How to Make a Single Color Survival Bracelet/paracord Bracelet With Buckle

Throughout this tutorial I will be showing you how to make the Single Color Baby Cobra Survival Bracelet. What does that mean!

Step 1: What You'll Need

Heres what you'll need.

Paracord ( around 10 feet )
Lighter
Tape Measure/Ruler
Side release buckle
Scissors

Step 2: Measuring Your Wrist.

1. Wrap a string or rope around your wrist and make sure it's nice and snug.
2. With a marker, make a line directly across the strings/ropes. See next image below for example.
3. I’ve darkened the lines in a photo editing software so you can see an example in part 3 of the diagram.
4. Now straighten out your string/rope and measure from mark to mark. I drew lines on the piece of paper underneath to help show my marks. In this particular demonstration, my wrist is an 8" wrist.

Step 3: Cutting and Melting Ends

• If the internal string, or the “guts” of the cord is exposed a bit, simply cut about a centimeter of the cord off at the end to enable a clean burn.
1. With your lighter, apply the flame for about 3-4 seconds rotating the cord to get an even burn.
2. Once the end is beginning to melt with your fingertips or some pliers squeeze down so it becomes somewhat flat. This will help you when threading your cord through your buckles.

Step 4: Sliding Buckles Onto Cord

1. Fold your 10' piece of paracord in half so you're working with both ends together. Get the Side release buckle the has 2 slits in it and place it next to the two ends.
2. With the buckle arced inward like in part 2 of the diagram, thread the cords through the lower slit of the buckle. This is shown in part 2 of the diagram.
3. Part 3 of the diagram is an example of how the buckle should look from a top view. Notice how it arcs inward to the right with the loose cords on the left of it.
4. Pull the loose ends of the cord through the loop created on the other side and pull it all the way until the knot forms and locks onto the buckle. The arrows in part 4 of the diagram show you that you are coming from underneath and up through/over the loop on the other side.
5. This is what it should look like when the knot is forms, and stops tight against the buckle.

Step 5: Measuring Cord to Match Wrist Size

• When measuring, make sure to measure from the middle point of the male part of the buckle, to the end part of the female part of the buckle. I have drawn lines to show you exactly where to measure.
• When measuring I like to add 1” to the total measurement you got when measuring your wrist size.
• For the example in this diagram, I'm making a bracelet for a wrist that measured in at 6.5”, so I’m measuring the cord to be 7.5” long.

Step 6: Completing Your First Braid

Every step 1-6 corresponds to the numbered parts in the diagram above. If you have trouble please correspond to the part which it pertains to.

1. Position your bracelet like shown in part one of the diagram.
2. Take your left cord and thread it under the bracelet cords.
3. Take the right cord and thread it under the left cord.
4. Take the right cord and continue threading it over the bracelet cords.
5. Continue the right cord through the loop you created with the left cord.
6. Pull tight and create the knot like shown in part 6 of the diagram.

Step 7: Completing Second Braid

In this step you're simply going to repeat the previous step, except your'e going to start with the right cord instead of the left cord.

1. Take the right cord and thread it underneath the bracelet cords.
2. Take the left cord and thread it under the right cord.
3. Continue the left cord over the bracelet cords.
4. Continue the left cord through the loop you created in part 1 of the diagram.

Remember, each number above corresponds to the numbers in the diagram.

Step 8: Finish All Braids and Pull for More Slack

Alternate steps 6 and 7 until you reach the buckle at the bottom. Don't make your knots too tight or unraveling your bracelet in a time of need will be that much more difficult.

1. This is what it should look like when you braid all the way to the buckle.
-Notice the left over slack.
2. Hold on to the male buckle (the bottom buckle in part 1 of the diagram) and pull on your braids towards the female buckle. This is shown in part 2 of the diagram.
3. After you pull for slack you should have more room to braid. Like shown here in part 3 of the diagram.

Step 9: Finishing It Off

In this step we will be beginning the final steps towards finishing up the bracelet.

Once you find the last diagonal braid, pull it up to form a loop like you see in part 3 of the diagram.

1. Take your lose cords and thread them through the remaining "Slit" of the male buckle. The cords should be thread from the outside of the bracelet to the inside of the bracelet. This is demonstrated in part 1 of the diagram with the arrows that are pointing from right to left.

- Also in part one, You want to find the last "Diagonal Braid" on the "Inside" of the bracelet. In part 1 of the diagram it shows you what the diagonal braids look like and where they are. (notice in part 1 it's on the outside, we want to find the last braid on the inside)
- When the last braid is found, pull it out a little, pull your cord loosening the braid forming a loop like shown in part 3 of the diagram.

2. In part 2 of the diagram it's simply showing you the "Inside" and "Outside" of the bracelet. Notice which way the buckles are arcing. The bottom of the bracelet, or "Inside" is the one where the buckles are arcing downward.

3. After forming the loop with the "Last diagonal braid" pull your loose cords through the loops that you formed.

4. This is what it should look like when done.

Step 10: Tightening Up the End

1. Part 1 of the diagram demonstrates what it should look like once your done with step 9.

Now it's time to tighten up all the loose cords.

2. With your thumb holding the "Last diagonal braid" pull the loose cords like shown in part 2 of the diagram. This should tighten everything up making it ready to cut and melt.

I like to pull one cord at a time, I find that easier to do.

Step 11: Final Cut and Melt

1. Cut the remaining cord off of the bracelet. Leave about an 1/8" - 1/4" of cord.

2. Melt the ends of the cord so they do not fray. Make sure you squeeze them with your fingers or pliers to flatten them. This will make the deployment a lot easier when and if the time comes.