1980s Woven Friendship Bracelets

I never could make these damn Friendship bracelets.

The 1980s were all about FRIENDSHIP and woven patterned crafty girly stuff. Everyone was making friendship books, friendship pins, those cute ribbon hair barrettes and ribbon hair clips (some even had beads dangling from them!) and my personal favorite, friendship bracelets. Remember them? They were made using coordinating colors of durable thread?

Well guess what, other than friendship pins, which, let's face it, were easy. I mean all you had to do was stick some tiny beads onto a small safety pin and you were good to go. Any idiot can do that! I just could NOT master anything involving a pattern. Seriously. I couldn't even braid my own hair, Barbie's hair or anyone's hair for that matter. Oh, and I sucked at making those damn plastic lanyards at camp - mine always had odd knots in them or leaned to one side. (Click that lanyard link for step-by-step directions!)

... and I never could master those dang plastic lanyards
at Girl Scout camp either!

The other day, I did something I haven't done since childhood. I actually broke down and PURCHASED three friendship bracelets. Hello, loser! The purpose of these friendship bracelets was to trade them with friends. Hence the name!

You Can't Trade Friendship Bracelets If You Can't MAKE Them!

When purchasing woven friendship bracelets, it is important to be DISCREET. You don't want everyone knowing that #1 can't make threaded friendship bracelets yourself and #2 don't have friends lining up to gift them to you for free! 

Today, there are even how-to books and
websites on friendship bracelets!

Don't Tell Anyone, But in 1983, I STOLE Friendship Bracelets!

Today, thank heavens for Etsy. Back in the '80s I did the unthinkable. I stole them!! I was just too embarrassed to own up to the fact that I didn't have the talent to make my own and, well, I guess I didn't have the right friends to teach me. Our corner card store had this lovely display of friendship bracelets back in 1983. I remember actually looking at those bracelets in all their woven glory and slipping a few of them on my wrist and well, slipping out of the store. Can you believe it? I'm such a nervous wreck today, I can't imagine trying to get away with that type of illegal behavior. For serious.

*Note, this photo and these bracelets were purchased from cool Etsy chick MilkandHoneybyAndrea. 

Rockin' Early 1980s Accessories

Somewhere between 1980 and 1984, there were four accessories a little girl had to have!  All of us early 1980s fashionistas needed the following:

Feathered Clips - I was told later on that these were actually called "roach clips" -- at age 8, I obviously didn't know this term. I was the oldest of two, so I didn't have an older brother or sister around to borrow one of my many colorful feathered clips and use them to snag a few hits from their joints. Nope, for an innocent child, these were simply clips I could attach to my clothing, hair or Jordache purses. You know, just keeping up with the trends!




Jordache Purses - I had one of these Jordache bags in every color. I remember the purses were small little sacks one could purchase at the mall for a very reasonable price. This meant I could get one to match each outfit. In my case, too young to babysit at the time, my mom was relieved to pay only about $2 per purse to aid in my addiction. If I'm not mistaken, they came in a wide variety of colors and fabrics such as a satiny silver material or leather and baby pink, yellow, red, blue, etc.

Friendship Pins - These cool safety pins were great! I'd load them up (small and golden were by far the safety pin of choice) with tiny colored beads and attach them to purses and backpacks. They were coined "Friendship Pins" because they were often given to or traded with friends.







Braided Ribbon Barrettes - My mom was awesome! She knew how to braid my hair and how to braid ribbon--two things I to this day cannot master for some reason. This also meant I couldn't make friendship bracelets which kinda sucked. Braided ribbon barrettes or hair clips were so hot. I couldn't get enough of 'em. I had to have a set of barrettes to match every outfit I owned. I remember cool color combos of pink and blue, pale green and yellow, pink and white and my most favorite pair - red, white and blue for my red, white and blue mini nautical themed skirt which I loved to pair with a white sailor's hat. There was a time when red and royal blue were my favorite colors. 

I'm quite sure crafty folk are making and selling all of the above '80s awesomeness on Etsy. I'm tempted to head on over there and load up on some!


P.S. I realize that I failed to mention many other hip '80s fashion accessories such as Gummi and jelly bracelets, colorful plastic charm bracelets and necklaces, friendship bracelets, headbands, antennas attached to plastic headbands and other fun items, but I promise to touch on that at a later date...