In this tutorial I demonstrate how to tie the rectangular rope mat.

This is a nice looking rope mat that you can make out of a variety of rope types. Naturally I will be using paracord in this tutorial. If you want to make a larger version, use more passes and a larger diameter rope.

The mat has 4 bights on two of the sides and 5 bights on the other two sides.

2 pass rectangular rope mat.

So, let’s tie us a rope mat!

The tutorial

For a 2 pass version of this mat, you will require about 8 feet of paracord. A 3 pass version can easily be made with about 12 feet.

The mat is tied as a flat turk’s head knot, which is what it is.

Start by finding the middle of your cord.

The top will be our working end, the bottom our standing end.

Make a loop.

With your working end (top) go under the standing end.

Then go under the first cord in the loop and over the second.

Turn back into the loop, going under-over-under-over.

Turn back into the knot again at the top, going under-over-under-over-under.

Now take your other, standing end.

Go under-over-under-over.

You have basically split two parallel cords.

Now using the same cord, go under our working end.

And weave through the knot going under-over-under-over-under-over.

Finally, turn back into the knot and go under-over-under-over-under-over-under.

With this the knot is tied.

Finishing the mat

Finishing the rope mat is now done by first working both ends into the knot by taking one end and following the other and doing the same with the other end.

Then we shape up the knot and start removing the slack from it. See a few images below for more on this.

With one of the ends follow the other end.

Do the same with the other end.

Shape the mat so there are 4 bights at the top and bottom and 5 on each of the sides.

Start removing the slack.

As you will see, removing the slack is the more time consuming task. Tying the knot is fast, adjusting it takes time.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, till next time,

happy tying!

Oh and the video tutorial on this mat style:

The post Rectangular rope mat appeared first on Paracord guild.

This time I demonstrate how to tie a rasta paracord bracelet.

I wanted to try a few “rasta” color items and this bracelet is one of the results :). It is a in essence a 4 color fishtail bracelet and you could use this tutorial to tie a number of interesting color combinations.

The bracelet in action:

This project is fairly easy, so let’s jump right into it and tie one!

The supplies

You will need to usual supplies for making paracord bracelets.

As mentioned, the bracelet jig and lacing needle are completely optional. Now let’s move on to the actual tying!

The rasta paracord bracelet tutorial

We start the bracelet by joining the 4 cords we have into two, longer cords.

I joined the black and yellow and then the red and green. I highly recommend using the “Manny method” for joining paracord.

Then we will first attach the black/yellow cord onto the buckle ends.

Attach the cord to the bottom end of the buckle.

Then attach the other end.

Start with the top left cord, going over and under.

Then go over and under with the right cord.

Take your other joined cord.

Place it under the middle cords.

Now go over and under with the top left.

Then over-under with the top right.

Work the weave tightly for the best result.

From now on, the sequence is to go over-under first with the left cord, then the right.

Again the top left goes over-under.

Then the top right goes over-under.

And again the top left goes over-under.

And then the top right goes over-under.

Continue until you have reached the other end of the buckle.

Finishing the bracelet

Once you have completed the weaving, the bracelet will have 4 cords coming out the bottom.

The bracelet can then be finished in a variety of ways.

I have simply cut and melted the ends, which may be tricky sometimes.

A more preferable way of finishing would be to remove the inner strands out the ends (gutting them) and then work them into the bracelet using a lacing needle.

Going under at least 5 sections will work best.

So guys, I hope you enjoyed this tutorial,

enjoy the bracelet!

Oh and the video tutorial on the bracelet:

The post Rasta paracord bracelet appeared first on Paracord guild.

Let’s take a look at the sennit rose knot!

This is an 8 strand decorative knot that serves very well as a button knot. So I made a tutorial to show you how to tie one.

I improvised the way I tie this knot since I was not able to find any picures of the tying process, only the finished pieces. So the result is the same, but there might be a different way to tie it as well.

The knot makes an excellent button knot.

With that said, let me describe the tying process and then show you how to tie the knot.

1. start by taking 8 strands and section them into 4 pairs of two
2. tie a crown knot with these 4 pairs
3. tie a multi strand spanish ring knot around this crown knot
4. finally, going over two cords, tuck the ends to the bottom of the knot

Be sure to have some patience. I had to retie this knot a few times to get it right, but it is well worth the effort.

Enjoy this beautiful knot!

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In this tutorial I demonstrate how to make a round rope mat.

This round rope mat has 7 bights on the outer and inner side. It is made with 3 parts, so it basically is a flat “woggle knot“. For those that are into turk’s head knots, this could easily be tied as a cylindrical braid and then flattened. But tying it this way produces a neat flat mat right away, so I prefer this way of tying the mat.

