Written by As a child, I can remember having a craft bin full of beads in different sizes, shapes, and colors. Particularly in grammar school, I would string an assortment of them together to design bead bracelets for each of my friends and they would do the same for me. Girls would come to school with an arm stacked with handmade jewelry to show off just how many other girls had decided they liked them enough to give them one of the coveted friendship bracelets. As we grew up, different girls found different ways to assert their popularity but the memory of making and exchanging the bracelets never went away. Now that customizable bracelets are coming back into style, the reminder of the sentimental declaration of friendship is stronger than before.
Looking back, it’s hard to say whether or not those plastic bead bracelets were a true symbol of friendship or just a sign of popularity. However, the feeling I remember when being given one of those bracelets was one of pure elation. With companies like Novobeads offering a large selection of high quality gold and silver beads that are interchangeable, it’s possible to recapture that feeling. These can also be given to someone important to you to instill that same feeling of friendship.
Somewhere in my bedroom, there is still a drawer full of friendship bracelets that had been given to me over the years. Even though I’ve outgrown them, I have handfuls of them in every color of the rainbow. I can still recall who gave me each piece of jewelry. With the new style of interchangeable beads for jewelry, it’s possible to recreate that same stroll down memory lane – with each bead representing a special part of someone’s life. Just like I’ll never forget that my friend Jessica gave my purple bead bracelet to me, someone else can always remember that the heart shaped bead on their new bracelet was a gift from their boyfriend on their first Valentine’s Day.
because of the way that they looked, but also because of what they were a symbol of. When I would create handmade friendship bracelets, I took extreme care in selecting each bead and the pattern they made. In the same vein, customizable bead bracelets afford people the same opportunity when they give one as a gift.
From the time that I was a child, beaded jewelry has always held a unique appeal. Like special charms on a charm bracelet, the perfect arrangement of beads serve as more than an addition to an outfit or a piece of jewelry. Bead bracelets allow the chance to share, create, and give memories. Beyond what each bead can symbolize, the simple exchange of a bracelet as a sign of friendship can be a sentimental gift for anyone that you care about.
Is there anything else you would like to learn about beads or bead bracelets? visit Novobeads.com to check out amazing, American made products that are fully compatible with all major bead bracelet brands!. This article, Friendship Bracelets: How Beads Create Memories has free reprint rights.
