http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

Home   Sign Up!   Browse   Community   Submit   All     Art     Craft     Food     Games     Green     Home     Kids     Life     Music     Offbeat     Outdoors     Pets     Photo     Ride     Science     TechParacord Bracelet with Monkey Fist Buttonby Tommi Potx on February 5, 2008Table of Contents

License:   Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Intro:   Paracord Bracelet with Monkey Fist Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 1:   Ingredients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 2:   The Skully Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 3:   Wraps and fraps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 4:   Fraps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

step 5:   Fraps continued... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

step 6:   Wraps, 2nd time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

step 7:   Dressing the knot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

step 8:   Sizing the bracelet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

step 9:   Sizing the closure loop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

step 10:   Ladder weaving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

step 11:   Ladder weaving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

step 12:   Alternating hitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

step 13:   Weaving the bracelet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

step 14:   Finishing up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

step 15:   Add the skully bead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

step 16:   Final Product Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

step 17:   Skully . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

step 18:   Herd of Bracelets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

License:   Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)

Intro:  Paracord Bracelet with Monkey Fist ButtonI saw the paracord bracelet by Stormdrane a couple of months ago, and had to make some; one night, while insomniacking, I was inspired, and had an epiphany: whynot make a paracord bracelet, using a Monkey fist and loop as a closure, instead of a buckle or button?So, here we go: a paracord bracelet with a Monkey Fist knot acting as the button.

step 1: Ingredients-Approximately 7 to 8 feet of gutted paracord; more depending on your wrist size. I measured the ratio of cord to weave once, and promptly forgot it.-A pair of scissors or sharp Swiss Army knife.-A lighter to melt fraying ends.-A marlin spike or similar pokey object, used when dressing the monkey fist knot; it should be as tight as possible.-A skully bead, available at craft stores near you; all kinds are available online, too.-Time: 2 hours for first attempt

step 2: The Skully ButtonThe hardest part of the project, after procuring the skull beads, will be the monkey fist. It was intended for use as a weight on a heaving line, in order to get larger, non-throwable hawsers from ship to jetty. I think it is a nice looking knot, and also resembles a head with a turban on it.Take the inner strands out of the paracord, as this reduces the bulky look

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

step 3: Wraps and frapsHopefully these pics and diagrams will help; if not, there are lots of good knot-tying sites online.Begin with your single, long piece of paracord; while tying the Fist, try and get it as close to the center of the piece of cord as possible; this will save a lot of cursing andswearing later on when dressing / tightening the knot.

Using the fingers, make 3 turns around the hand; as part of Mountain Ops training, we called these verticals 'wraps'

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

step 4: FrapsStart the turns passing outside the middle of the first three turns; these horizontals we called 'fraps'. I do believe this terminology is particular to military mountain ops.

step 5: Fraps continued...Complete the three horizontal fraps...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

step 6: Wraps, 2nd time.Make three more vertical wraps, passing inside the first set of wraps and outside the fraps.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

step 7: Dressing the knotDressing the knot (tightening) is the process of using the knot itself as a 'standing' or anchored end [clumpy bit], and taking the 'running' or working ends [dangly bits] andrunning them 'through' the knot.With the marlin spike / pokey object, tighten the Fist accordingly. I made two or three of these before I got it right. This is where getting the knot centered on your piece ofparacord is important; there's less waste, as well. Be careful not to stab yourself with the pokey object. You will really get to understand the knot dynamics as you tightenit.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

step 8: Sizing the bracelet.Now that the hard part is done, making the bracelet portion out of ladder weave is next.Firstly, take a measurement of your wrist, from the Fist, and loop the two running ends around the knot for a basic length.

step 9: Sizing the closure loop.The next step is to size the end loop that the monkey fist will attach through; this is just a matter of starting the first ladder loop, and fidgeting around with it, so bothlengths from knot-to -loop are the correct size for your wrist; check the size frequently as you tighten, as paracord can be deceptive!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

step 10: Ladder weavingLadder weave is simply opposite side half hitches around two strands of paracord. Once you have the single loop closure fidgeted out, make a bight on the left side;

step 11: Ladder weavingNow bring the other cord under the running end of the bight, across the front of the two starnds and through the bight...then tighten.

step 12: Alternating hitchesNow repeat the previous step, alternating sides , until the bracelet body is completed; then snip and melt ends.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

step 13: Weaving the braceletNow you can go to town on the ladder weave / half hitching, tightening as you go, and frequently checking the wrist size. If these bracelets are too tight, they are veryuncomfortable, and paracord will shrink a tad over time; I darn near had to cut my first one off, as it had tightened up while I wore it.

step 14: Finishing up.If you've got enough cord, take your half hitches down to the monkey fist; tighten the weave, and try to get another hitch or two in, as close to the knot as possible. After afinal size check, cut and melt the running ends, and seal them to the main weave.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

step 15: Add the skully bead.The skull beads I use were too small to fit over the loop closure of my bracelets; so, I used an awl from a Swiss army knife, and carefully bored out the existing hole, until,with a lot of effort, I got the bead on. Other beads may fit better. A bead really helps tighten the loop, so that it's not too sloppy, and really enhances the overall look of thebracelet.

step 16: Final Product PhotosCongratulations! If all has gone well, you should now be the owner of a Headhunter Paracord Bracelet. Allow a couple of hours for first attempt.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

step 17: SkullyA photo highlighting the skully.

step 18: Herd of Bracelets.All colours, etc...!

