I am sure everybody who once owned or held a guitar at some point of there life, after some time became tired of holding a heavy guitar or you may just be in the mood for a new guitar strap.

Here I will show you how to make a paracord and leather guitar strap.

This is what you will need.
- Paracord (Different colors if you feel happy)
- Pen or Marker
- Scissors (knife not necessary)
- Leather or something similar
- Hole punch
- G-clamp(optional)
- Paperclips(optional)
- Old guitar strap(optional)

I will just be using my old strap as guide to the length of my new strap.

Step 1: A Little Leather Work

To start I made the end flap from leather since I have a surplus stash hidden and it will last a lot longer since my old strap that where made from vinyl started to slip from the guitar.

I took the design from my old strap but the flaps can be any basic shape as long as the slit in cut into it where the guitar attaches. I am also using the same flaps for both side since I will be the only one using the guitar so it doesn't have to be adjustable. If you decide to make you own design or want to make the strap wider, to watch out for the hole where the paracord attaches.

Using a pen I just traced down the old straps flap and using the scissor to cut out the leather.

The next thing I did was to punch holes into the leather. For my strap I am doing a ''boosted'' version of the 6 strand flat braid with 10 strands. Instead of making 10 holes, I will be only making 5 and looping the paracord thought the holes double.

Using the pen, I evenly spaced the holes and using a punch I made the holes.

You must also make a slit to where it will attach to the guitar.

Step 2: To Measure Up

Once the flaps are done, the next thing I need to do is to cut the paracord into length to start the braiding. Since I am using my old strap as a guide to measure the cord since it is already setup to my size.

Using the strap, I measures down two times the length plus three quarters that will go into the braiding. So if your strap 1 meter long the cut cord should then be 2.75 meters long.

I will be using each cord as 2 strand in my braid so there has to be 5 cords cut for my strap.

Once done I used the lighter to melt the end to prevent them from fraying.

Step 3: Loop on Tight, Its Going to Be Fast.

Once the cords and the flaps are cut, all that's left to do is to loop the cord thought the flaps and start the braiding.

To loop the cords thought the flaps all I did was to half the and to loop them though the holes. It will loop a lop neater if you do it back to front.

Step 4: The Braide

Once the flaps ware attached and the cord are loop on, it time to start the braid. Like I said the braid that I will be doing is a ''boosted'' version of a 6 strand braid. The idea is the same but there a only 4 extra strands.

To start the braiding I fasten the flap to my desk with the g-clamp and started the braid(Optional).

- The braid explained
Pull all the cords flat and start at the left and move the first strand Over the second strand and under the third strand.
Repeat till you reach the last strand and leave the strand to one side.
Restart with the left most strand but alternate the pattern so that you will go under and over.
At the end of the second braid, join the last strand from the previous braid in the place of the number 9 strand

Example 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
1 O U O U O U O U L
1 U O U O U O U O L

Pro-tip: Use paperclips as you go along to prevent the strand from unraveling

If you need more help this site http://www.seekyee.com/Slings/howtos/6strand1.htm will show you how to do a 6 strand braid in two ways. Follow Method 2

Step 5: The Grand Finale

Almost done.

Once you are about 8 centimeters from the end all that's left to do is to attach the second flap. To attach the second flap is a lot easy than the braiding since all that you have to do is to fish two strand through each hole in the flap. Just make sure that the second flap is the same way around as the first flap.

Once all the strand are threaded through is to braid them back into the weave by following a strand.