Paracord Celtic Knot Chain Bracelet- Very Easy to Make, and a Great Gift Idea!

I've been making various bracelets for a while now, and my other half has been asking for something that looks good, isn't too bulky, but most importantly doesn't have a plastic clip. This is what I came up with!

I also feel that I should point out that this is my very first Instructable, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll be as thorough as possible!

Apologies in advance if some of the pictures are unclear, but I'll do my best to explain each step as I go along.

Step 1: What You'll Need...

Paracord (obviously!) - I used about 50 inches, which resulted in a 9 inch bracelet
A knife, or cutting device (shown are my Leatherman Style and Cardsharp, bought from http://iainsinclair.com/products.php)
A lighter (for sealing the ends)
Needle nose pliers, or forceps
Tape measure

Step 2: Getting Started With a Celtic Knot

The first step is to create the Celtic knot that will be used for the fastener. 

1. First, create two loops near one end of the cord, making sure the overlap is on top. Have the right loop overlapping the left loop slightly.
2. Take the right end of the cord and pass it through the loops, starting from the right hand side and go over the cord, under, over and under. pull the cord through, but leave enough to create a third loop.
3. Take the long end of the cord, and again working from the right, pass it over the first strand, under the next TWO, and then out again. Pull the two ends of the cord until the knot starts to loosely form.
4. Slowly and carefully pull the ends tighter, manoeuvring the strands as you go to help it close up. Don't over-tighten, as you will probably need to move the location of the knot.
5. If you need to move the knot, use your pliers to pull the cord through, one loop at a time. Pay careful attention to which direction you are working in, as I find it very easy to confuse myself and start going backwards!
6. When the knot is in the right place (I place it about 3/4 of an inch at most from the end of the cord) you can start tightening the knot, if you haven't already done so.

If you're still having trouble, check out this video made by Stormdrane on how to do this knot. The guy seriously knows what he's doing, and has taught me a lot :)

Step 3: Step 2- the Chain.

This is an incredibly easy stage, that I will probably make sound very complicated with my descriptions! I'll try to keep it as simple as it is, but I'm a stickler for details :)

To start with, make a standard slip knot near the Celtic knot. To do this, form a loop, then reach through the loop and pull the cord though the first loop. Tighten the knot, but don't pull the cord all the way through. Instead, leave it as a new loop. Then, reach through the new loop, grab the long length, and pull it through, making another new loop, and tighten the knot again. Repeat this procedure  making new loops and pulling the last tight, until the chain meets with the Celtic knot when placed around your wrist. This will make it loose enough to be comfortable when it's finished, though you can make it tighter or looser depending on your preference. To finish the chain, simply pull the cord all the way through, and pull tight.

Step 2 is done!

Step 4: The Cross Knot- Almost There!

Now for the cross knot. One more little step, and you've got yourself a nice and simple bracelet!

Start with the chain in your right hand, and make a loop going over the top of the cord. Then, use the cord between the chain and the loop to make a second, smaller loop on top. Then, take the end of the cord and pass it over the top, and through the top loop. then bring it down and though the bottom loop. Carefully start pulling tight, ensuring that it stays as square as possible. As you tighten it, you should get a letter 'X' pattern on one side of the knot, and small chequers on the other.

Now for the slightly technical part. You need to resize the loop so that the Celtic knot fits through tightly enough to stay secure, but loosely enough to be able to be put on one handed. You may also want to move the knot towards the chain, to reduce the amount of unknotted cord on show.

Once you have the loop the right size and in the right position, give yourself a pat on the back! You're just about done! All that needs to be done now is to cut off the excess cord, and seal the ends quickly with your lighter, to prevent the ends from fraying. 

Step 5: Finished at Last!

Congratulations! You're all done! It's been a tough journey, and I'm sure I've overcomplicated things, but hopefully now you've got a great looking and simple to make Celtic knot chain bracelet! 

Feel free to ask questions if you have any problems, and thanks for reading :)