You can tie a 2 pass version with about 4 feet of paracord fairly easily. Using more passes uses more cord naturally.

I think this style of a mat would serve well as a mat under hot pans and dishes or as a coaster.

A small, 2 pass version of the mat.

Now let’s tie one!

The tutorial

Start by making a loop. The top will be our working end.

Go over the loop- over two.

Then over the loop again, over two. Then under the standing end.

Turn back into the knot going over-under.

And over-under again.

Re-enter the knot with an over-under.

And over-under again.

Finish by placing the working end next to the standing end.

And the standing end next to the working end.

Now work out the slack and add more passes using the slack you pull out the mat.

Yep it is that simple!

Enjoy your mat!

The post Round rope mat appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial I show you how to tie the Celtic cross.

I have been covering quite a few rope mats lately and the Celtic cross is similar in many ways. I have a fondness for cross symbolism, so this was a fun project for me. Like in mats that I make, I often take a look at the pattern then reverse engineer it. I have done so here as well and am happy with the result.

So, let’s jump right into the tutorial!

Celtic cross tutorial

The 2 pass version of the knot was tied with 2 cords of different color.

I used 3 1/2 feet (105 cm) of paracord 550 for each of the strands. For the sake of easier tying I recommend using a few inches more.

You could naturally also make the cross using a single strand that would be 7 feet long.

Now the fun starts!

Take one of the cords and form a loop. This is the right part of the cross.

Create another loop below the first one.

Pass between the loops to the left.

Create a loop on the left and pass over the standing end.

Spread apart the middle.

Take your secord cord and go over the bottom loop. You may want to secure this with a few pins (I don’t bother, but it is very handy).

Pass under two middle cords.

Then over-under to the top left.

Go over-under into the left loop.

Then travel over one-under two to the top right.

Go over-under the top two cords.

Turn back towards the bottom right going over one-under two.

Then into the right loop, over-under.

Then weave the working end over-under-over-under towards the bottom left.

Weave through the middle section (the one we spread apart), over-under-over.

Finally, weave through the last three cords (which include the standing end), under-over-under.

With this you have tied the knot. Now double it!

You double the knot by taking each of the ends and following the other end next to it. By using both ends like this you hide them from view.

You have 2 ends at the bottom and two at the top that need to be worked into the knot. Slowly remove the slack and work it into the knot.

Enjoy your new cross! I hope this tutorial helped you.

Feel free to comment for any questions that may arise!

The post Celtic cross appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial we tie the snake knot paracord cross.

This is another, in my opinion excellent way to make a paracord cross. I have seen a few people tie it so far and I know that David Hopper showed it before on his blog, so I am not the first to this design.

But still, tying it proved to be most rewarding. Some toying around with properly tightening each snake knot resulted in a few wonderful crosses that will be a nice gift.

I have demostrated a few ways of tying paracord crosses in the past, such as the one using the cross knot, the horseshoe nail cross and the just posted Celtic cross. There is quite a choice there already :).

In any case, let’s get ready to…tie!

Supplies

The snake knot with a rope thimble in the loop.

Let’s proceed to the tutorial:

Snake knot paracord cross tutorial

The cross is formed by creating one section with 3 snake knots and a loop that will serve as the top part of the cross. For this we use the shorter piece of paracord (2 feet in length)

The bottom is made using the longer (2 1/2 feet) cord. 6 snake knots are made for the bottom, then both ends are placed one next to the other and then two more sets of three snake knots are made.

See the tutorial in pictures below:

Take your top piece and fold it in half.

Place the right end over the left.

Then under the loop to the right.

Place your left end under the right end.

Then go over the top into the loop on the left.

Tighten. First snake knot is complete.

Start the second snake knot the same way. Place your right end over the left.

Then under the loop to the right.

With your left end go under the right end.

Then over the top and into the loop on the left.

Tighten again.

Start the third snake knot. Place the right end over the left.

Then go under the loop to the right.

Place your left end under the right.

Then place the end over the top and into the loop on the left.

And tighten again. With this we have completed the top part of the cross. It has 3 snake knots and a loop.

Now we make the bottom using the other, longer cord.

The bottom is started the same way as we started the top. We do not leave room for a loop though.

Be careful not to tighten the first snake knot too tightly. It is not a stable knot and will undo itself if tightened too firmly.

Line up 6 knots on the bottom.

Place both parts one next to the other. As you can see we now have two sets of 2 cords that we can use to make the arms of the cross.

It may help to clip the ends into place (not a must).

Start the good ol’ snake knot again with the right cord passing over the left, then back to the right.

