SINGAPORE – “So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it,” American pop star Taylor Swift urges listeners in her song You’re On Your Own Kid, off her album Midnights (2022). 

This has become a mantra for the singer-songwriter’s legion of fans, who make, buy and trade friendship bracelets at Swift’s record-breaking The Eras Tour concerts. 

In Singapore, where Swift performed six sold-out shows at the National Stadium from March 2 to 9, bead and craft shops enjoyed a business boost. Queues were reported at the best-known shops at the otherwise sleepy People’s Park Centre in the last days of February. 

But with Swift long gone from Singapore – she reportedly flew back to the United States within hours of closing out her final show on March 9 – “Swifties” are wondering what to do with their friendship bracelets.

Fortunately, they can take a cue from fellow fans who have already grappled with this dilemma after attending Eras Tour concerts in the US in 2023, and Australia and Japan in February. 

The Straits Times rounds up seven fun and creative design ideas to display your friendship bracelets and commemorate your concert experience. 

1. Shadow box

Shadow boxes, also known as memory boxes, are display cases or three-dimensional scrapbook pages that can hang on a wall.

For a box themed around your own Eras Tour concert experience, toss in your friendship bracelets along with the light-up bracelet that every attendee received. 

Along with these bracelets and other bits and bobs, Singapore-based TikTok user iiiceskate adds a clipping of her printed ticket, and photos of herself and her friends.

But you can also decorate the backboard with a single large photograph or a collage of smaller ones, or even keep it plain. 

Another TikTok user, dumbblondetswiftlover, packs her shadow box with items from her VIP merchandise box, such as the commemorative ticket and lanyard.

She also uses leftover beads to add the city and venue of her concert: Accor Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

Online shopping platforms including Amazon Singapore, Shopee and Lazada offer boxes in multiple shapes, sizes and colours. On Shopee, prices start at $6.10 for a black model that measures 4 by 6 inches (about 10cm by 15cm).

Local Swiftie merch makers itsnewyearsday.com and fromthevaultsg.com are selling DIY Shadow Box Kits priced between $25 and $35. Choose from itsnewyearsday.com’s A4-size or fromthevaultsg.com’s square (25cm by 25cm) white frames. Each comes with decorative paper and various extras, such as “Taylor Swift The Eras Tour” transparent decals.

Info: Go to itsnewyearsday.com or fromthevaultsg.com

2. Light-up mason jar

For something simpler and cheaper than the shadow box, here is a fun and easy hack from TikTok user marcopaulo922, who attended an Eras Tour concert in Tokyo. 

First, place bracelets around a transparent cup or cylindrical jar – and then slide that entire jar inside another, larger jar. 

If you saved your light-up wristband from the concert, you can place it inside the smaller vessel. Alternatively, use battery-operated fairy lights for the same effect.

After replacing the lid of the larger jar, tie the ribbon from the light-up bracelet as a final finishing touch.

You can use plastic or glass jars, which are sold in multiple makes and sizes in retail outlets such as Daiso and SKP. 

3. Stage-shaped holder

Crafter MagicalByMarissa on Etsy has designed a wooden bracelet stand shaped like the Eras Tour stage – including the diamond- and T-shaped portions. The stand includes motifs representing each of Swift’s 10 albums to date. 

The bracelet stand is roughly 20 by 35cm in size and comes in unfinished birch (about $54) and finished cherry variants (about $84). For a few extra dollars, you can get the “diamond” portion personalised with the date and city of your concert, and the titles of the “surprise songs” that Swift performed.

If you are handy with a craft knife, you can make your own stand using materials such as foam or corrugated boards. There are plenty of silhouette references for the stage online – look up “Eras Tour stage shape”.

Info: Go to str.sg/emxH

4. Christmas ornament

It is never too early to start thinking about that most wonderful time of the year: Christmas. Reddit user lgfruitylicious shares this simple and effective way of combining Swiftie fandom and the holiday season with a friendship bracelet-filled Christmas ornament.

