Alpha pattern maker
Turn any photo into an alpha friendship bracelet, keychain or wall hanging pattern, with DMC floss colours, row-by-row knots and a printable PDF.
Drop a photo hereStart with a photo
or paste an image with Ctrl+V. Your photo stays on your device.
- All 454 DMC thread colours
- Stray-stitch clean-up
- Edit every stitch
- Printable PDF
How to knot an alpha pattern
- Set up the strings. Tie one base string for every knot across the chart. Add a working string in each colour; the background colour is your leading string.
- Row 1, left to right. With the leading string, tie a forward knot on each base string. Where the chart shows another colour, tie that knot with that colour's string instead.
- Row 2, right to left. Work back across with backward knots, changing colour wherever the chart does.
- Keep going. Follow the written rows, which count the knots of each colour for you, like "3 A, 2 B, 3 A".
- Finish. Braid or knot the ends, or tie off on a keyring for a keychain.
Tips for better alphas
- Keep an even tension so every knot is the same size and the picture stays square.
- Carry the colours you aren't using behind the work, under the knots.
- Fewer colours mean fewer strings to manage: try 3 or 4 first.
Want a name instead of a picture? Use the friendship bracelet name pattern maker. For pixel art of any kind, try the pixel art maker or the Perler bead pattern maker.
Questions
What is an alpha pattern?
An alpha pattern is a grid for friendship bracelets where every square is one knot. You knot row by row across a set of base strings, so you can make pictures, names and logos, much like pixel art.
How many strings do I need?
One base string for every knot across, plus a working string for each colour. The background colour is the leading string. A pattern 12 knots wide in 3 colours needs 12 base strings and 3 working strings.
How do I read an alpha pattern?
Start at the top of the chart. Odd rows are forward knots worked left to right, even rows are backward knots worked right to left. Each square tells you which colour to knot onto that base string.
How wide will it be?
About 1 mm per knot in embroidery floss, so a 12-knot pattern is roughly 12 mm wide. Your tension changes this, so knot a few rows and measure.
What makes a good alpha pattern?
Simple pictures with bold shapes and 3 to 5 colours. Bracelets are usually 8 to 16 knots wide; keychains and wall hangings can be 20 to 60 knots wide.
Is it free?
Yes, for patterns up to 80 × 80 knots with up to 16 colours, including the row-by-row knots and a printable PDF.