Chinese Staircase Bracelet: Patterns & Meaning

As a crafter, you may have tried your hands at different bracelet patterns. The Chinese staircase bracelet is also a popular bracelet design that is fairly easy to make.

And you only need a few colorful threads, some beads (optional), and a couple of basic crafting tools. In this guide, I’ll show you a detailed guide on how to make a beautiful Chinese staircase bracelet following some simple steps.

So let’s begin and see this detailed guide about Chinese bracelet patterns.

Table of Contents

1 What Is The Meaning Of Chinese Staircase Bracelets?
2 What is the Best Thread For Making Chinese Staircase Bracelets?
3 How To Make A Chinese Staircase Bracelet: Step By Step
4 Chinese Staircase Bracelet FAQs
5 Final Thoughts!

What Is The Meaning Of Chinese Staircase Bracelets?

The Chinese staircase bracelets symbolize true friendship. These have been used as friendship bracelets for over two centuries, and their importance is still alive. People give Chinese staircase bracelets to friends or family members as a symbol of friendship or to show gratitude towards that person.

But why is it called a Chinese staircase bracelet? These are called so because of how the threads are braided in a spiral style, making it look like a staircase. Besides, there is a double Chinese staircase bracelet, a traditional piece of jewelry made by interlocking two metal strings.

This pattern is seen in many Chinese cultural products like jewelry, art, craft, etc. There are variations of the design, and you can customize it to people’s liking and fit.

What is the Best Thread For Making Chinese Staircase Bracelets?

Embroidery floss is the best thread to make Chinese staircase bracelets. These threads last longer and don’t easily lose color. You can also use any medium-thick string, like yarn or other cotton strings.

How To Make A Chinese Staircase Bracelet: Step By Step

Now that you’re familiar with the meaning of the Chinese staircase bracelet and other details let’s begin making one.

Things you’ll need:

Embroidery floss (usually 8 to 10 threads depending on the size of the bracelet you want)
A pair of scissors
Tape

Procedure

Step 1: You need to cut 32 inches (ideal length) long threads and tie a knot at one end of the strings. Don’t tie the knot at the very edge. Leave a couple of extra inches; you’ll need it to tie the bracelet later.

Pro-tip for measuring thread length: Wrap the string around your wrist 4 to 5 times and leave some inches extra for making the first knot and tying.

Step 2: Secure the threads to your workspace. Lay the threads flat into the workspace and secure them with tape above the knot.

Step 3: Pick one string and make a loop from left to right over the other strings. It should look like the number 4. Now pull the string across the loop or through the tail of the four, as shown in the picture above.

You need to pull the string upward to make a tight knot and the remaining strings downwards. Repeat this process till you have enough length of this color. You must tie the knots tightly so that other colors don’t show through the gaps. Once you reach a significant length of about ¼ inch of the same colored thread, you’ll see the spiral design coming through.

Step 4: Repeat the same step but this time with a different color thread. Remember how many loops you used in the first color, and use the same number of loops in all the colors to make the bracelet even. Do the same with other threads till you have a complete bracelet while leaving some extra. Make a knot at the end of the string.

Step 5: Remove the tape from the top end of the bracelet. Now tie two ends of the bracelet together, and you have your Chinese staircase spiral bracelet ready.

You can customize the bracelet by adding beads and letters. You may combine other knots to make it even more creative.

Check out this video to see the full tutorial:

Chinese Staircase Bracelet FAQs

How Many Strings Do You Need For Chinese Staircase Bracelets?

You usually need 8 to 10 strings to make a thicker bracelet. But you can make one with 3 to 5 strings as well, but the bracelet will be very thin.

How Do You Tie A Chinese Ladder Bracelet?

It’s very easy to tie a Chinese ladder bracelet. Once you finish making the knots, take both ends of the bracelet, and tie it around your wrist.

How To End A Chinese Staircase Bracelet?

When you finish making the spiral knots of all the threads, you need to make a knot at the bottom end of the threads and trim off the excess thread or leave it as it is. You can add a charm while trying the final knot to make it look even better.

What Is A Chinese Staircase Bracelet Lanyard?

The Chinese staircase bracelet lanyard is a traditional Chinese bracelet design. It’s made with different colored silk threads and beads. Since silk threads are a bit difficult to tie, you need to have good skills in trying silk threads. The lanyard is attached to the end of the bracelet to tie the bracelet to the wrist.

Can I Make A Chinese Staircase Bracelet With 2 Colors?

Yes, you can make a Chinese staircase bracelet with two colors. But two threads make the bracelet very thin and do not look very appealing either.

Final Thoughts!

Did you enjoy the process of making Chinese staircase bracelets? As you can see, making these bracelets is very easy. You only need to learn a single-knot design and use it for all threads.

Do pick a good quality thread so that the bracelet looks good as new for the longest time. Do you have any additional queries or tips to share? If yes, drop them in the comments.