The left then goes under the right cord.

Then over and into the loop on the left.

Tighten and you have your first snake knot. The arms will have 3 snake knots each, just like the top.

One side complete.

Both sides complete. Now just cut the ends and gently melt the ends.

With this your cross is complete and so is this tutorial.

Enjoy your cross!

The post Snake knot paracord cross appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial I demonstrate how to make the Ocean plait mat.

The ocean plait mat is probably the most commonly tied rope mat. The basic form has three bights to each side and one bight at each end. This basically makes it look fairly rectangular.

2 pass ocean plait mat.

The process of tying this knot is demonstrated in a variety of books such as The Ashley book of knots under number 2243. It is also featured in The ultimate book of decorative knots by Lindsey Philpott.

3 pass ocean plait mat.

In this tutorial I demonstrate the basic form with three bights to each side, but this does not mean this is the only ocean plait mat design out there. In fact you can enlarge this knot!

Each enlargement will add three more bights.

With that said, let’s jump into the tutorial!

Ocean plait mat tutorial

For this project you will need to first pick your rope. I used paracord 550, which produces a nice, small decorative mat. For a 3 pass version I used up about 7 feet of cord.

We will start with an overhand knot:

Start by making a loop.

Pull the left cord through the loop.

Overhand knot complete.

The next step is to pull out the bottom loops.

Twist the left loop to the left.

Do the same with the right loop.

Now place the left loop over the right loop.

Take your top left working end and weave it over one-under two-over one to the bottom right.

Now weave the top right working end towards the bottom left. Go under-over-under-over-under.

At this point you could work in more cord into the bottom two loops and enlarge it further.

We will finish the mat though, which is done by taking your ends and follow the opposite end:

With the bottom right end follow the bottom left end through the knot. This will double up the knot.

Work in the left end the same way. You can easily double, tripple your mat using this simple technique.

With this our tutorial is complete. If you have any issues tying this knot, also see the video tutorial below!

The post Ocean plait mat appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial we tie the prolong mat.

The prolong mat is featured in the ABOK under the number 2242. If you checked out the Ocean plait mat tutorial, then the Prolong mat will seem very familiar. The two mats are indeed very similar. The basic difference is that the prolong mat has 4 bights on each side instead of the three featured on the Ocean plait mat.

3 pass version of the Prolong mat.

Because of the difference in the bights in the Ocean plait mat (3 side bights) and the Prolonged mat (4 side bights), it is possible to tie a variety of different lengths of mats.

You can enlarge or “prolong” either mat to a larger version.

2 pass Prolong mat.

So, in this tutorial I will demonstrate the basic form with the 4 side bights. For those interested, I will mention the point where lengthening the mat should be done.

So, onwards to the task at hand!

Prolong mat tutorial

To tie a 3 pass version of the mat I used about 13 feet of paracord 550. This was enough for a comfortable tie.

We start by folding the cord in half, then begin tying the mat:

Make a loop.

Place your working cord over the loop, creating another loop on top of the previous one.

Slide the working end under the standing end.

Weave your working end over-under-over-under to the bottom right side.

Pull on the loops to extend them.

Twist both loops towards the right side.

Place the right loop over the left.

Weave your left cord under-over two-under.

Weave the right cord over-under-over-under-over to the bottom left.

At this point we have achieved a 4 bight side, so all there is left to do is to make the bottom bight.

If you want to lengthen (prolong!) the knot, you would now pull some cord into the bottom two loops, twist them, place one over the other and finally weave the cords through. Just like we did to get to this point.

To finish the mat, simply form the bottom bight:

Follow the bottom left cord with the bottom right cord.

Follow the bottom right cord with your bottom left cord.

Keep following the cords until you work in enough cord to get the number of passes you want into the knot.

So guys, I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial. These kinds of mats are really fun to make and very practical as well.

Till next time, I wish you well,

Mark

The post Prolong mat appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial I demonstrate how to tie the belly fishtail paracord bracelet.

One of the bracelets I had on my wishlist to tie was this interesting looking bracelet. It resembles the fishtail paracord bracelet, hence the name.

Most people quote Matthias Angello as the creator of this design. It would not surprise me one bit, he is a superb knot artist/braider.

So, in this tutorial I demonstrate how to weave this pattern. I have modified the start a bit for my tying preference.

So, let’s get into it!

Supplies

For tying this style of bracelet I recommend:

With these supplies ready, let’s move on to the tying process.

The tutorial

This bracelet is made using a tripple core. This is probably the first time I have used a tripple core on a bracelet, but it was not hard to set up.

I used the double core and simply passed my working ends through the sides of the cow hitches to get started. See the images below for a clearer picture.

