How to Tie a 4 Strand Paracord Braid With a Core and Buckle.

This bracelet is made with 550 paracord. I gutted the working cords so that it would give it a flatter, more feminine look and feel. But, it works just the same without gutting the cord. The middle core is not gutted. I have found that doing it this way gives the braid a more rounded look.

The formula for the needed cord is (wrist size in inches) / (.17). It will give you measurement in inches. Sorry metricites. For example, if you are making one for a 6.5 wrist, then you'll take 6.5 / .17 = 38.23. So, you'll need a little over 38 inches of cord for "both" cords. If you are using 4 colors, then you'll need 19 inches of both color. Fused together, this will give you 38 inches. Yeah, I know. I'm a genius. Since I used 550 cord, this formula might be a little off if you are using 450, micro cord, or even 650 and above.

Tying this works best on a paracord jig of some sort, but it is not necessary. The jig allows you to keep the core tight as you braid the cord.

I have tried to include enough pics in order for you to see every step, but feel free to comment and ask questions if there is any confusion.

Step 1:

Step #1: fuse cords together. Don't worry about how ugly the connection looks. You are going to hide it in the hitch.

Step 2:

Step #2: Tie a hitch knot on the buckle. If you don't use buckles, you can just tie the hitch using the loop method

Step 3:

Step #3A: loosen hitch knot and run cords through so that the fused part is in between it. This will hide any ugliness.

Step 4:

Step #3B: just another angle of the cords going through the hitch

Step 5:

Step #4: re-tighten the hitch so that it cinches down on the fused cords.

Step 6:

Step #5: You can start with either side. I started with the top left cord. Take that cord under the core, in between the other two cords, and down over like the pic shows.

Step 7:

Step #6: Pull it down tight

Step 8:

Step #7: do the same thing on the other side starting with the top right cord. Under the core, between the two cords and down.

Step 9:

Step #8: Pull tight. Rinse and repeat until you reach the desired length. In my case, my core is already attached to a buckle at the other end. I have a pic showing this as well.

Step 10:

Step #9: Bracelet should look like this

Step 11:

Step #10: You can see here where my core cords are run through the top of the buckle and then singed on the underneath side.

Step 12:

Step #11A: Once you get to the end, take the last two cords you braided and just tie them underneath the bracelet. The cord is gutted, so the knot won't be bulky under there.