Cardboard Loom Friendship Bracelet: Follow the Empty Slot
Make a seven-strand round braid on an eight-slot cardboard disk, with a clear move-and-turn diagram and a printable loom.
An eight-slot disk makes a round friendship bracelet from seven strands. Keep the empty slot facing you, count three occupied slots up the right side, move that third strand into the gap, and rotate the disk until the new gap faces you. Repeat this one move without changing the counting direction.
A source-based guide with original diagrams. We have not physically made or tested this version.
What you’ll need
- Firm, flat cardboard; the worksheet has a 100 mm / about 4 inch disk
- Seven lengths of embroidery floss, 30 inches / about 76 cm each, following the source setup
- Scissors, pencil and a tool for making a small center hole; an adult should prepare the hole for a child
- A ruler and optional tape for marking a pause position
Make the disk and load seven strands
Cut eight equally spaced slots around the disk. Our template uses 18 mm slots and a small center-hole guide; pierce or enlarge the hole just enough for the seven-strand bundle to pass. Trace the pattern onto cardboard instead of trying to braid on printer paper.
Tie the seven lengths together with an overhand knot about 2 inches / 5 cm from one end. Feed the seven long working ends up through the center hole from below, leaving the knot and short tails underneath; the knot does not need to pass through the hole. Spread the working ends across the top and put one in each of seven slots, with the remaining lengths hanging over the rim. Leave the eighth slot empty.
The 30-inch starting lengths come from Welcome to Nana’s tutorial, not a guarantee of bracelet size. Strand thickness, braid tension, wrist fit and the length of the tying ends affect what you can finish. Keep the same material across all seven strands for a first attempt.
References: Welcome to Nana’s: DIY Round Friendship Bracelet with a Cardboard Loom
Move one strand, then turn
Work with the disk face up. Each count starts beside the current empty slot, not from a printed number. The diagram numbers help you identify the first move only.
Find the gap
Rotate the disk so the empty slot is at the bottom, nearest your body. Separate hanging loose ends if they are tangled.
Count and move
Count the first, second and third occupied slots going upward along the right side. Lift only the strand in that third slot and place it in the bottom gap.
Turn and repeat
The strand’s previous slot is now empty. Turn the disk clockwise until that new gap faces you. Repeat the same count and move. Draw the forming braid gently down through the center as needed; do not yank the knot.
Watch the complete braid movement
Welcome to Nana’s · DIY Round Friendship Bracelet with a Cardboard Loom
Watch how the empty slot moves and the disk turns. This is the source creator’s demonstration, not a test of our printable.
Pause without losing your place
Stop immediately after a complete move, with all seven strands sitting in slots. Turn the empty slot to the bottom before setting the disk down. On return, check for exactly seven occupied slots and one gap, then resume the usual count.
That restart rule assumes no strand has fallen out and no move was made incorrectly. If a strand is loose and you do not know its former slot, the empty gap alone cannot tell you where it belonged. A quick photo before a break is more useful than guessing.
If you have just made a wrong move, reverse that single move while you still know which strand changed slots. Otherwise, undo to a point you can identify, rather than continuing a pattern you cannot verify.
Take it off and tie the ends
Check the braided length around the intended wrist without tightening it against the skin. Leave enough unbraided thread to tie and untie the bracelet; do not braid all the way to the ends.
Pinch the braid directly under the disk, release the strands from the rim, and draw the loose working ends down through the center hole to remove the disk. Keep holding the last braided section while you tie an overhand knot just below it. Use the two unbraided bundles as ties. Trim only after checking the fit and tying room. Remove the bracelet if it feels tight or catches during activity.
A groove that no longer holds its thread, a bent disk, or heavily fuzzy floss makes control harder. Replace the cardboard or change to smoother matching floss instead of compensating with stronger pulling.
Try a flat braid without a disk
A four-strand braid gives a flat strip and uses a different repeat. Keep its left-to-right strand sequence separate from the empty-slot method.
Downloads
- Four-project worksheet pack — A4
Use page 2 for this project. Four pages total; print only the page you need at Actual size / 100%. Check its 50 mm line before cutting. These original worksheets have been checked digitally, but not physically printed and assembled.
- Four-project worksheet pack — Letter
Use page 2 for this project. Four pages total; print only the page you need at Actual size / 100%. Check its 50 mm line before cutting. These original worksheets have been checked digitally, but not physically printed and assembled.
