Considering that friendship bracelets consist largely of thread, it’s crucial that you choose a thread that will carry you through from start to finish. Embroidery floss is traditionally used because of its thin body, which makes it easy to handle and manipulate: Yet, consisting of six strands, it is robust enough to withstand the myriad pressures of pulling, knotting, braiding, and other gestures. Build up your floss arsenal with our picks below, all of which feature 8.7-yard skeins.
1. J&P Coats Embroidery Floss
J&P Coats has been in the textile business for more than two centuries, and it continues to deliver on consistency and quality. This pack of reliable floss offers a good variety of color and is well priced for crafting purposes: you won’t have to feel like you have to be overly precious about using up and replenishing material. You get 36 skeins of cotton in a range of shades, from oranges to blues, and each thread has been mercerized to enhance its strength and luster. They feel soft and are easy to work with, with less of a tendency to tangle than lower-priced options.
2. Moyyon Embroidery Floss Kit
This is a smart option if you’re interested in building up your collection of threads with a lot of color options. You get a grand total of 92 shades, from purples to greens to yellows—perfect for making gradients—that come neatly organized in a plastic storage box. Made of a polycotton blend, the threads are not as soft as our top pick, but they are strong enough to withstand the rough handling of bracelet making.
3. Mira HandCrafts Premium Embroidery Floss
This is a great option for classroom, camps, and other group settings. You get 105 skeins, with multiple coils of each color—perfect for distributing and sharing—at a fraction of the price of the competition. Don’t expect the same structural integrity and satiny feel of more expensive floss, but these will serve you well for casual, low-stakes projects.
4. Caydo Embroidery Floss
The floss in this kit consists of six strands but is just slightly thicker than the other options on our list. This can help you achieve greater definition depending on your bracelet patterns while adding a boost of strength. You get 50 skeins in 50 hues, making it another great option to achieve technicolor designs. Compared to the competition, however, this string unravels relatively easily and is more prone to tangling.
5. DMC Embroidery Floss Pack
Considered the gold standard of embroidery floss, this thread is made in France using fine, long-staple cotton fiber. Double mercerized to yield an attractive luster, the fibers are super soft yet easy to handle, with strands resistant to unraveling or tangling. We also like the colors, which are vibrant yet not intensely bright. Each skein in this 36-pack costs just under one dollar, making DMC’s product a particularly luxurious and indulgent material for friendship bracelets.