Friendship bracelets are terrific, cost-effective gifts for friends and family of all ages. And while you can easily buy a premade bracelet from your local retailer or through an online marketplace, homemade alternatives are often seen as more meaningful. Best of all, you only need a small handful of basic (and inexpensive) supplies to create your own DIY friendship bracelets and there are resources that are freely available that will quickly guide you through the process.

Among the easiest methods for learning to create your own DIY friendship bracelets are online tutorials. Folks who like to read instructions have tons of great article directories and blogs at their disposal while those who prefer video tutorials can visit sites like YouTube and eHow. Each of these online resources have a wide variety of DIY friendship jewelry tutorials that can be accessed by anyone free of charge.

Once you've familiarized yourself with the process of creating friendship bracelets, you'll need the required supplies. Of course sites like Amazon and eBay offer a near limitless selection of arts and crafts supplies but there are benefits to shopping with local hobby stores for these types of items. For one, their in-store staff may be able to offer additional knowledge in regards to making DIY friendship bracelets, but more importantly, you'll be able to head home with your needed supplies that very same day.

But if you're looking for a more all-in-one solution to creating DIY bracelets, purchasing a starter kit may be a more attractive option. Friendship jewelry kits usually include all of the materials needed to create your own bracelets and will often include detailed, step-by-step instructions for assembling your jewelry as well. And because you're creating the bracelets on your own, you'll still have the ability to customize your DIY friendship bracelets with your own colors, patterns, etc.

While there will always be plenty of marketplaces available to those wishing to purchase pre-manufactured bracelets, an impressive number of resources are also at the disposal of anyone looking to instill a little more love and personality into their gift of friendship jewelry. And keep in mind that although the tips provided above have been applied to the context of DIY friendship bracelets that the same principles are interchangeable with the process of creating homemade necklaces and anklets as well. What's important to remember is that learning to make your own jewelry is not only a great way to save a little money, the task is also a great way to celebrate creative expression.