Macrame Friendship Bracelet Helper

No more tape on the end of your friendship bracelets and macrame projects! Put together this simple tool for holding the end of your threads and you'll always be comfortable while braiding. You can use this for simple friendship bracelets, complex macrame, or beading projects.

drill with a drill bit that matches your bolt and one that's larger than your bolt

bolt

2 nuts

3 washers with narrow holes that still fit your bolt (I ended up using the rubber washers because the holes in the metal ones were too large.)

1 wing nut (My wing nut didn't fit the bolt, so I had to use another nut for the top in a lot of the images until I got a wing nut that fit. The wing nut makes it a lot easier to tighten.)

wood block (Make sure it's either heavy or long. If it's long, you can have it push up against your stomach while braiding. If it's heavy, it will weigh itself down while you work.)

Drill a hole in the end of your wood block that will fit your bolt.

With a larger drill bit, drill into the hole you've already created to countersink the bolt. Because my bolt was relatively short, I countersunk it about half way into the board. If your bolt is longer, you just need to countersink enough to get the head of the bolt into the board and create a flat bottom.

Add a washer and nut to your bolt.

Then, add another nut, two more washers, and your wing nut on top.

Tie a knot in the end of your threads.

Tighten the washers onto the end of your threads with the knot on the outside edge.

Begin your macrame.

When you get to a point where it's too long, wrap the braided edge around the bolt and retighten.

Continue braiding.

When you're done, simply remove your bracelet from the helper and tie it on a friend.