How to Make Hemp Jewelry

These instructions will teach you how to make a basic piece of hemp jewelry. Depending on the length of your jewelry, you can either make a bracelet or a necklace.

Step 1: Materials

1. Hemp twine - $4
2. Large Metal binder clip - $1
3. Heavy object to weigh down your piece (free weight or pile of books)
4. Scissors - $1-2
5. Flat surface (table)

Step 2: Getting Started

1. Cut one piece of hemp, about 7 feet long.

2. Cut a shorter piece of hemp, a little over twice as long as the length of the jewelry you want to make. An example of the two pieces is above.

Step 3: Getting Started (Cont'd)

Fold both pieces in half, with the smaller length in the center of the longer length. Both halves should be symmetrical. Hold the two pieces together in the center (where the arrow is pointing).

Step 4: Making the Initial Loop

Where the fold in the hemp is, place your finger. With your finger on the inside of the U-shaped fold, grab the excess hemp as if it were one string. You should be holding a simple loop like the one pictured below.

Step 5: The Overhand Knot

Tie off the loop as if you were tying a shoe. This is also called an overhand knot. The size of the loop should be small enough to fit snug around your index finger. Use the video for reference.

Step 6: Setting Up Your Work Station

1. Now that the loop is established with the knot, you can begin the necklace. Weigh down the loop part with a heavy object such as a free weight. You will need to pull the hemp tightly during the creation.

2. The ideal place to do this is on a desk. The loop of the hemp should be held down with the weight (Where the finger is pointing). On the end opposite of the weight, fasten down the hemp to the edge of the table. Fastening it down with a metal binder clip is the best method.

3. After these steps, the short piece of hemp should be tightly fastened to the desk and the two long pieces should be free on each side. For your reference, the picture below gives an overhead view of the hemp not fastened down so it is easier for you to see the shorter pieces in the middle and the long pieces free on each side.

Step 7: Begin Weaving 1st Knot

To begin weaving, take the hemp on the right side (red) and fold it over the center pieces, but under the long piece on the left side (blue).

Step 8: Weaving 1st Knot

1. Take the long piece on the left side (blue), which now has the hemp from the right underneath it, and run it under the center pieces and through the loop that the long piece on the right (red) made from the previous step. It should come out of the loop that the piece on the right made. Pull tight on both pieces.

2. After pulling both strings tight, the first knot should form after the initial loop. Now you will see the same set up as you had before you made this knot (two short strings in middle, long strings on each side).

Step 9: 2nd Knot

The second knot is the same as the first, except you start with the left string (blue) crossing over to the right side (red). With the string on the left side, cross over the two center strings, and under the string on the right.

Step 10: 2nd Knot

Now cross the right side string (red) under the center pieces and up through the loop on the left (blue). Pull tight, and this is the second knot. The next knot will be the same as the first (Steps 7 & 8). Continue to alternate knots until you are satisfied with the length of your jewelry.


*After this step, go back and repeat steps 7 through 10 until you reach your desired length of jewelry.

Step 11: Finishing the Piece

Once you have reached your desired length of jewelry, you need to tie off the excess. To finish the piece, tie a knot with the excess hemp at the end of your jewelry. You may want to double or triple knot this, depending on how big you made your loop. You want the knot to fit through the loop at the beginning. This will fasten the jewelry onto your neck or wrist. After tying the knot, cut off the excess with a scissors.