Kandi Culture
by Ellie Bise, Bella Wilson, Lydia Weaver, and Avary Hinkle
What is kandi? Kandi are bracelets made out of little pony beads. They can be made using other items too. They can be made out of letters, charms and many more. You can make many things with kandi other than just normal bracelets. Cuffs, necklaces and many more can be created. But questions about kandi have been circulating, such as, “How do I make kandi?”, “Where does kandi come from?”, “Are there any requirements to make kandi?” These subjects can be answered in many ways, but we’re here to tell you all the facts!
“Where does kandi originate from?”
Kandi is a vibrant part of the rave and EDM scene. Handmade pony bead bracelets are traded at festivals, raves, concerts and other big social events as signs of PLUR. PLUR stands for peace, love, unity and respect. People who participate in making kandi create colorful bracelets (or cuffs, necklaces, ect) to give away to others. It signifies connections, shared vibes and positive energy between. They are often traded and given away with a special handshake.
“How do I trade kandi?”
Kandi is traded using a PLUR handshake. To do the handshake, you would do a peace sign and put your fingers against the other persons. Then you do half a heart, which the other person would finish. Next, you’d put your hand flat against the other person’s. Finally, you would intertwine hands and pull your bracelet over to their arm. The way you wear kandi is also important. The kandi you would like to trade are usually worn on the right arm. All the kandi you want to keep (ones that have been traded to you, ones that are special to you) would go on your left arm. This is to make it easier to trade by knowing which arm the other person would use. It is also very rude to trade kandi that has been traded to you previously. It is a loss of a memory and throwing away vibes you shared.
“How do I make kandi?”
Making kandi is a tedious task. You’d start by making singles and necklaces. Singles are a term used for single bracelets (Hence the name). Then maybe, moving on to cuffs would be an idea. Peyote and Multistich are the easiest cuffs to start with. Using the most basic stitches, they are both very similar. Making cuffs and bracelets are just the start, there are many other things to make out or kandi. You could make charms, bags, harnesses, and so many more. Learning to make them without any guidance is hard, so using youtube tutorials comes in handy.
“Where do I get materials?”
Getting materials for kandi is the hardest task by far, there are some very good materials, then some that will work but are usually avoided by kandi kids. To start, the good materials are easier to cover. First, the basics needed are just pony beads and fabric elastic string. Letters and charms aren't all as important as the beads and string, but if you can buy them, you definitely should. More things that can be bought but don't need to are needles. They help with bigger projects such as bags, masks and larger charms. The needles in question are actually crochet needles, but smaller! “Well… where can I find these materials?” you may be asking, well don’t worry! Because they’re all easily accessible and able to be found. Pony beads, charms and fabric elastic string can all be found in normal stores such as Walmart and many dollar stores. The needles (and beads, string. ect.) can also be found in second hand stores such as Amazon. There's even a designated website called “beadtin.com” that has lots of pony beads and charms! Sadly, moving onto the things you shouldn't use. Notice how earlier I specified “fabric elastic string”? There is a specific string that you shouldn’t use, being plastic string. Plastic string dry rots quickly, leading to your bracelets breaking, which we don’t want. Fabric elastic is better because it doesn’t rot as quickly, fabric elastic can last years, while plastic will rot over a few months.
“Are there any requirements to make kandi?”
There are no requirements to make kandi! Kandi is for everyone to make and enjoy regardless of differences. Kandi is shared as POSITIVE VIBES! Everyone should feel and be positive and happy, just get in the right headspace.
In that matter, that’s all we have about kandi. There are many things to be discovered, and things maybe you could create if you started making kandi! So, give it a try, you might like it!