The bottom part of the bracelet when using the double core setup.

The top part.

Pass the ends through the bottom hitches to get a tripple core.

We now start weaving.

Take your right cord and pass it under one-over two-under three.

Do the same with the left cord. Under one-over two-under three.

Now take the right and go over three-under three.

Then with the left, again over three-under three.

With this we have done one sequence or step. We now start again.

The right cord goes under one-over two-under three.

The left goes under one-over two-under three.

The right goes over three-under three.

Then the left goes over three-under three.

Continue until you reach the other side of the bracelet.

Tightening and finishing

Tightening is a big part of weaving and knot work. I tighten this bracelet by reaching the top, then pushing down the weave and removing the slack from it. This keeps it nice and consistent.

Pulling out the slack.

To finish I use a lacing needle and work the ends into the bracelet under a few sections (on the bottom side).

When both sides are done, cut and melt the ends!

I hope this tutorial was clear enough guys. Be sure to ask away in the comment section if you have any issues!

Enjoy your bracelet!

The post Belly fishtail paracord bracelet appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this short tutorial I show how to tie a laced paracord bracelet, the simple way.

As you may know I really like to decorate bracelets using lacing and stitching techniques.

I have shown a few examples of such techniques already in the paracord bracelet instructions section.

I find that you can take a basic bracelet and make it stand out by adding a nice pattern using smaller cord.

So in this tutorial I demonstrate one such technique. It works especially well on bracelets made with the “diamonds” pattern (I used the “silver diamonds” and “neon green diamonds” cord colors on the images). I was inspired to try this using a few examples posted by paracord craftsmen. Sadly I can not remember who it was who first experimented with this design.

So, let’s do some lacing!

Supplies

To make such a bracelet you will first need to tie a base bracelet. In this tutorial I used the cobra knot paracord bracelet. You can also use the Mad Max bracelet, which is a simple modification to the basic cobra bracelet.

You will also need a lacing needle to do your lacing with. You can make your own fairly cheaply.

Finally you will need your lacing cord. For this purpose we usually use a smaller diameter cord, the most commonly used ones are:

You will also need some scissors and lighter, as with most paracord projects.

A few examples of bracelets laced with micro cord:

The tutorial

Start by preparing your cobra knot bracelet.

This cobra knot bracelet made with paracord 550 and a 3/8 inch buckle.

Start on the underside and work your lacing cord under a few sections in order to secure it.

Lacing cord is now tucked in under a few sections.

Now work your cord to the top side of the bracelet.

Work your cord through the first cobra knot.

Then through the second one, this time it is on the other side of the bracelet.

And the third knot.

The fourth knot.

Continue all the way to the bottom of the bracelet.

The other side is now reached.

Work your cord to the bottom side.

Then again work it under a few sections on the bottom of the bracelet.

Then finally snip and melt the end.

Your bracelet is complete. Not bad huh?

I have also posted a video tutorial you can use:

I hope this helps you make a few nice looking bracelets!

Enjoy!

The post Simple laced paracord bracelet- another example appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this article I wanted to show you guys a gift I got a few days back. Scott W Johnson, a fellow knot enthusiast and a person I respect (also a great sounding sax player) sent over a gift to me. He saw me having a bit of a hard time with my homemade lacing needle in one of my videos and decided to send over a couple of Tandy Leather lacing needles. These are tools of the trade for many a craftsman. I usually make my own tools, but these lacing needles really help out, especially if you work with cord a lot.

But there was something much more valuable included in the gift! A couple of turk’s head knot bracelets that Scott tied. I found them to be done superbly well and I have questioned him on his tips on his tips on how to get the best look out of these bracelets.

Herringbone knot paracord bracelet.

He pointed out that the trick to getting an even weave is to roll them, much like what whip makers do with their plaits. Basically, you take a couple of heavy, flat pieces of metal or rock or even wood and roll the bracelet in between these two pieces. This will give you a much more even and flatter look.

There are two other, interesting things to point out:

1. the ends of the weave are finished with accent knots. Knots such as the gaucho knot can be used to hide the ends of the interweave, as well as further improve the look of the bracelet
2. Scott uses the lanyard knot to finish his bracelets. I have to say it looks and works well. I have mostly used the ABoK 615 as the stopper knot, but the lanyard knot fits very well onto these bracelets.

The hansen knot bracelet, finished with accent knots.

The herringbone bracelet, also finished using the accent knots. I really like these!

For those wondering what kind of bracelet styles these two bracelets are:

So, I did not only get a couple of beautiful bracelets, but also a few tips on how to improve my own work. I hope these insights also help you guys in improving your trade.

