TUTORIALS: HOW MUCH CORD DO I NEED?
This is a very common question among many tutorials. The good news is the answer isn't all that hard to figure out. All you need to solve this problem is:
- The lengths of the cord used in the tutorial (c)
- The length of the bracelet you will be making (m); and
- The size of the bracelet in the tutorial (b)
For Example:
In the video it states he/she made a 7 inch bracelet using 15 feet of paracord. You want to make a 14 inch dog collar.
In the video it states he/she made a 7 inch bracelet using 15 feet of paracord. You want to make a 14 inch dog collar.
Note: The smaller more basic braids (i.e. cobra, fishtail, etc.) are even easier to calculate. They are generally at a 1 to 1 ratio meaning for every 1inch of bracelet you will need 1 foot of cord.
We are also building a list of weaves and the cord lengths needed. Just check out How Much Cord?
We are also building a list of weaves and the cord lengths needed. Just check out How Much Cord?
HOW DO I CONNECT TWO LENGTHS OF PARACORD TOGETHER?
There are two ways you can do this. First, you can melt the ends of each rope and stick them together. Then just lick your fingers (this is very important so you don't burn them) and roll them around the connection. This will make the connection smooth so you don't have a tacky looking glob of melted paracord.
The second way to do this is called the Manny Method (named after its creator, Manuel Zambrano) . Below is a video tutorial on how to do this:
The second way to do this is called the Manny Method (named after its creator, Manuel Zambrano) . Below is a video tutorial on how to do this:
There is also a third less common way of doing it but it does work. The only trade off is it takes a little more time and effort. It is called the sleeve and stitch method. Here you will insert one end of a cord into another and stitch them together with nylon thread. Below is a video tutorial that explains this process.
HOW TO SALVAGE USED PARACORD
So you have a bracelet or wrap you're not using and you don't know what to do. You unwrap it thinking you're going to use it for another project and discover the cord is all ruined. It's bent and twisted and no matter how much you pull on it and stretch it nothing seems to get it back to the way it was.
Although no one has figured out how to get the cord back to its original "perfect" condition there is a way to get it looking pretty darn close to it. Basically, you just soak the cord in warm water for about 30 minutes to an hour , stretch it out as much as possible, and hang it up to dry. You can repeat the process as many times as you like until you aren't seeing any more improvement.
Like I said before, you'll never get it back to the fresh perfection it was but you will get it good enough for another project.
Although no one has figured out how to get the cord back to its original "perfect" condition there is a way to get it looking pretty darn close to it. Basically, you just soak the cord in warm water for about 30 minutes to an hour , stretch it out as much as possible, and hang it up to dry. You can repeat the process as many times as you like until you aren't seeing any more improvement.
Like I said before, you'll never get it back to the fresh perfection it was but you will get it good enough for another project.
WHAT CAN I DO WITH MY PARACORD SCRAPS? DON'T THROW THEM AWAY!!!
It's impossible to complete any paracord design without at least some scraps. So should you just throw them away? Absolutely not! Those scraps have many uses:
Key Chain
You'd be surprised just how little you need to make a key chain. A few inches of scrap cord, a couple of beads, and a ring and you got yourself one simple and neat key chain. Add a little side revenue to your paracord business or give them out as simple, cheap, and fun Christmas or birthday presents.
Zipper Pul
Talk about simple right? Nothing really to add here but to show you this:
Awareness Ribbons or Other Decorations
These little things take only a couple of inches of paracord and you never know when you might make one. There are so many colors for awareness ribbons that mean so many different things (many even share the same color colors). Here is a list of some of the awareness ribbon colors: Awareness Ribbon Color Chart
Fishing Lure
Possibly the littlest piece of paracord you can use for a project. Check this little and useful guy out!
