Red Thread Adoption Bracelets

Oh, friends, our family is beginning the adventure of a lifetime! As you read these words, we will be on a plane or perhaps getting settled in China. We will be landing in Beijing around 2 PM Saturday, China-time, which means it’ll be 2 AM EST Saturday morning at home in Maryland. As most of you know, we are in China to adopt a sweet 10 year old boy we affectionately nicknamed, “Scout” and bring him back to the US with us. 
We began this journey back in mid-January, and now it’s finally time for our family of four to be united in person on Monday the 9th! We are absolutely certain this is what we are called to do and at the same time, we know that the road ahead won’t always be easy. Scout is the bravest person we know to leave his culture, his country, and everything he’s ever known to follow three strangers halfway around the world and start his life over again. We know that he is excited to join our family, and at the same time will be grieving for the foster family he has lived with for the past six years. It will be a period of adjustment and learning for all of us, and we would love to have your thoughts and prayers as we begin our new life together.

In “real life,” we created a bunch of special bracelets to give out to the people we know who have supported us in all kinds of ways throughout this journey. Our hope is that wearing the bracelets while we are in China will remind them to pray for us every time they see the red thread.

Unfortunately, it would be impossible to send one to each of you who have been a part of our story via the website and social media, but we wanted to include you too. So, today, I wanted to share a quick tutorial and a few photos of the bracelets in the hopes that some of you might create a similar one for yourself…you may even have materials around the house already that you can use. Here’s what we used, but feel free to substitute any of the supplies for things you already have. I got all of ours at Michaels if you want an exact copy.

Materials:

1.5 mm red cord
assorted wooden or metal beads
scissors

Creating Your Bracelet:

Step 1: Cut approximately 10″ pieces of cord, one for each bracelet.

It should be long enough to circle your wrist with enough extra left over to tie a few knots. We erred on the side of making ours extra long because we wanted to ensure that they’d fit everyone. You can always cut off any excess.

Step 2: Tie a knot in the cord about 1/3 of the way down from the top.

Step 3: Add your beads to the cord.

You can use whatever kind, shape, and color beads you like. We made some with wood and some with metal. Many of the bracelets have four beads, one to represent each member of our new blended family.

I also made a few with just one focal bead for people who like simpler jewelry and kids who have smaller wrists.

Step 4: Tie a knot below the beads.

This will hold them in place.

That’s all there is to it; your bracelet is ready to tie onto your arm and wear. You can simply tie it in a double knot and snip off the ends, or if you want to be able to take it on and off, you can tie each end of the cord around the other side to create sliding knots. Then, it will adjust easily so you can remove and replace it.

Even Flynn was getting in on the fun and wanted one for himself!

Why a Red Thread?

There’s a special reason why we chose to use red cord. Besides the fact that the color red is often associated with China, there is a Chinese proverb that is well-known throughout the adoption community…it goes like this:

An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.

I love that thought, and I truly believe that we and “Scout” have been connected long before now. Our journey together began before we even knew this child existed. Perhaps it began when hubby and I had our first date at a Chinese restaurant. Maybe when he proposed to me using a fortune cookie. It’s no coincidence that the very month and year we decided we wanted to start trying to have a child {although Little Crafter didn’t come along until the following year} is the month and year “Scout” was born. We believe that God planned all along for his story and our story to become one, and the red thread reminds us of that plan that is bigger than all of us.

Today, or any time in the next two weeks, if you have a minute and a few supplies to make and wear a bracelet to remind you of our journey, it would mean the world to us. We’d love to see them too! You can send us photos, share them on the Facebook page, or post on social media with #redthreadforscout. Join us in welcoming this special child and celebrating the love of family. It takes a village…thank you for being a part of ours!

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5 Comments

  1. Congratulations! You’ll love China. I just returned from Changsha this week. My 10th trip to China, an amazing country.

    I also am adopted. I was so fortunate to be adopted as an infant (way back when adoption was not very common) by a loving family. There has never been a distinction between children by birth or by heart. I am so loved.

    Again, I wish you’re growing family the best in the joyful years to come.

  2. God bless you and your family during this immense transition. I and my church are holding you up in our prayers

  3. What a wonderful blessing from God! I’ll be praying for your family! Congratulations for answering God’s call to be parents of this young man!

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