Thank you again Scott, I wish you well!

The post A gift from a friend- turk’s head bracelets! appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this article we take a look at the types of pineapple knots.

Among those that use the pineapple interweave the term “pineapple knot type” is quite common. Basically, the “type” explains how a pineapple knot is tied.

The pineapple knot can be tied by interweaving a different number of turk’s head knots. This basically translates into the number of passes in the knot. But this does not tell you how these turk’s head knots are arranged. This is what the “type” categorization tells you.

The book by Tom Hall, Introduction to Turk’s head knots is a source of much knowledge on this topic.

In the following sections we take a look at a few different pineapple knot types and how they differ.

All of the following pineapple knot examples are tied onto a 5L4B turk’s head, which is one of the most commonly used knots.

A quick note- bight boundries

The “bounds” or bights in a pineapple knot are technically referred to as bight boundries. These bight boundries are counted from outside towards the inside of the knot. So the outer bights would be the left and right bight boundry 1 and the next nested bights on the left and right would be boundries 2 and so on.

The type 1 pineapple knot (2 pass)

Type 1 pineapple knot.

The type 1 pineapple knot is the most commonly used pineapple knot. It is tied by tying a base knot and then the knot is interwoven with a second turk’s head knot into the bounds of the first knot.

As you can see, the bights of the first knot are on the outside of the knot. They are located on the left and right bight boundry 1.

The second knot is interwoven into the first knot. The bights of the second knot are located on the left and right bight boundry 2.

Not that hard right?

Now let’s take a look at a type 2 pineapple knot!

Type 2 pineapple knot (2 pass)

Type 2 pineapple knot.

The type 2 pineapple knot has the left hand bights nested the same way as the type 1 knot. But the right hand bights are different. Basically, the second knot is not tied into the right bight boundry, but over it. It gives the effect of a stacked knot. See below.

The left bights of the first knot are on the left bight boundry 1.

The right bights of the knot are on the bight boundry 2, meaning they are nested.

The second knot has the left bights on bight boundry 2.

The bights of the second knot on the right are on the bight boundry 1.

Again, fairly simple if you compare the type 1 and type 2 knot.

Now let’s take a look at a basic type 3 pineapple knot!

Type 3 pineapple knot (3 pass)

Type 3 pineapple knot.

Things are now getting interesting :). The type 3 pineapple knot is tied by adding another pass onto a type 2 pineapple knot. Again, the effect is the look of stacked turk’s head knots, which is an excellent knot to cover items with. Done with 3 colors it works well.

In this case, the first knot has the bights on bight boundry 1 on the left.

On the right, the bights will be on bight boundry 3.

The second knot will have it’s bights on the bight boundry 2 on the left.

On the right, the bights will be on bight boundry 2.

Finally, the third knot will have the bights on the left on bight boundry 3.

On the right, the bights will be on bight boundry 3.

A bit more on types

We tied 3 common types of pineapple knots.

But there are many more. You could tie a type 4 pineapple knot much like the type 2 and type 3 knot.

Or you could add more passes to a type 1 pineapple knot. Or to a type 2 pineapple knot.

These will all give your knot a different look.

There is an important rule though. You can not have less passes than the knot type. So a type 3 knot can not be tied with 2 passes!

As a further example, let’s see how a type 1, 3 pass knot looks like.

Type 1 pineapple knot (3 pass)

Type 1 pineapple knot of 3 passes.

The 3 pass version of the type 1 pineapple knot is tied by first tying the 2 pass version. We then nest the left hand bights of the third knot on bight boundry 3 and the right hand bights between the first two knots, so on the right bight boundry 2.

The first knot has both sides on the outside of the knot, so on the bight boundry 1.

The second knot has the left bights on bight boundry 2.

The right bights are on the right boundry 3.

The third knot is nested on the left on the bight boundry 3.

On the right it is nested between the first two knots, so on the right bight boundry 2.

In conclusion

I hope this article answered at least as many questions that it has opened.
Also see the video for more info!

Till next time, I wish you well and happy knot tying.

The post Pineapple knot types appeared first on Paracord guild.

This time we take a look at the 3 color gaucho fan knot bracelet.

I have already shown how to tie the 2 color version of the gaucho fan knot bracelet. This time I have made a video tutorial on how to make a 3 color version, found below.

The 3 color version is made the same way as the 2 color one, but adding another pass to it. It is a good idea to try the 2 color and then the 3 color version. By comparing the tying techniques, you will recognize how to tie other gaucho fan knot bracelets, such as those of 4 or more colors.

In any case, the 3 color version is indeed colorful. So let’s see how it is made!

