This is a fun and easy little project to make. I made the main pieces with scrap wood and an old piece of rope. I purchased the wood beads from a craft store but these could have been made from scrap wood blocks as well. The solution is not intuitive so it might be a challenge for your friends and family. See the last step for a solution video.

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Step 1: Tools/Materials

Tools:

Saw
Drill or Drill Press
Drill Bits
Sander
Ruler
Pencil
Lighter

Materials:

Wood: (10" x 1.5" x .5")
Rope: 1/4" Diameter x 30" Long
Wood Beads:
- Large: 1" Diameter, 3/8" ID
- Small: 1/2" Diameter, 1/4" ID
Glue

Step 2: Drawing

You will be building two of these pieces.

Step 3: Measure/Mark Wood

I cut the blocks to 5" long. You can make this dimension smaller or larger based off your preference.

Step 4: Cut to Length

Cut two pieces.

Step 5: Mark and Punch Hole Locations

Mark hole locations per the drawing.

Step 6: Drill Holes

Drill 1/2" Diameter Holes per the marks.

Step 7: Small Bead Counter-Bore

I counterbored the small beads to allow a pocket for the knots. This picture shows the top side (counterbore) and bottom side (small hole).

Step 8: Ready to Build

Cut the rope to 14" Long - make two of these. You should now have all the parts to build your puzzle.

Step 9: Gather Pieces for One Section

Step 10: Feed Rope Through Wood As Shown

Step 11: Push Rope Through Large Wood Beads

Step 12: Feed Rope Through Small Bead

I used a lighter to seal the frayed ends of the rope. This allowed the rope to slide through the small hole pretty easy. The counterbore on the small bead should be oriented towards the end of the rope.