Introduction: How to Make a Braided Bracelet Using Hemp Cord

By
About: I love creating things for people to 'ooh' and 'aah' about.:)

Hello, everybody who bothered to click on this link!
I apologize if I went missing for a while, I was lurking the Archives of FF and Instructables. But, I'm here now, and ready to redeem myself from the dreadful guideline that was my last instructable. Please, try to forgive me.
Anyway, here it is!

Step 1: Supplies

Natural Hemp cord (I used 20%, 100 gr, whatever that means... just kidding, I know what that means, sort of)

Small beads of any color

Opt. Small charm


The beads mentioned here can be combined on the braid in all manner of ways. I took pictures of the few I made.

Step 2: First Section

First, take your cord and cut three lines of it, all the same length and long enough to wrap around your wrist at least once. After you have three pieces of cord, fold about a three-inch piece over, and knot a loop. If you don't know how to do this, I put about a zillion and five pictures of the loop on this instructable. After you have a loop, find something to pin your loop and string to, or just hold it in between your teeth, like I did, and braid until your anywhere from three to five inches in, then, you can start adding beads.

Step 3: Beware...

Be careful when your just pulling cord, because if you decide that you want to use a knot and loop for your ends, then you need to be sure that it can wrap completely round your wrist, because if it can't, then it'll either be just too short or just too long. One of the ones I did ended up too long, so I knotted the braided section a few times to shorten it. But, if your just going to tie it by either end, then disregard everything I just said.

Step 4: Beads!

Now that you have your braided section, you can start adding your decorations. Thee are probably a million ways you could do this, but here are a few that I did:

Method 1:
Hold the end of the braid with your thumb and forefinger. Hold the cord in a way so that you are about to bring the farthest strand to the right, into the middle. Now, find the end of the cord and push your bead onto the end, pulling it up until it's nestled against the other pieces of cord. Bring the cord with a bead on it to the center of the braid, and before you pull in the cord from the left, put a bead on that. repeat, putting beads onto the outermost cords as you braid. Continue for as long as you like.

Method 2:
Follow the method above, only do this solely on one side. Continue for as long as you like.

Method 3:
Follow Method 2, except braid the cord without beads on it in between sections of beaded braid, like in the picture.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

After you've added as many beads as you like, finish it by braiding for a while without beads, then, tie a knot. If your using a loop and knot for the ends, I suggest double-knotting. You can also add a charm of sorts to the unbeaded braid.
Before you cut off the excess, consider finishing with several beads on the ends of the remaining cord, knotting them individually so as to keep the beads on. You could also add the charm here as well.

Step 6: The End

Wear them whenever you can. The cord I used stretched after I got it wet and pulled on it a few times. Enjoy your lovely bracelets, and may the schwartz be with you. :)
Bleu Eyes

Fashion Contest

Participated in the
Fashion Contest