In this tutorial I will show you how to make a Woven paracord bracelet.

This bracelet is adapted from the Woven paracord belt which I did a while back. I was playing around with some scraps of cord, trying to make another rasta style bracelet. It worked well, hence the tutorial.

The bracelet can be done in multiple colors or in a single tone. It can be used to represent flags, causes, clubs, etc. For me, finding a weave that really allows you to express colors like this is always a joy.

The bracelet is simple to weave and it features the ball and loop style closure.

Once you get the hang of the weaving, you can further adapt the bracelet, using more or less strands, different color combinations and so on.

Let’s begin by taking a look at the few items you will need to make a bracelet like this.

Supplies

The following items are needed for the average sized wrist.

We can now move on to making the bracelet.

Making the bracelet

Below you will find both a photo as well as a video tutorial on the woven bracelet.

Setup

I usually begin by taking a scrap piece of cord and tape it down onto the table using some masking tape. This simple setup allows me to hold the bracelet in place while working.

I pass the longer, 4 foot long cord through the loop. I make sure both sides of the cord are of equal length, then cross the two ends into a loop.

I then attach the three shorter, 3 foot long cords through the loop and again make sure that the ends are of equal length.

Weaving

Weaving is simple. We work the two ends of our long cord through the six working cords to produce a pattern.

Step 1

We start the weaving by passing our left end through the 6 ends in an under-over sequence. We travel behind the back ends and over the front ends.

We place the right cord next to the left one.

Step 2

Weave the left cord through the ends in a reverse sequence than the one in the first step. Again, we travel behind the back ends and over the front ends.

Pass the right end alongside the left end.

Tighten up the weave by pulling on all of the ends.

Step 1, a repeat

Weave the left end through the 6 ends. We travel behind the back ends and over the front ends.

Place the right end alongside the left end.

Step 2- a repeat

Weave the left end through the 6 ends. Travel behind the back ends and over the front ends.

Pass the right end alongside the left end.

Tighten the weave by pulling on all of the ends.

Finishing

To finish the bracelet I will first taper the weave to only 3 remaining strands. Then we will tie a stopper knot using those 3 strands.

Tapering

When you reach a length that you are happy with, take a look at the two outer working ends out of the 6.

Drop the one outer end that travels to the bottom of the bracelet.

Weave through the 5 remaining ends.

Drop the two outer strands which are both traveling to the bottom of the bracelet.

Weave through the three remaining strands.

Again drop the two outer strands.

Finally, cross the two ends of the long cord over the last remaining end.

Stopper knot

We are going to tie a footrope knot.

Take a look at the three ends from the top.

Tie a crown knot.

Pass one of the ends over the next cord coming from the weave and through the center of the knot.

Pass the next end over the next cord coming from the weave and through the center of the knot.

Pass the last end over the next cord coming from the weave and through the center of the knot.

Tighten up the footrope knot, then trim the ends and melt them. Done! Enjoy the new bracelet!

A video tutorial on the bracelet is available here:

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In this tutorial we take a look at the Pisces paracord bracelet.

Like many bracelet designs I feature lately, this one is the product of Pavel Makurin, better known as CETUS.

The bracelet is a fairly easy one and does not eat up a whole lot of cord. The one featured in this tutorial is done using a buckle as the closing mechanism.

Let’s move on and take a look at the few supplies needed for this project.

Supplies

Now, on to the weaving process.

Tying the Pisces paracord bracelet

Before we can begin weaving, we need to do our initial setup. This bracelet uses the double core bracelet setup. Go ahead and prepare it, we will start from there.

The initial starting position- 2 working ends and a 4 stranded core.

Weaving

Take the left end and pass it in the middle of the core, forming a bight.

Pass the left end through the bight, creating a hitch.

The right end passes bottom up in between the middle strands and over the left end.

Pass just above the left end.

Then pass beside the left end, crossing the two ends at the top.

Tighten up.

Repeat

Just to make it 100% clear, let’s repeat the weaving process once more.

Take the left end, pass it through the middle of the core, forming a bight.

Travel through the opening, creating a hitch.

The right end travels bottom up through the middle and over the left end.

Travel just above the left end.

Pass beside the left end, crossing the two ends at the top.

Tighten up.

Finishing up

Weave until you reach the other buckle end, filling out the bracelet.

Turn the bracelet around. We are going to tuck the two ends under a couple of loops.

The right end passes under the left loop.

The left end passes under the right loop.