Supplies

With these items at hand, we can begin tying!

Tying the bracelet

The bracelet is tied by first setting up a base knot, then interweaving it two times.

The base knot is a 3 bight long turk’s head, which I demonstrate in the video below. Be sure to tie it before moving on to the interweave:

To continue, we will now add 2 more passes to the knot using this video:

Finally, to finish the bracelet, see the following few tips:

These three videos should get your through tying these bracelets. If you have any issue, please comment and I’ll try to help you out the best I can.

The post 3 color gaucho fan knot bracelet appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial I demonstrate how to tie the Solomons dragon paracord bracelet.

Also called the Modified caged solomon bar, this bracelet is an interesting bracelet in itself, as well as an excellent bracelet for stitching, which I will demonstrate in the next tutorial.

It was designed by Bobby Stacy and has lately become quite popular.

To me, the tying of this bracelet is a mix of the cobra knot (solomon bar) bracelet and the fishtail paracord bracelet.

The bracelet is made using a single core and uses three working strands for the weave.

With this said, let’s see what you need to make this bracelet.

Supplies

You will need the following:

With these items at hand, let’s begin.

The bracelet pattern.

The tutorial

The bracelet is easy to tie. It is basically a combination of the fishtail and cobra knot bracelets.

Keep that in mind

Start by joining two of the longer cords. I recommend the “Manny method” of joining paracord.

Attach one end of the buckle using a lark’s head knot. Note that I have placed the joined ends in the core to hide them.

Feed the ends through the top of the other buckle end. We are ready to start weaving.

Start by making a cobra knot.

Place the left end under the core and over the right cord.

The right end travels over the core and into the loop on the left.

Tighten up.

Place the third, shorter cord through the core. Over the left cord, under the right.

Start tying a second cobra knot.

Place the right end under the core and over the left cord.

The left cord travels over the top and into the loop on the right side.

Tighten up and we have already “caged” the middle cord once.

Now weave the shorter cord over-under the middle cords.

Continue by making a cobra knot on the left side.

Take your left cord and go under the middle cords and over the right cord.

With the right cord go over the top and into the loop on the left.

Tighten up.

We have “caged” the middle cord a second time.

Again, weave the shorter cord over-under the middle cords.

Then tie a third cobra knot, this time on the right side.

Place your right cord under the middle cords and over the left cord.

With the left cord, go over the middle cords and into the loop on the right.

And tighten.

Let’s do it one more time for good measure.

Weave the short cord over-under the middle cords.

Tie a cobra knot onto the left side.

Take your left cord, go under the middle cords and over the right cord.

Then with the right cord go over the middle cords and into the loop on the left.

Tighten and repeat until you reach the bottom.

On the bottom cut and melt the ends and your bracelet is complete.

For more information see the video below:

Enjoy your new bracelet!

The post Solomons dragon paracord bracelet appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this quick article I wanted to show you a couple of bracelets I made lately.
As you have probably noticed, I have featured a number of turk’s head bracelets.
So I used the same techniques to create a couple of rasta color bracelets that I really enjoy.
Let’s take a quick look at these!

The gaucho fan knot bracelet

4 pass gaucho fan knot bracelet.

This bracelet is a 4 pass gaucho fan knot bracelet in rasta colors.  I have featured the 2 pass version and the 3 pass one as well. This bracelet is made the same way, but adding another pass to the 3 pass one. Done in microcord (about 1.2 mm in diameter).

The pineapple knot bracelet

Type 4 pineapple knot bracelet.

The second bracelet I made is a type 4 pineapple knot bracelet. I have slowly been working on introducing the pineapple knots on ths site, so I am gradually working up to a tutorial on these.

Done in microcord as well.

So, I hope you like these bracelets, expect a few tutorials on these in the near future!

The post Turk’s head rasta bracelets showcase appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial we are going to stitch the Solomon’s dragon paracord bracelet.

I have shown you how to make a Solomon’s dragon paracord bracelet a few tutorials back. The bracelet is very exotic as it is, but can be made even flashier by adding some stitching.

This stitching style, specific to this bracelet was popularized by Lori AndTed Potter.

I decided to make a quick tutorial on this stitching style, so buckle up and let’s get into it!

Supplies

Before you start you will need a couple of supplies. These include:

With these items at hand, let’s begin stitching!

Tutorial

After tying the Solomon’s dragon bracelet, attach your microcord to your lacing needle.

Start on the underside of the bracelet. Tuck the cord under a few sections on the bottom of the bracelet.

Work your way to the top of the bracelet. Note that I came out on the side with the loop, opposite to the square knot on the other side.

Run your needle through the square knot on the other side of the bracelet.

