’ll be able to grab instructions when you’re ready!

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How to Make Candy Stripe Friendship Bracelets

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See how to create your very own candy stripe bracelet step by step!

Active Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Difficulty Medium

Materials

• Embroidery Thread

Tools

• Scissors
• Clip

Instructions

1. Measure out about 1 wingspan of thread in each of the colors you would like for the bracelet.
2. Tie them together, at one end, leaving a bit of extra string at the end. You will use the extras for tying off the bracelet later.
3. Clip the string down to a work surface and spread out the colored strings.
4. Start each row with the leftmost string (in this image yellow). Bring the strand of floss over the second color (green). Your string should resemble the number 4.
5. Then wrap the (yellow) string under the second string (green) and through the loop. Ending on top of the original (yellow) string to the first yellow knot.
6. Hold the second string (green) tight while sliding the first string up until it is tight at the top.
7. Repeat the same knot, with the same strings. When you finish your second knot, the string comes out to the right.
8. Next, hold the 3rd string (pink) tight and create the yellow knot on it.
9. Repeat a second time. Now the yellow will be at the far right of the bracelet. If there are more colors, just repeat 2 knots on each additional color of string. When you reach the end of the row, the yellow string will be on the far right side. This means you are done with the first color.
10. Once you are done with the first row, repeat the process with the string that is now on the far left side. In this example green would be next.
11. Continue this process until you get the desired length of the bracelet. Then, use all the strands to tie a knot at the end.
12. To wear the bracelet, just tie one end to the loose ends, add a loop and button, or secure with a safty pin!

More crafts for girls

• First Friendship Bracelet – If this pattern is a bit difficult, try this twisted bracelet instead.
• Castle Crafts – If your girls love princesses, they’ll love these castles.
• Flower Friendship Bracelet – A more challenging bracelet technique.

If you love easy friendship bracelet patterns, share them by pinning or sharing them on Facebook.

This site wouldn’t be here without shares from people like you, and we are so thankful that you took the time to visit Twitchetts.

Know a friend who is looking for a candy stripe friendship bracelet pattern? Please share this tutorial on Facebook or save it to your favorite board on Pinterest.

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Black Construction Paper Quilling Spiders

We are having fun with all of our friendly construction paper spiders! Whether they are bouncing or climbing they have been a hit in our home.

We decided that we wanted to use one of our favorite techniques from Construction Paper Crafts for Kids. It’s perfect for little hands to take the first steps towards quilling!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, we will receive an affiliate commission.

Supplies for quilled construction paper spiders:

• Construction Paper. Black, white, and green.
• Paper Cutter.
• Craft Stick.
• Googly Eyes.
• White Glue.

Create your Quilled Halloween Craft

Check out these simple step by step instructions, to create your quilling spiders, and then watch the quick video at the end to see it all in action!

Start by cutting your black construction paper into strips. A paper cutter makes it easier to keep them all even. If you want the legs to be thinner, you can cut a few skinny strips too. Just set the legs to the side for later.

Take one strip and use a dab of glue, at one end, to create a circle and glue it to your green paper.

Use your craft stick to roll up a strip of your paper.

Holding the paper tight, dab one end into the glue and then place inside your circle. It will pop open a bit, and that’s ok!  (in fact my daughter loves watching this process!) Repeat this step until the circle is full.

Related content: Cute Quilled Turtles

Next, add legs on the outside edge. Glue them so they are sticking straight up from the side.

Use your craft stick to fold them over towards the paper.

Don’t forget to glue on a couple googly eyes! Last, add a little strip of white to create your web.

Trim and you’re done!

Aren’t they the cutest paper spiders?

The post How to make adorable quilled construction paper spiders appeared first on Twitchetts.

Prepping for the Switch Witch… A New Halloween Tradition

This first post is nearly a year old and is still one of our favorites. It’s a little bit of a craft and activity all in one. It also encourages better eating habits for your kiddos.

Gallery Wall Reveal!

Next we have something that Kate had put off… and off… and off….. Completing her gallery wall. This blog and a couple mirrors was all it took for her to get going!

MiniFigure Madness ~ A Lego MiniFigure Stand

One of the most popular posts, out the gate, that we wrote was all about getting those Lego MiniFigures up off the floor. They are J’s favorite and they needed a home.  So with a little planning, and a bunch of Kragle, we found a solution to the problem.

First Squash of the Season!