Cable Tie
Got some pesky cables laying around the house? Need to organize your cables behind your entertainment system? What about that really long cell phone charger cable you keep tripping over? Well, you got your answer right here. Check out this awesome idea from Kasia Nagel:
ADJUSTING THE LENGTH BECAUSE OF THE THICKNESS
A really good tutorial will tell you how many inches to add to a bracelet based on the weave. Some weaves require this because of how thick the weave is. In most of these cases you will be adding between 1 and 2 inches, however, the best answer is to refer to the video. If the video does not say what the adjusted length is just send them a message and ask or find an experienced paracorder and ask them.
Note: Your smaller more basic weaves do not require this.
You can also find many of these on our How Much Cord? page. Check it out!
Note: Your smaller more basic weaves do not require this.
You can also find many of these on our How Much Cord? page. Check it out!
MONKEY FISTS: HOW MANY WRAPS DO I USE?
HOW TO USE A LIGHTER OR TORCH
You might think this is unnecessary because we are all old enough to know how to use a lighter but the truth is there is a trick to them when it comes to paracord.
When using a generic lighter you have two options for burning the rope: (1) the red flame or (2) the blue flame. The red part of the flame will melt the rope but it will also cause it to turn brown or black (it will also cause it to catch on fire if you're not careful). This can sometimes be helpful when you are finishing a product with darker colors. Browning or blackening the ends will help you to hide the white inner strands of the cord.
The blue flame of the lighter works the same way as a torch lighter (seen below). However, It burns so hot that it will just melt the rope without browning or blackening it. This comes in very handy when using lighter colors of paracord such as white or bright orange. In these situations browning or blackening the ends might make the product look very tacky. So by using the blue flame of a lighter or a torch lighter youcan keep your work looking fantastic and professionally made.
When using a generic lighter you have two options for burning the rope: (1) the red flame or (2) the blue flame. The red part of the flame will melt the rope but it will also cause it to turn brown or black (it will also cause it to catch on fire if you're not careful). This can sometimes be helpful when you are finishing a product with darker colors. Browning or blackening the ends will help you to hide the white inner strands of the cord.
The blue flame of the lighter works the same way as a torch lighter (seen below). However, It burns so hot that it will just melt the rope without browning or blackening it. This comes in very handy when using lighter colors of paracord such as white or bright orange. In these situations browning or blackening the ends might make the product look very tacky. So by using the blue flame of a lighter or a torch lighter youcan keep your work looking fantastic and professionally made.
WHATS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TYPES OF PARACORD (I, II, III, IV)?
Basically the type of cord tells you how many cores it has. These numbers translate to:
- Type I: 1 core
- Type II: 4 to 7 cores
- Type III: 7 to 9 cores
- Type IV: 11 cores
- Type I: 95 lbs
- Type II: 400 lbs
- Type III: 550 lbs
- Type IV: 750 lbs
HOW TO USE THE DO-IT-YOURSELF CHARMS WITH CLEAR EPOXY SICKERS
AWARENESS RIBBON COLORS
Need to find out which color to use for your awareness ribbon? Here's a couple of good sites and a basic chart to get you started on your search:
Storage tips
Depending on how addicted you are to this fantastic hobby you might eventually begin to collect a lot of paracord. At first it can become quite over whelming trying to find the best way to store it and organize it. Below are a few articles and videos from around the world wide web on some pretty useful and efficient ways to store and organize your growing supply of paracord.
Links to Articles on Storage
Links to Articles on Storage
- How to store paracord?
- YouTube Video:
tips on creating tutorials
The following are a list of things viewers appreciate having in tutorials:
- Description of supplies used
- Cord length
- Cord Color
- Buckle size
- Tools used
- Description of product
- Picture of final product
- Length
- Width
- Thickness
- What it is used for
- Complete each step slowly
- Repeat complicated steps a few times
- Stop for a few seconds after each step so the viewer can see what it looks like
- Show final product at end
- The thumbnail for the video should have a picture of the final product
What about....?
Got a great piece of information to add to this? Just hit us up on our Contact Us page and let us know!
Got a great piece of information to add to this? Just hit us up on our Contact Us page and let us know!