Tighten up, trim the ends and melt them. Bracelet done!

A video tutorial is available below:

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This time we will learn how to tie the Emperor’s snake knot!

Today’s knot is surprisingly rarely seen/used. Considering that the snake knot is one of the most popular knots out there, we would expect to see this variation of it a lot more. Maybe this tutorial will help with that.

The Emperor’s snake knot can be used standalone, as seen in the two key fobs above, or to spice up your snake knot projects, be it keychains, bracelets, lanyards etc.

A keychain alternating between the Emperor’s and the regular snake knot.

As far as I know, this knot was designed by J.D.Lenzen. I learned about the knot from Mark Wyman who showed off the lovely effect you can get from alternating the regular snake knots and the emperor version, as seen in the key fob above.

Enough talk though, let’s see how to tie this knot.

Tying the Emperor’s snake knot

We will tie the knot by first tying the regular snake knot, then add two loops on the side of the snake knot to transform it into the Emperor version. Just like the snake knot, this is a 2 stranded knot.

Prepare 2 strands.

Make a loop with the left end.

Pass the right end into the loop, top down.

Pass behind the left end.

Over the top and into the loop on the right. This ties the basic snake knot.

Take the right end and pass it top down into the right loop, behind the right strand (standing end).

Here you can see the position of the right end.

Take the left end and pass it top down through the left loop, this time in front of the left strand (standing end).

Here you can see the position of the left strand.

Tighten up, bringing the slack through the side loops into the two ends.

Knot tied! You can stack the knot one after the other or mix it up by alternating this knot with other ones.

A video tutorial covering the knot is available here:

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In this tutorial we are going to tie a flat gaucho knot.

The knot we are covering today is rare and quite exotic. It was covered by Luis Alberto Flores in one of his books (which are really hard to find). It originates from among Argentinian braiders who are world famous for their skill. The knot we will take a look at resembles a gaucho knot, at least in my opinion. It can be used to decorate a variety of projects. Knife lanyards and key fobs are the first that come to mind for me.

In the tutorial below I will show you how to tie the knot. There is a photo and a video tutorial available. The knot is not really all that hard to tie.

The tutorial

We will need a single strand of cord to tie the knot.

Start by making a loop. Pass the working end under the standing end.

Pass over the standing end, then under and through the loop (so under-over).

Weave through your initial loop going over-under-over.

Pass alongside the standing end on its left, over-under.

Over the standing end.

Weave over-under two-over.

Then weave over-under-over two.

Finally, weave over-under two-over two. Knot tied!

A video tutorial on the tying process is available below:

The post Flat gaucho knot- trama pluma, vertical appeared first on Paracord guild.

In this tutorial I show you three distinct ways of tying the Bull hitch.

The Bull hitch is a knot with similar utility to the Cow hitch/Lark’s head knot. Both are used to attach cord onto items, be it buckles, rings, carabiners, etc. The Bull hitch is less prone to slipping and is defined by an “X” shape at the top. So if you want to spice your projects up or just want a new, practical knot this may be a nice knot for you.

Below I will show you three distinct ways of tying the Bull hitch. Personally I consider the Bull hitch a dressed Piwich knot. By making the “X” we transform the Piwich knot into the Bull hitch.

Tying method 1

The first way of tying the Bull hitch is to tie a Lark’s head knot, then upgrade it.

Fold your cord in half and feed your cord through an item (in this case a ring).

Feed the ends through the bight, essentially tying the Lark’s head knot.

Twist the bight into a loop.

Pass the bight over the item (ring).

Tying the Piwich knot.

Pass the lower of the two horizontal cords over the top one and tighten up to get the “X” shape.

Tying method 2

The second method of tying the hitch is by tying it with a single end. This is quite a handy one to know.

Feed one end of your cord through an item (in this case a buckle).

Tie a hitch as shown. So over the standing end and through the loop.

Pass over the standing end and through the item, bottom up.

Finally, through the two loops/under the two horizontal cords.

Tighten up, again dressing the knot to get the “X” shape.

Tying method 3

The final way of tying the Bull hitch is to clip you item into it. Usually this is done with climbing, so a carabiner is used for the demonstration.

Tie a Girth hitch.

Enlarge the left ear by pulling slack from the right one.

Wrap the left ear around the back, around the right ear. Picture below makes the process a lot clearer.

Like this.

This ties the Bull hitch.

Clip a carabiner into the hitch.

Tighten up.