Searching “transparent plastic Christmas ball” on Lazada and Shopee throws up a variety of fillable ornaments, from as little as $1.50 for a 100ml ball.

Use acrylic paints or markers, ribbons and stickers to further spruce up your Swiftie ornament. You can also make ornaments in colourways corresponding to different Swift albums, also referred to as her musical eras – red for the Red era, and so on.

5. Heart-hands sculpture

This next idea will resonate with those who particularly enjoy the pop star’s second album, Fearless. 

While performing the titular track during the Eras Tour, Swift always takes a moment to make the shape of a heart with her hands.

In a sweet tribute to this moment, TikTok user SunriseValleyFam.Co uses a heart-hands sculpture to organise and display her bracelets. She follows another popular Swiftie tradition by painting Swift’s lucky number “13” on one hand.

Sellers on Amazon Singapore, Shopee and Lazada have listings for heart-hands sculptures, starting at around $20. Acrylic paint from craft stores such as Art Friend or Spotlight should work well, if you want to add your own lucky “13” motif.

6. Birdhouse-turned-Lover House

For fans who identify as “Lover girlies” – that is, fans of Swift’s sixth album, Lover, released in 2019 – here is an idea that incorporates the motif of the Lover House, which first appeared in Swift’s music video for the title track.

The Lover House made its return during the Eras Tour and has become a popular motif among fans, because each of its rooms represents each of Swift’s 10 albums.

TikTok user reaganbaylee cleverly converts a plain plastic birdhouse into the Lover House using a glittery vinyl decal purchased from online sticker and accessories store No White Space (nowhitespacestickers.com).

Of course, you can paint your own design, or print and paste using craft glue such as ModPodge. 

You can acquire your own “template” house from e-commerce sites such as Lazada, Shopee and Amazon Singapore – just search “plastic birdhouse”.  

7. Folklore cabin

Another distinctive set piece of the Eras Tour is the Folklore cabin, inspired by Swift’s eighth album of the same name, which dropped amid the Covid-19 pandemic in July 2020.

“We’ve brought the Folklore cabin to Singapore,” Swift said every night at her Singapore concerts, after starting the Folklore set by singing its first track, the 1, while draped on the cabin’s roof.

Thanks to Swifties Kat Baranowska and Alice S., you can have the cabin in your own home. The crafty duo have designed and produced miniature Folklore cabins, which they sell on their website and Etsy store, TorturedPoetsDept.

The cabins come in mini and grand sizes (about 15 by 6 by 7.5cm, and 30 by 20 by 15cm), and you can choose either the plastic or wood version.

Prices start at $31.99 for a mini plastic cabin, while delivery to Singapore costs another $34. Use discount code SGSHIPPING for free shipping to Singapore or SGFOLKLORE for 13 per cent off a cabin. Discount codes are available while stocks last.

For any lucky soul who received a marriage proposal during the concert, there is also a tiny cabin designed specially for engagement rings. Send a private message to the store on Etsy to inquire about prices. You can also commission special add-ons for your mini or grand cabins, such as a tiny chandelier or piano.

Info: Buy the cabin at taylorsneighbours.com or on Etsy at str.sg/ua5F

Bonus: Fun uses for leftover beads

If you made your own friendship bracelets, you may also be wondering what to do with your leftover beads – that is, beyond making more bracelets for events such as the April 19 release of Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department. 

How about friendship bracelet-inspired kicks?

Italian sneaker brand Superga recently offered a Swiftie-themed customisation service at its Singapore stores, where customers could redeem a free shoelace and up to 20 beads with every purchase, to decorate their shoes. The service is no longer available, but it will be easy enough to emulate the idea if you have beads and a pair of sneakers in need of a glow-up.

If you are handy with a sewing machine – or with a needle and thread – you can consider stitching up some bracelet-inspired scrunchies. For reference, check out these adorable ones made by local scrunchie maker scrunchiesbydane on Instagram.