Survival bracelets are all the rage now-a-days, aren't they? I bet you were wondering how you could save $10 and get all crafty and make one of your own.
Good news. I'm here to show you how. Or rather, Tanner is here to show you how. He got all artsy on me one day while I was making nautical bracelets, and I just had to take photos to prove I'm not the only crafty one around here. Way to go, babe! Next thing you know, he'll have his own DIY blog. :)
(Psssst: I'm pretty sure he thinks this bracelet he created is red. Let's not destroy his self-esteem by telling him it's more of a salmon pink, shall we? Saving the day with a pink paracord bracelet is totally bad-ass.)
{survival bracelet}
Needed:
@ 8-10 feet paracord (the actual length depends on your wrist size. I recommend getting more than you need and simply trimming off the excess when you're finished)
Scissors
Small 3/4" trovato side-release buckle or other fastener
Wood and screws if you want to make a base for your project
Tanner has a survival bracelet that he wears daily, but being an Eagle Scout once upon a time, he was keen to make his own. And when this boy does a DIY project, he goes all-out. Rather than just weaving himself a bracelet, he made himself a wooden base thing-a-ma-jig to hold said bracelet in place while he wove it. He called it his loom.
If you want to make one of your own, the creation is pretty simple: get a piece of flat plywood and two smaller pieces of scrap wood. Measure the distance between the two scraps of wood to match the length you'd like your bracelet to be (ideally, slightly larger than your wrist diameter). Screw the pieces of scrap down to the plywood, then screw down your two buckle ends (male and female) across from each other.
To begin your bracelet, fold your paracord in half and thread the center loop through one of the buckles. Pass the ends through the loop and tighten to create a knot. With the loose ends, thread them down through the other buckle and bring the two ends out to either side.
Now you're ready to begin tying your macrame knots. You can see another example of this type of knot by reviewing another bracelet I made {here}. More instructions are below.
1. Make a loop (or a "P") with the right side of your cord
2. Lay the left side of your cord on top
3. Tuck the left end behind and up through the loop of your "P"
4. Tighten the knot.
Now, repeat the same steps, but backwards.
5. Loop the left side of your cord to create a "4"
6. Lay the right side of your cord over the left
7. Tuck the left end behind and up through the loop of your "4"
Continue making knots back and forth in this fashion until you reach the other buckle. Detach from your wood base and weave the loose ends back up through the knots on the inside of the bracelet. Then you can trim the ends and burn them, if you like, to keep them in place.
Clip your bracelet on and you have some (stylish) emergency paracord right at your fingertips! Now you'll be all set for the next time you find yourself in bear country and need to hang some food eight feet in a tree. Or for that time your dryer breaks, you lose your clothesline, and your underwear needs somewhere to dry. The paracord will be there for you. It doesn't judge.
Have fun!