We decided we weren’t good enough cooks to pass off a bunch or “real” recipes… We are all about being your Food Muse. Little tips and tricks that you can use as inspiration to help feed your family. This was a favorite because a lot of people might be slightly intimidated by a spaghetti squash (Susie included)

So with one year down, and so much more up our sleeves, it is safe to say that we will continue to bring you fun parties, free printables, crafts, snacks, and more for years to come. We can’t wait for you to see what we have in store!!

Don’t forget to sign up for our anniversary giveaway!

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Back in August of 2014, Susie was settling into her second year in Florida and I was getting into the swing of baby bunching.  We were both ready to take on a fun challenge.   And one fateful day, I called Susie to ask for some help in naming a blog that I was going to start.  We brainstormed together, we talked about what I was going to write about.  We got excited together.  So excited, that Susie decided that she wanted to start a blog too!  She even launched the blog and wrote a post.  Then Susie had an epiphany…we should do this together!!!

  And so started yet another round of naming phone calls and brainstorming sessions.  We knew we wanted to write about kids and clean eating on a budget.  We knew that we had craftiness in our blood.  And we knew that we wanted a place for moms to find realistic tips and tricks.  But we still didn’t have a name.

After several evenings on thesaurus.com, we were getting burned out on the naming process.  Then one day, it just came to Susie.  Twitchetts.  Twitchetts was a nickname that our Grandma used to call her grandchildren.  We never stopped moving, never stopped playing, and never stopped being inspired.

All she had to do is pick up the phone and say the word and I was sold.  It was perfect.  It was everything that we were looking for.

On September 8, 2014 we posted for the first time.  We didn’t really know what to expect.  The only person we KNEW was going to read the blog was our Mom (who is still our number one fan).

Slowly, but steadily, our traffic has grown.  We have more regular readers than we ever thought was actually possible.  Are we a million hits per day blog?  No.  But we are excited by the numbers each and every day.  From day one, when we got excited to see 10 visitors, to finding the real time analytic tracker, to today when we get rushes of viewers from Pinterest and Facebook.

Now that we’ve gotten over some of the initial growing pains…(converting from Blogger to WordPress for example), we actually have very exciting and realistic goals.  From awesome free printables and exciting paid subscriptions, we have a lot in the works.

As a special anniversary celebration treat, we are doing our first ever giveaway!

You know how much we love Mighty Nest, so we thought it would be fitting to giveaway a One Year Mighty Fix Subscription!

It’s just our special way of saying Thank You!

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We love that you are following along and we can’t wait to share the next year with your!

This giveaway is only for our email subscribers, so if you aren’t already following along, make sure to join in the fun!

We’ll be announcing the winner on Saturday, so don’t delay!

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Our pup was a rescue dog. She is a bit shy and doesn’t care for loud toys.  The tug toys in the store are great, but I had some t-shirt yarn laying around so I thought I would give making one a try. Not only did it work, but she loved it! Today I will give you a quick rundown of how to make this DIY doggie tug toy. In true Twitchetts style, you can make this for little to no cost to you!

What you need for your DiY Doggie Tug Toy:

• T-Shirt yarn
• and…. wait… that’s it!!!!

How to make your DiY Doggie Tug Toy:

The basic concept for this is adapted from the steps in the 2 minute twisted bracelet.

I started with 4 arm spans of each color. 3 strands total. Tie down to something. My oven worked well but a drawer or chair would work well too.

Then start twisting… And twisting… And twisting. It is a lot of string so this will take a little time.

Keep twisting until the colors almost look horizontal.

At this point bring the end in your hand to the opposite end and tie together.

Slide your fingers down until you find the middle. Work out any kinks.

Then start twisting again. Fold in half again.

Put the knot through the loop.

Twist and fold one last time!

Untie the strings holding it down and pull half through the final loop.

Tie them off…

Trim your edges and you are done!Do you have a special friend at home to make one of these for?

I love how you use your toes to hold it together…true Twitchetts style!

Check out these other T-Shirt Yarn ideas!

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~Tears of Sadness~

Flash-back… The first day of preschool, even the last day of preschool there was definitely some welling in the eyes. I mean my BABY was in school! How did this happen?!

~Tears of Guilt~

We had a Crazy summer that year. V was born and we moved from Missouri to Florida. We were settled about 2 weeks before J headed back to school. His backpack almost swallowed him alive!!

We had moved from all of his friends. I couldn’t help but feel guilty that I might have stuck him with a bunch of jerks… I ran to the car before I let the water works start. He, of course, loved his new school and before long had plenty of new friends.

