About the Friendship Bracelets for Anti-Racism Daily
100% of sales from the Friendship Bracelets will be donated to Anti-Racism Daily.
Behind the design(s) of the Friendship Bracelet
These Friendship Bracelets are so fun and unique! I have kept the scraps and leftover from all of my personal and EB Knits projects all year long and while I thought I might put them into a few Christmas or end of year “memory“ projects originally, the bracelets I’ve seen lately inspired me to try them out myself! And as I researched bracelets, I’ve seen more and more designs I want to try out! It all started out with the top middle photo above, which are cotton tape crocheted bracelets, originally designed by VanRey Knits of Knit Collage. These turned out so well and are such a quick and relaxing project, I wanted to grab more scraps and continue making accessories like these. So I grabbed some thinner yarn scraps and tried out a different style: braid and fishtail bracelets. The first set of bracelets I made for myself and my boyfriend and he even liked it and asked for a few for his family! So I thought this may work.
I then experimented with several different methods of adjustable closures and I think I have settled on one to use moving forward, but the existing bracelets can simply be knotted onto your wrist or ankle. So in just a couple days, I made around 40 more friendship bracelets in a variety of styles made from scraps of yarn from EB Knits baskets, personal garments, and accessories from the last few years. I also have some embroidery floss from another project I haven’t published yet so I decided to try out some macrame bracelets (like the ones you made/make at camp). These again fulfilled my desire for a project that is creative and relaxing. (I definitely recommend you try making a few yourself, there’s plenty of tutorials on YouTube.) As I researched these, I discovered several more styles including with beads and more intricate designs I want to try in the future!
As you can see, these bracelets are incredibly affordable, starting at $2 each. I’ve tried to make small and more affordable items over the last few months that are still fun and eco-friendly, and these bracelets check both of these boxes.
UPDATE 3/8/2021: Prior to this date, 100% of the sales for these friendship bracelets were donated to Color of Change, which you can find more about below. As of March 8, 2021 I will begin donated 100% of proceeds from the friendship bracelets to Anti-Racism Daily.
Now the purpose for the bracelets. I’ve known I wanted to implement more giveback into EB Knits ever since fall of 2019. I have another idea for a specific rotation of nonprofits to contribute to, but I’m still narrowing down the details for that. But right when I discovered these bracelets, I knew I wanted to designate the sales to a group advocating for Black Lives Matter. In June 2020, I donated a portion of proceeds to the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, an organization advocating for black transgender rights and safety.
Why Anti-Racism Daily? (Received proceeds March 2021-present)
For months now, I’ve subscribed to the Anti-Racism Daily newsletter and I’ve learned about incredible people and topics and listened to many conversations that I typically would not be exposed to or consider from diverse authors and writers. Because of my direct connection with this initiative, I would love to support the Anti-Racism Daily financially with the sales of these Friendship Bracelets.
More about Anti-Racism Daily: “Since June 3, the Anti-Racism Daily has been sending one email a day pairing current events with historical context and personal reflections on how racism persists in the U.S. (and around the world).”
Why Color of Change? (Received proceeds June 2020-February 2021)
100% of sales of these bracelets will be donated to the Color of Change. Color of Change is an organization I’ve come to be familiar with over the last several months and I admire their initiatives and goals. As a journalist myself, I am partial to the media and I truly respect Color of Change’s mission to hold the media, organizations, political leaders and social media platforms accountable for their complicity in white supremacy and fighting for Black communities and individuals to thrive and not have to face inequality every single day.
Unfortunately, the world and America are not equal. Let’s not shy away from that, but face it and commit to change. I’m trying to consistently face my white privilege, learn and research how to do my part to drive this country forward towards equality. I hope you are too. By purchasing one of these Friendship Bracelets, you’re supporting an organization that fights for equality and power for Black communities by holding the media, social media platforms, companies and communities accountable in Color of Change. I genuinely encourage you to check out their website and learn about their work. The projects they put together her and weight in on are a
About Color of Change: “Color of Change leads campaigns that build real power for Black communities. We challenge injustice, hold corporate and political leaders accountable, commission game-changing research on systems of inequality, and advance solutions for racial justice that can transform our world.“ - Color of Change website
“If you are fortunate to have opportunity, it is your duty to make sure other people have those opportunities as well. ”