Friendship inspires us to love, risk and create, and in honor of Friendship Day this August 1st, we’ve gathered our favorite friendship crafts to do with (or for) your friends. Some friendship crafts are sweetly nostalgic — like a grown-up version of the cootie catcher — while others, like the martini ice cream recipe, celebrate the wickedly fun side of friendship.

Band Together  

Braiding hair seems to be the full-time passion of little girls everywhere, particularly when practiced on a best friend. For those of us who've lopped off our locks, this braided headband offers a touch of childhood whimsy without the months and months of growing out hair. Make a matching set with your friends using scrap fabric or give as unexpected gifts.   

Alisa Burke shares the free recycled braided headband how-to. 

Under Wraps

A bohemian take on the classic bff jewelry, this feather charm bracelet uses a leather button to secure braided nylon cord. Customize the craft by including a personal charm symbolic of a special memory or inside joke. 

To buy the braided friendship bracelet, head to Vivien Frank Designs. 

A Square Circle

Host an old-fashioned crochet or knitting circle by gathering friends together to create a granny square blanket, perhaps for a fellow friend needing some crafty comfort. The granny squares, usually 4 inches on all sides, are great for complete crochet newbies and can be differentiated for advanced yarnbies, too. 

For more on a unique but modern granny square blanket, check out Carina’s Craft Blog’s creation. 

Up-to-Date

A strand of beading on a felt medallion creates an updated version of preppy-styled monogram jewelry. To make this Friendship Day craft personal, turn the monogram into a date instead, perhaps the day your friend received cancer-free news or even the day you both met. 

Learn more about this unique Friendship Day craft from CraftFoxes.

The Journey of a Journal 

Remember those days when only your bff and Dear Diary "got" you? Keep the tradition alive with this DIY journal cover. If you're brave enough, invite friends over to go through the old annals together or attach the cover to a mini-notebook and mail it back and forth to long-distance amigos. 

For the free friendship journal cover, check out Bloom and Blossom’s free tutorial. 

Share and Share Alike  

Friendship Cake, also known as Amish Friendship Bread, uses a sourdough-inspired starter and is then shared with friends and neighbors on Day 10 of the yeast’s life. Use the starter for yeast doughnuts or even experiment with a gluten-free recipe. 

Extraordinary Moms Network shares this free friendship cake recipe. 

Catch On

Cooties — an epidemic rippling through childhood — can be upcycled into a “thinking of you” note to new and old friends who make troubles (and even cooties) bearable. To customize the craft, consider filling triangles with favorite memories or things you love about your friend. 

ScrapGirls shares a free printable cootie catcher. 

Glove Love

When you can’t be there to hold a friend’s hand, consider sending a yarn substitute with DIY gloves. Customize the craft via special colors, luxury yarn or even embroidering a personalized message in the glove’s interior. 

For a free gloves pattern to celebrate this Friendship Day, check out this free knitting pattern from CraftFoxes.

Sweet on You

Chocolate and women are one of the most beautiful friendships we know. Add a little liquor and some friends, and you have a perfect storm of perfection with this chocolate martini ice cream recipe. 

CraftFoxes has the free chocolate martini ice cream recipe.

Image credit (from top): Flickr.com/LorenKrens, Alisa Burke, Vivien Frank Designs, Carina's Craft Blog, Flax & Twine, Bloom and Blossom, Extraordinary Moms Network, ScrapGirls, Flickr.com/SnickClunk and Ulysses Press.