About

This project shows you how to make a woven braid that serves to attach your keys to one of small belt holding straps on your trousers. The total length of the braid is 23 cm, which allows you (I tried it myself) to open the door without detaching the keys; this feature reduces the risk to lose the keys. The technique described here could also be used to wove bracelets or necklaces out of cord or rope.

Supplies

Materials

I used a 3mm diameter rubber cord covered with a silk-like green material; I had a piece of this cord available at my shop, that’s why I used it; you are free to take any other cord or thin rope.

You would also need

- a split ring to fix the keys on it

- two smaller metal rings, they could be split or not, the picture will give you an idea about these rings

- a snap link. I used an old snap link found in my shop, but you are free to improvise.

- a fine thread. It's desirable (in my opinion) that it has the same colour that the cord used

You'll also need a glue that becomes transparent when dry, it's possible to use epoxy resin.

Tools

- exacto knife or a pair of scissors

- small brush for glue

Step 1: Cut the Cord and Attach the First Ring

The length of my cord was 264 cm, I cut it in two halves, 132 cm each. Then I plied each half in its middle and installed a small ring in that point, after which I wrapped some thin green threads around the cord to fix the ring in position.

Step 2: How to Wove

The technique is illustrated in pictures; please, pay attention to the positioning of the cords.

After you attached the cord’s halves to the first ring, you have four cords marked in the drawing as red (2) and green (2). You make two loops out of 2 'red' branches and pass 'green' branches into those loops according to the drawing. You should get an image similar to that shown in pictures. After that you make two 'green' loops and pass the 'red' branches into them (at least, I proceeded this way, you are free to choose yours).

Colour coding is used just in the drawing, of course, to show how to create pairs of loops.

Each branch I'm my case was 61 cm long, so I kept making braid until four ends, about 5 cm each, remained free. The result is shown in picture. I put some glue on the resulted knot to prevent it from loosening; choose a glue that becomes transparent when dry.

Step 3: Cut the Ends and Fix the Other Ring

You cut two of four ends as close to the braid’s body as possible; with two remaining ends you’ll make several knots (I made three) to fix the other ring to the braid. After this, you put some glue on the knots to prevent them from loosening. (I took these pictures too early, the glue is still white; howevr it will become transparent some minutes later).

Step 4: Install the Snap Link and the Key Ring

The big ring is a split ring that is put onto the first ring of the braid. In my case, the other small ring also was a split ring because of the design of the snap link. There are designs. though, that would allow to use an ordinary ring to attach the snap link.