A video tutorial on all three ways of tying is available below:

So guys, those are 3 ways of tying the Bull hitch. All work and you use each depending on the situation.

Till next time, happy tying!

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In today’s project we will be making a paracord spike cover.

Spikes are one of the major knot tying tools, so making a cover for them makes sense. It is both decorative as well as practical, making your spikes less pointy until you need them. You can use this design to cover all sorts of spikes, be it awls, marline spikes, fids etc.

The design that I will feature here is a beautiful, but simple one.

Let’s first take a look at the small list of supplies that I used for this project.

Supplies

A spike cover made using alternating over-two crown knots. One counterclockwise, the second clockwise.

We can now begin the tying tutorial.

Spike cover tutorial

Start off by taking your 3 strands of micro cord and cross them at the middle points. Note that I am using a piece of wood as a base.

If possible, stick your spike into the wood to hold your cords in place. If your spike if not sharp enough, you will need to work freehand.

Tie a crown knot. In the counterclockwise direction, our first strand passes over the next one.

The second strand passes over the third one.

Third strand passes over the fourth one and so on.

Reach your last strand.

Pass the last strand into the loop created by the first strand.

Tighten up. We have tied a single crown knot.

From this point on we will be tying over-two crown knots. Again counterclockwise, but going over-two.

So our first strand passes over the next two.

The second one again over two.

And the third one.

The fourth one.

Fifth one passes into our first loop.

Sixth one passes into the second loop going under two. At this point all of our strand pass over-two, under-two.

Tighten up.

And repeat. We will be covering the entire spike using the over-two crown knot. We stack one on top of the other.

Reach the top of the spike with your knots.

Pluck the spike out of the wood.

Push the knots down over the tip of the spike.

Continue lining up over-two crown knots until you again reach the top. At this point we have to work without the help of the piece of wood.

We have now covered the spike. Time to tie a 6 stranded diamond knot with a Spanish ring knot look.

Each of our strands travels over one strand and under the next. In the counterclockwise direction.

The second strand again over-under.

After using all of your strands this is the look of the knot.

Take each cord over-one, under-one towards the bottom of the knot. Parallel to another strand.

The over-under.

First strand done. Parallel to the strand above.

Do all of your strands the same way.

Final step of the knot is to travel over two-under two with all of our strands.

Over-two, under-two with the first strand.

Do the same over-two, under-two with all of your strands.

Tighten up the knot. Generally I pull on all 6 strands, then work through the strands coming out from the last crown knot. The slack is pulled into the working ends.

Trim and melt the ends.

To stiffen up the cover I apply a bit of heat with a lighter. You need to be careful not to burn the cords. Using a lighter also blackens the cord a bit (you can wipe most of the black off with a wet cloth).

For the absolute best result you should use an alcohol burner (spirit lamp) which leaves little soot. But I don’t own one so a lighter it is :).

The second thing that I do to stiffen up the cover is to dip it into boiling water for about half a minute to a minute.

Finally I use some sort of a substance to make the cover even stiffer. Varnish or shellac (flakes dissolved in alcohol) can be used. Water soluble hair gel can also work (mix it with water).

In my case I take a plastic bottle cap and mix wood glue and water. To apply the mix I use a scrap piece of rope (since I can just throw it away later). A brush will work just as well.

I do 2-3 coats minimum. If you apply too much and you get some glue showing in between the gaps of the cover, remember that glue can be washed off with water and a tooth brush.

After a couple of coats, work your cover in by twisting the spike into it. Voila! A nice looking spike cover that can save you a few stab wounds!

A video tutorial can also come in handy:

The post Paracord spike cover appeared first on Paracord guild.

This tutorial covers the nose button knot in the herringbone pattern.

The nose button knot is commonly found as part of a bosal, but you can just as easily use it as a decorative knot in other projects. The name implies where the knot is located, so at the nose of the horse.

It is an unique knot indeed. It can be made as wide as you want it to be- by adding additional strands. It can be made as long as you need it to be- by wrapping your strands additional times around the object you are covering. Finally, the knot is tied with all of the ends of your strands! This means the ends are tucked safely under the knot.

While tying a knot with all of the ends at the same time may seem intimidating, it is actually quite easy. It is covered in Bruce Grant’s Encyclopedia of rawhide and leather braiding.

This tutorial covers the herringbone style of the nose button knot which is more common.