Pull your cord through the knot. We will be placing our cord on the top of our loops every time.

Place your lacing needle through the next loop down.

Then through the knot on the other side.

Pull the cord through. Again, the cord is on top.

Start on the next loop down.

Go through the knot on the other side.

Pull the cord through. Do this until you have reached the other side of the bracelet.

Make sure your stitching is even.

Once you reach the bottom, we will flip our bracelet around the Y-axis, revealing the underside.

On the bottom side, work your cord on the other side of the bracelet.

And through the first loop. We are travelling to the top side with our cord.

On the top side we have come out on the first loop, just like when we started our bracelet.

Again, travel to the other side and through the knot. This time the cord is always placed on the bottom part of the loop.

Travel through the next loop up.

Into the knot.

Into the loop.

Through the knot.

Continue until your reach the top.

The pattern looks like this when done.

On top, we will again tuck the cord on the underside of the bracelet.

Once tucked, cut the end and enjoy your bracelet!

I think this wasn’t too hard, but if you have any issues stitching, see the video tutorial below:

The post Stitched Solomon’s dragon paracord bracelet appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial we tie the vertical crown knot paracord cross.

I have featured a number of paracord crosses in the paracord projects section and it is time to add one more!

I have first seen this cross made by William Johnson on Youtube. He has named the technique used “the vertical crown knot” or “double crown knot”. This technique was also featured before as a bracelet by J.D.Lenzen, called the “Coyote trail”. But it was William Johnson who used it to make this design as a paracord cross. I have since modified his tutorial a bit, but the main part is done the same way.

This cross is not hard to do, but requires a bit of attention to detail.

Personally, I find it easier to imagine it made as a modified “solomon bar”.

So, let’s tie one!

Items needed

You won’t need much, just the following:

So, with these ready, let’s begin the tying process.

The Vertical crown knot cross tutorial

The cross is made by first making the top and bottom part of the cross. We start by making the top part:

Fold a cord in half.

Insert a second cord in between the cords. Under the left, over the right.

We will now tie a cobra knot.

With your right end go under the two middle cords.

With your left end go under the right end.

With the left end go over the middle cords and into the loop on the right.

Tighten up. After securing the cords using the first cobra knot, we will now move on to the “vertical crown knot” technique. It is very similar to the cobra knot, but with a twist.

Take your right end and place it under the right middle cord.

Slide the left cord over the left middle cord.

Now tie a cobra knot onto the right side.

Place your right cord under the two middle cords and over the left cord.

With your left cord go over the two middle cords and into the loop on the right.

Tighten. We will now add a secord “vertical crown knot”. So basically we make three knots for the top part of the cross.

Again, place the right end under the right middle one.

With the left end go over the left middle cord.

Now tie a cobra knot to the right side.

Place your right cord under the middle two cords and over the left one.

The left cord travels over the top and into the loop on the right side.

And tighten up.

With this we have made the top part. We now adjust it a bit.

Make sure that the right middle cord goes over the left middle cord.

With this the top part of our cross is ready for the next stage. We will need to make the bottom part now.

The bottom part is made using the same process, but without the loop at the top. I secured the cords together using a cobra knot, then made 4 “vertical crown knots”. A total of 5 knots.

Now we adjust it for the next stage:

Place the left middle end over the right middle end.

We will now join the two sections by making the sides.

Set up your top and bottom parts together. Start by placing the right middle cord under the left.

We will secure the cords by tying a cobra knot, just like in our previous two sections (top and bottom).

Place your right cord under the two middle cords and over the left.

With your left cord go over the two middle cords, then into the loop on the right.

Tighten the cobra knot. We will now continue by making two “vertical crown knots” for a total of three knots per side.

Place your right cord under the right middle one.

The left cord goes over the left middle one.

We now tie a cobra knot.

Place your right end under the two middle cords and over the left.

The left goes over the middle and into the loop on the right.

Tighten up.

Add another “vertical crown knot”, then switch to the other side and repeat the process.

Once done, snip the ends and enjoy your new cross!

A video tutorial is also up if you want to see the cross tied live:

The post Vertical crown knot cross appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial we tie the 3 color Mated snake knot paracord bracelet.This bracelet has lately become quite popular. It is made using the snake knot (2 strand wall knot). In fact, multiple snake knots are interwoven together to make an eye catching bracelet design.

In this tutorial we tie the 3 color version. but you could do it in more or less colors, depending on your preference. The principle of tying the bracelet can be applied widely.

The bracelet in rasta colors.

So, let’s see what you will need to tie the bracelet:

Supplies

You will need:

With these items at the ready, let’s begin!