~Tears of Pride~

By the first day of 1st grade, we were settled. He was in sports, had friends, and was ready to go to school. I knew he was ready and prepared. It felt good sending him off somewhere he loved…. then it happened. We moved again… Florida to Kentucky over Christmas break.

 After a lot of holiday traveling, we prepared for a new school again. No complaints, no fear, and no tears (for J that is). Again, mom filled with pride, dropped off her 1st grader for his first day, again. I waited until I got into the car to let the tears flow.

~Tears of Joy~

So are you there yet? When the end of summer hits, are you counting down the days until school? Don’t get me wrong I love summer and all of the great activities that go along with it, but towards the end, I can tell J is striving for more. It is like his brain needs to learn and by the end, my brain is fried…

2nd grade go get ’em J!! Look his backpack even fits!

The truth is, there are all kinds of tears involved with being a parent. The hardest part is watching them walk away. When they don’t need to turn around anymore to see if you are there. When they are learning to be confident and independent. When you are starting to learn to trust that you have taught them well. This is the moment your Fears can turn to Cheers as you watch them grow into another year of growth and learning new things.

What kind of tears did you feel on the first day of school this year??

When the kiddos moved to their new classrooms, I had tears of fears…but I know that they love where they are and are thriving!

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This post contains affiliate links.  Don’t worry, we don’t recommend things we don’t love!  We do get a portion of all sales from these links.

Just a couple quick stats from EcoWatch:

50 percent of the plastic we use, we use just once and throw away.

Enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the earth four times.

The average American throws away approximately 185 pounds of plastic per year.

The numbers are shocking, but what can we do about it?… I know that this can seem overwhelming to some, but a few little changes can go a long way!!  I have had fun over the past few years getting creative with some of J’s favorite foods.  I try to reuse a lot of the same ingredients to make many different meals. Doing this keeps the bill and stress levels low. I have also purchased a few products that make it easier too! Mighty Nest offers loads of products to help keep your lunches waste free.

On the Waste Free Lunch Menu Today: Pizza Quesadillas

A couple quick tips…

Layer cheese then toppings: This way when you fold it in half the cheese holds it all together.

 Let them cool down before you cut: This prevents the cheese from oozing out the sides.

  Do Not pack them warm: The trapped steam would create a pretty soggy quesadilla… No one wants that!
Keep some marinara sauce on the side: This way they can dunk them!!

 I Love this Bento box. It helps keep all of the food separated.

I always add in some fruits and/or veggies. Buying a big bag of popcorn or pretzels is a Lot cheaper than the mini bags and helps with the waste free lunch factor.

 Getting a quality reusable drink bottle is the last touch. No juice pouches or water bottles to throw out. Again buying bigger bottles of juice and/or water is Much cheaper.

Want to jazz up those carrots a bit?? Try out this fun idea!

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Don’t forget to Pin It!

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If you’ve been following us, you know we don’t do a lot of advertisements. We’ve been bouncing around the idea of AdSense and we’ve linked to some Amazon affiliate links. But they never truly felt right.

When I received my first Mighty Fix, I had a feeling that his was a company that would fit.

Mighty Nest sells only natural and safe products for your home, body, and kids. They are where I found the sprinkles I used for Little Miss’ birthday cake.

On top of providing me with peace of mind, they donate 15% of every purchase to the school of your choice!

So I can buy quality safe products for my home and give the kid’s school a bit of extra spending cash!  Win. Win.

Mighty Nest has a great subscription service called the Mighty Fix. Once a month, I pay $10.00 and they ship me something fun. The first month I received 2 packs of these great wash clothes. I know, I know…not super exciting…but I was kinda geeking out over them.  They’re 100% organic cotton, wash up great, and are super cute!

The next month, I received a bottle of great natural sunscreen. This shipment came right before we left town on vacation. In other words, perfect timing.  I love being able to spray on sunscreen, because have you tried to put sunscreen on two toddlers?  Yeah, the spray has been amazing!

This month’s shipment was a bottle of Bug Repellent lotion.  I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet…but I’ll let you know how well it works!

Just in case getting a monthly product and 15% donated to your school wasn’t enough, I can tack on all my purchases for the month and have them delivered, with no shipping charges, with my Mighty Fix.

So Little Miss’ sprinkles…free shipping.
Mr Monster’s sprinkles and food dye…free shipping.

So hop on over to Might Nest and check them out! But be careful…you’ll have a wish list as big as mine before you know it!

I was so excited to be giving back 15% to J’s school. That really adds up fast… especially when they have so many great items to choose from!!

This post contains affiliate links.  Don’t worry, it’s only for things that we love.

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