The tutorial

For this demonstration I will be covering a 1 inch (2.5cm) diameter object- a broomstick handle. For this diameter 6 strands of gutted 550 paracord should be enough. For a relatively short knot about 2 inches long (5cm) these strands should be about 3 feet long (90cm) each. So 6 strands, each 3 feet long.

Start off by tying the strands onto your object at about the middle point of the strands.

Spread your strands around the object with about equal gaps.

Wrap your strands around your object like this.

Secure the other side of the wrap by again tying your strands onto your object. Spread the strands around the object on this side as well.

Start tying on the right. Take a strand and pass it under the next one (above).

Continue over-under-over-under.

Do this with all the strands on the right. So a sequence of under-over-under-over-under.

This brings the strands from the left to the middle.

Continue tying on the right. Take a strand and pass it over-under (this time below).

Continue over-under-over-under.

This brings your strand next to the strand coming from the right. Place your strand just above it.

Do this with all of the strands from the left, bringing them to the middle of the knot.

So the entire sequence is over-under-over-under-over-under.

Each strand from the left meets up with a strand from the right under the same under.

We now take the left strand and follow the right one all the way to the right.

We take the right strand and follow the left one all the way to the left.

Do this with all of the strands.

Continue on the right. Take a strand as pass under two (below).

Continue over two-under two-over two-under two to the middle of the knot.

Do the same thing with all the strands from the right.

So each strand has a sequence of under two-over two-under two-over two-under two.

Continue tying on the right. Take a strand over two-under two (above).

Continue over two-under two-over two-under two.

You now reach the same spot with a strand from the right.

Do this with all the strands from the left.

So the entire sequence is over two-under two-over two-under two-over two-under two.

Tighten up the knot and trim the ends as close to the knot as possible. I usually tension my strands, then cut.

Melt the strands lightly (at the middle of the knot).

Roll the knot hard under a plank which will make the knot a lot more consistent and hide the ends under the strands.

And that is the nose button knot in the herringbone style. Takes a bit of practice, but it really is a special knot.

The video tutorial below will surely come in handy for this one, enjoy!

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In this article I discuss choosing colors of paracord.

Selecting the right colors of paracord is in my experience important. You do not want to buy a cord and have it unused or laying around for years on end (a waste of money and space). Especially when buying large amounts to save on shipping or getting bulk pricing.

Not all colors are created equal- some get used much more than others. The value of some colors of cord is therefore higher than others. Naturally, part of the value is subjective, depending on taste. But a big part of the value of a color is objective.

The objective value of a specific color is connected to the versatility of that color. The more versatile the color, the easier it is to use in projects. Therefore you will use more of it, making it more valuable.

Let me introduce you to the 4 tiers of colors of paracord according to their usefulness.

1st tier- top tier

The cream of the crop, the most useful colors are the ones that can work well standalone- you can use them easily to make an entire project. Secondly, these cords contrast well with pretty much any other color.

These are your go-to colors, your primary and basic colors which you then pair up with others. These are always solid (single color) cords.

The most commonly regarded color in this class is black. I have heard the saying “you might as well buy a spool of black at the start”. Meaning you will be using a lot of it for sure.

In my experience other colors besides black fit in this category. Tan and charcoal are big winners, at least for me.

Stocking up on these colors, your basic ones is never a bad call.

Black, charcoal and tan. Work in almost any project.

2nd tier- also vital

A notch below the top tier are colors that contrast really well with your basic colors.

These are the basic ones such as green, yellow, red, blue, white. Again, all solid colors.

Pairing any of these colors with your primary (1st tier) ones is usually a success. It has a broad appeal and just works.

Flags, club colors, causes and much more can be represented with these few colors.

Just like with the first tier, these colors will get used and are not a bad investment at all.

White, blue, red, yellow and green. Excellent contrast colors.

3rd tier- optional

The colors in the 3rd tier are again solid colors. They are not as basic like the 2nd tier colors, but more “shades of”.

Teal, Caribbean blue, Goldenrod, Lilac, Baby blue, Burgundy and a host of others fit in this category.

These colors are not as universally useful as the ones in the previous two tiers, but they really spice up some projects.

These colors are also some of my favorite ones. Teal, Burgundy, Caribbean blue- yes please!

But there is a catch. As these are not as universally useful, they do not justify a large purchase. Buy these in limited amounts and you will be a happy camper!

Baby blue, Goldenrod, Burgundy, Lilac, Caribbean blue. Spicing up your projects.

