Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to Vancouver in just a few weeks, and local Swifties are hard at work crafting the perfect friendship bracelets for the occasion.
The superstar singer will perform at BC Place on December 6, 7, and 8, and fans from around the city and the globe are gathering to celebrate their fandom.
On a recent evening at East Van craft store Urban Source, an excited group of crafters got together for a Taylor Swift Friendship Bracelet Night hosted by acclaimed local artist Akino Gunstone.
According to Gunstone, the bracelets represent so much more than just showing you are a fan.
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
“I think making friendship bracelets is a moment for connection among women, queer folks, and anyone who wants to participate,” Gunstone told Daily Hive. “To let their guard down and just enjoy the moment.”
“We get to connect with playful childlike parts of ourselves while making a silly little bracelet and giving it to a new friend. How cool is that?”
Friendship bracelets have been around for decades, but fans believe that they once again boomed in popularity thanks to a lyric from Swift’s 2022 Top-10 hit, “You’re on Your Own, Kid.”
Akino Gunstone leads the recent Taylor Swift Friendship Bracelet workshop at Urban Source (Daniel Chai/Daily Hive)
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
“We have always had beads at Urban Source,” explained Gunstone, the Creative Lead at the store. “All sorts, from seed beads, to letter beads, to semi-precious stones. We had noticed a lot more people coming in for letter beads specifically.
“We started hosting workshops again earlier this year and thought that a friendship bracelet workshop would be a fun idea.”
Urban Source is a unique craft store that collaborates with locals and industries to divert materials that may have otherwise ended up in landfills and give them new purposes. The art supply store’s wares change constantly, with everything from wallpaper to slides to plastic sticks and glue and paint to help artists with their next project.
Akino Gunstone, Creative Lead, and Melanie Elias, Owner, Urban Source (Daniel Chai/Daily Hive)
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
The night was all about beads though as the Swifties searched for the perfect one to complete their next bracelet. A medley of Swift’s biggest hits play on the speakers as a tray full of snacks slowly gets whittled down.
“So many things can go into a good bracelet,” said Jenette, one of the participants of the workshop. “Different colours, song titles, love, excitement and happiness. And making them with your friends is important.”
Sahithi was making bracelets for her and her friend who both have tickets to see Taylor Swift at BC Place. She shared that the concert will be the highlight of the year.
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
“This workshop is so much fun,” she added. “I love all of the beads and colours to choose from. I’m also looking forward to making my own jacket with paint and mesh flowers.
“Some people may not know that different Eras have different colour schemes. Red is red and white, and 1989 is light blue and white or beige. The Tortured Poets Department is grey and black and white.”
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
Gunstone encourages anyone interested in embracing their inner Swifties to pick up some beads and start crafting.
“The bracelets are super unserious, there’s no wrong or right way to do them. The uniting element is the letter beads. They can spell out a song title, a lyric, an abbreviation, or an ‘if you know you know’ inside joke.”