The bracelet pattern up close.

Mated snake knot paracord bracelet tutorial

The bracelet is made by interweaving snake knots. Observe how one row of the bracelet is made, then apply it to all the other rows.

Start by attaching your cords.

Feed the ends through one buckle end and make sure that both ends of the cords are equal in length.

Start your work with the color on the left. Place the right cord over the left.

Go under and back to the right.

With your left cord go under the right cord.

Then over the top and into the loop on the left. First snake knot completed!

We now move on to the second color.

Take your right end and place it over the left.

Go through the right loop of the first snake knot, then under and to the right side.

With your left cord go under the right cord.

Then over the top and into the loop on the left.

Second snake knot completed. Now the third.

Place your right end over the left.

Go through the right loop of the second knot, then under and back to the right side.

With your left cord go under the right cord.

Then over the top and into the loop on the left.

Tighten up. With this we have completed a row of snake knots.

We will do all the next rows in the exactly the same way. Just as a recap, let’s make a second row:

The right cord goes over the left.

Then back and under to the right side.

The left goes under the right.

Then over the top and into the loop on the left.

Snake knot tied. Now the second knot.

The right cord goes over the left.

Through the right loop of the first knot, then under and back to the right.

The left goes under the right.

Then over the top and into the loop on the left. Second snake knot tied. Now the third one.

Place the right end over the left.

Through the right loop of the second knot and then under and back to the right side.

With your left go under the right.

Then over the top and into the loop on the left.

Tighten. Continue row after row until sufficient length is achieved.

Once you have completed the weaving, it is time to finish the bracelet.

Feed the ends through the top of the other buckle end.

On the bottom (underside) of the bracelet tuck the ends into the snake knots. I recommend under at least 4 knots.

This will bulk up the bracelet. To reduce the bulk you may want to remove the inner strands out of the ends before tucking them in.

Once the ends are tucked, the bracelet is done!

Enjoy your bracelet!

A video tutorial on the bracelet is also available:

The post Mated snake knot paracord bracelet- 3 colors appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial we take a look at how to stitch a cobra knot bracelet using the herringbone stitch.

The herringbone stitch is a nice way to spice up a cobra knot paracord bracelet. It has the look of a reversed lark’s head knot.

Many of you will be able to discern how it is tied just by looking at the stitch, but it is still useful to have a few images to get you going when in a hurry.

The pattern up close.

So, what will you need for the stitching?

Supplies

You will need the following items:

With these set, let’s stitch!

Herringbone stitching

The stitching is done in the following manner:

Start on the bottom (underside) of the bracelet. Secure your microcord by tucking it under a few sections.

Work the microcord to the top of the bracelet.

I like to enter the top on the side with the first cobra knot.

We will work diagonally for a better view.

Start by going through the knot on the opposite side.

Then go under the cord we just placed.

Pull the cord through.

Then through the same knot from the outer side towards the middle.

And tighten. First stitch complete.

Now we move to the bottom side.

The bottom is done the same. Enter the next knot from the middle towards the outside.

Pull the cord through.

Go under the cord we just placed.

Pull the cord through.

Enter the knot from the outside towards the inside.

Tighten.

We have now completed the bottom stitch and we move on to the top, done exactly the same way that we made the previous top knot (featured above).

Stitch until you reach the other side.

Work the end under the bracelet under a few sections to secure it.

That’s it folks! An easy way to beautify the good ol’ cobra knot bracelet.

A short video on the technique is also available:

Enjoy the bracelet!

The post Herringbone stitch paracord bracelet appeared first on Paracord guild.

This time we take a look at the Colima lazy man button knot.

The Colima lazy man button knot has been featured in Bruce Grant’s Encyclopedia of rawhide and leather braiding (plate 180). The knot originates from Colima, a state in Mexico. The “lazy man” part of the name is also quite interesting. The naming usually refers to using a trick to tie a fast and practical knot.

The Colima lazy man button knot looks like a doubled turk’s head knot, but if you look at the sides where the bights are, you can easily notice that the outer bights are not doubled. This means that the knot is basically a doubled turk’s head, but with the bights showing. As such it is an interesting variant and alternative to the doubled turk’s head. Compare the two below.

The regular, doubled 5L4B turk’s head.

Colima lazy man button.

In any case, it is a knot that old time braiders used and trying out an exotic knot like this is always fun! So I made a quick tutorial on how to tie it. Naturally, it is a practical knot that you can use to decorate many items, especially handles and for making small wraps.

The demonstration of the knot found below is tied on the 5L4B turk’s head.

Enjoy tying the knot!

The post Colima lazy man button knot appeared first on Paracord guild.