4th tier- avoid to keep sanity

The bottom of the food chain consists of non solid (multi colored) cords. These usually have some sort of a pattern, be it camo, diamonds, zombie or any other themed colors.

These cords are hard to fit into most projects and usually work best with colors that they have on them. So black and white colored cord will work well with…black and white cords (solid ones).

These are the least used cords, but can add the most bling to your projects. Order these in low amounts and with a project in mind!

I have a few spools of these sitting around for years- not a good investment. But hey, at least I can pass on my experience to you.

P.S. I just thought of it! They can work as a door stop. Problem solved.

Silver diamonds and Green diamonds.
Patterned colors are meh.

To conclude

The most versatile colors are the most valuable ones. They are of a solid, single color. And they work well with other colors.

Those are the rational, best choice. Black, tan, charcoal. Yellow, green, blue, red, white.

The opposite, the least versatile cords are not valuable, but a pain if you buy too much of them. But the lower the tier of cord, the more “bling” or style they bring to a project. Buy these for a specific project or in short lengths and you should be fine.

I hope this article helps you save some money and more importantly, helps you avoid having too many door stops.

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The contest is on!

The knot games 2020 have begun! Since there is a bit of information here or there, I have decided to compile the information into a single page to make things easier. I like to support activity in the community and this contest sure fits the bill!

The author of this article accepts diddly squat responsibility for the accuracy of the article. But I do double check everything! Information comes directly from the main organizer Mathias Kruger. If you find an error or something missing- contact me asap!

The contest

The Knot games are 3 years old now. Done once a year, the contest allows you to showcase your work alongside others enjoying knot craft. And if you are among the top 9 winners (3 per round), you can even walk away with some beautiful and useful prizes! For some, just the challenge itself may be enough. Others may be tempted by the prizes, the swag, the loot, the booty.

The contest is run by Kruger EDC (you can find more on the company on Facebook or Instagram). The contest is sponsored by quite a few different companies and individuals.

You can follow most of the contest on Instagram searching for the hashtag #knotgames2020.

This year the contest runs in three rounds. Each round presents a specific theme or challenge.

Each round is independent of each other, meaning you can enter one, two or three.

The rules

Here are the rules for the contest:

On March 15th, the organizing committee  will announce the challenge for the first of the three rounds.

For example, the first challenge could be ‘SANCTIFIED BRACELET’ (just an example). You would then have two weeks to produce your best and most creative paracord bracelet using the well known sanctified weave, snap some good pictures from different angles and post it to your Instagram account, and include the phrase ‘This is my contribution to the #knotgames2020’ in the text. That’s it! It’s free and you can make as many contributions as you wish as long as it’s within the time frame of each round.

Once the two weeks are up, the judges will decide which is the best and second best contribution using criteria like creativity, execution, use of colors etc. This year, we have reserved a third prize in each round for a notable ‘runner up’. This is not necessarily the third best contribution, but rather a contribution which deserves special attention. We have decided on this to promote a broader participation in the games. It makes it possible to win even if you are not that experienced but still has made something great.

Judges

There are five judges to the competition. These are the following:

• @_cetus_550 from Russia
• @valhalla_paracord from USA
• one of last year’s winners @cordipity from Indonesia
• Knot games organizer @straightupparacord from Canada
• Knot games organizer@krugeredc from Sweden

The rounds

Each round features an unique challenge and a select set of prizes. Let’s take a look!

Round one

From 15th to 29th of March 2020. The winners of the round are announced in the week following the 29th.

The challenge for round one is Cobra knot. So creations including the cobra knot. Since this is one of the classic knots not only in the paracord crafts, but also macrame (known as the Square knot) this one should not be too hard.

First round prizes

Here you can take a look at the prizes for round one.

First place prizes

Besides the 1st place beads from Covenant gears in the image above the winner will receive a 150€ gift certificate from Paracord EU. Plus free shipping.

Second place prizes

Besides the 2nd place beads from Covenant gears in the image above the winner will receive a 50€ gift certificate from Paracord EU. Plus free shipping.

Third place prizes

Besides the 3rd place beads from Covenant gears in the image above the winner will receive a 50€ gift certificate from Paracord EU. Plus free shipping.

Round two

From 5th to 19th of April 2020. The winners of the round are announced in the week following the 19th.

Prizes TBA (to be announced).

Round three

From 26th of April to the 10th of May 2020. The winners of the round are announced in the week following the 10th.

Prizes TBA (to be announced).

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