I've gotten into making things with paracord. One of the things I learned how to make was a monkey fist, and another was a box knot. Not useful alone, but if you combine the two you can make a flail.

Supplies

Scissors

Lighter

Pliers (needle nose)

1 piece of 10 feet of paracord

2 pieces of 3 feet of paracord

Step 1: 1: Get Your Supplies

Paracord can be found at just about any chain store or hardware store. I got the green and black paracord from Walmart, and the black and red paracord from Home Depot. I should say this is 550 paracord, but not all paracord is made the same. The black paracord is much more flexible than the green and black. You will have to make your own judgment on this.

The pliers I'm using are just ones off my multi-tool. A simple lighter. Those are old scissors that I don't care about any more.

Step 2: 2: Monkey Fist #1

I wanted my flail made entirely from paracord. If you want to start with a marble in the middle then go for it, but I didn't want broken glass if my kid hits something hard, so I went with a paracord core.

Start with two wraps around your two fingers. Give yourself some room between the fingers as you do this. As you come around the bottom on the last wrap go around the back. It's like you're squeezing the wraps on your fingers. Take your fingers out, don't let things unravel, and go through the top where your finger was, and then wrap around and go forward where your bottom finger was. Do this for two wraps.

The end you started with should be pulled down to lock the free end in place. Now tighten everything using your needle nose pliers. I've found that you first tighten, not much, everything from the free end to the start end. This will leave you with a long tail, and a mostly put together monkey fist.

Now you pull on the paracord so the start end is right up against the monkey fist. Work your way through to take up all the slack and the fist is nice and tight. This should leave you with a nice tight knot at one end of the paracord, and the other end long and free.

Step 3: 3: Monkey Fist #2

If you're working with a marble this is where you would start. Otherwise put the first monkey fist between your fingers, with the line going out the back, and wrap around your fingers. I've found that three wraps are good enough.

It's the same technique of wrapping around your fingers and the first monkey fist, going around the back from the bottom, feed through where your top finger was, out the back, and out where your bottom finger was. Again, I would start tighten, not too much, from the free end and work to the starting end. This would also be a good time to make sure the paracord is straight and lined up. If done properly this will leave you with a big loop. Now start tightening the other direction. This is also when you make sure it is a very tight knot.

Step 4: 4: Monkey Fist #3

This is the last monkey fist and you do things exactly the same, except for I usually use 5 wraps. It will get very short near the end, and you might think you ran out. Don't worry. You gently tighten things until you can finish your wrappings. Start tightening things and the free end should give you about a foot of paracord.

Step 5: 5: End of Monkey Fist

The end of the monkey fist needs to be finished off. So you heat the end of the paracord and then while it is still hot and pliable you push it against the flat of your scissors.

Step 6: 6: Box Knot

Now you make the handle. Start with finding the middle of the two 3 foot strands. Start looping the two ends over one strand like I did with the red over the black. Then take the black and go over the free end and through the loop on the other strand. Tighten the strands down and you see the square it makes. Start the second knot, but don't tighten it.

Step 7: 7: Box Knot Around Monkey Fist

Put the end of the monkey fist in the middle of the box knot, and now you tighten it down. Repeat the pattern of loops and you build up the box knot around the monkey knot. When you get near the end tighten the handle with your needle nose pliers. If you are not OCD about it you can cut off the paracord wherever you want.

Step 8: 8: Fuse the Ends

Cut off whatever paracord you don't want. Use the lighter to melt the end as close to the box knot as you can. Use the flat end of your scissors to flatten the end of the paracord and it should fuse a bit onto the loops of the paracord. This way the knot shouldn't unravel.

Step 9: 9: Flail

I shouldn't have to say that you shouldn't hit anything with this, but I will. Don't hit anything with this. Still it is a fun toy. Also if you don't like it with just some pulls using needle nose pliers you can undo everything and make something else.