To find the unit rate of beads per bracelet that Ruby can make for her 12 friends, you divide the total number of beads by the number of friends:
\[ \text{Unit rate} = \frac{\text{Total beads}}{\text{Number of friends}} = \frac{156 \text{ beads}}{12 \text{ friends}} = 13 \text{ beads per bracelet} \]
So, the unit rate is 13 beads.