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Monkey's FistKeychain bynk97

Multi-ColorMonkey Fist byTripWir3

ParacordDouble MonkeyFist Bookmarkby repeet13

Nalgene CapParacord Fix byrstupplebeen

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

AdvertisementsComments50 comments Add Comment view all 57 comments

 rogerrabbit321 says:  Aug 6, 2010. 2:18 PM  REPLYDo you have to have the skull bead? cause i don't really want a skull bead on my bracelet. all i want is para cord

 OrtBoy says:  Aug 8, 2010. 1:35 PM  REPLYno the skull bead is just to add decoration and hold the loop tighter

 rogerrabbit321 says:  Aug 11, 2010. 5:38 AM  REPLYok thanks!

 Rotbeyondthem says:  Feb 10, 2010. 1:27 PM  REPLY Yeah, the ladder weaving has brought me to a slight halt.

 ndinitz says:  Feb 14, 2010. 8:14 AM  REPLYthe ladder weaving is done by leaving two strands in the center as a core and the other two do the weaving.

the weaving is accomplished by taking one side strand and placing it over the two center strands leaving a gap. the second side strand goes over the firstside strand, behind the two core strands, and out from behind through the gap that was left by the first strand. pull the two outer strands to tighten.

by the way: if you use the same side strand you get a flat weave, and if you alternate strands then the braid twists into a double helix shape.

hope that helps

 bill goryca says:  May 5, 2010. 6:32 PM  REPLYLOL, WHO IS ON FIRST?. NOW IM REALLY CONFUSED ON THE "LADDER WEAVE".

 Rotbeyondthem says:  Feb 14, 2010. 9:10 AM  REPLY Yes, that sounds much clearer and I will give it a good sit down at some point, thanks!

 Rotbeyondthem says:  Feb 17, 2010. 8:41 PM  REPLY Thanks again lego, big help.

 jimmy19963 says:  May 5, 2010. 2:52 PM  REPLYLike the instructable but having a problem with the ladder weave. Could you post a video of you doing it please?

 grimshade says:  Apr 27, 2010. 1:35 PM  REPLY Is it possible to make one of the wider variations of weaves after making the  monkey fist closure? 

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

 RegalThunder says:  Feb 7, 2010. 5:36 PM  REPLYAnyone know where to buy these Skull beeds?? Thanks

 07Chevy says:  Mar 6, 2010. 7:14 PM  REPLYI remember seeing these at a Hobby Lobby which is a hobby shop in the New Mexico Area.

 vairycool says:  May 3, 2009. 8:16 PM  REPLYcan anyone help me, i dont know how to "ladder weave"

 ndinitz says:  Feb 14, 2010. 8:16 AM  REPLY see my comment above

 joseph.wyatt says:  Feb 10, 2010. 2:24 PM  REPLYBought these skull beads on at an Army/Navy surplus store today.  They are used in a Ranger Skull Bead Klick Counter.  A primitive device to count offsteps and thus after so many steps a skull is pushed down.  Anyway, it cost about $3-4 and had 13 beads on it

 DrFro says:  Feb 7, 2010. 10:18 AM  REPLYi used to make this knot when I was in the navy.It might be a little easier to insert a marble inside the wraps when time comes it tighten the thing up.It is atough knot to tie and even harder with small cord. one might use a little larger line until the knot is perfected.

 charlie1993 says:  Jan 24, 2010. 5:04 PM  REPLYsweet :D

 djtaldragon127 says:  Jul 7, 2009. 1:24 PM  REPLYhttp://www.vtarmynavy.com/is where I buy mine online.http://store.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=armynavy&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=795009791&Count2=712150216&Keyword=paracord&Target=products.aspleads you to the parachute cord

 huyhuyhuytae says:  Jun 9, 2009. 2:51 PM  REPLYnice i did one to thx

 shilohjim says:  Feb 6, 2008. 10:50 PM  REPLYGreat idea to use a button knot instead of a bought fastener. I have to wonder though, why not start with the loop and end with the monkey fist? BTW nicegraphics showing the monkey fist tying.

 Tommi Potx says:  Feb 7, 2008. 6:17 AM  REPLYIt had never actually occurred to me to start with the loop. I don't think The monkey fist would tie well, as you need two running ends to tie it.

 srilyk says:  Feb 8, 2008. 3:50 AM  REPLYit's a good thing you didn't - anyone who's tied a monkey fist should know that they're a *pain* to try to get in some sort of exact position...

For extra weight (or size), you can also put a wooden bead or a steel ball in the monkey fist before tightening...

 Syncubus says:  Jun 9, 2009. 1:18 PM  REPLYWhile I agree they can be fidgety to tie, in a specific location, I think it would be a slightly neater look for both the bracelet and the monkey fist.Start with a small turks-head knot or something in the center of your cord, bring the ends up, just as you did before for the loop, do the ladderweave back down, then tie your monkey fist knot around the turks head (using the turks head for the traditional 'filling' for the moneys fist. Also,beautiful pictures on this instructable! I can tell you took your time making it. Thank you for it!

 mchs60chip says:  May 17, 2009. 12:08 PM  REPLYGreat instructablei just finished my firsttotal working time 47minutesand for anyone who doesnt know ladder weaving check this instructablehttp://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-bracelet-with-a-side-release-buckle/

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

 nogreasyhippies says:  Jan 3, 2009. 3:28 PM  REPLYvideo please, this is pickling my brain

 vairycool says:  May 3, 2009. 8:17 PM  REPLYME TOO!!

 haulwilliams says:  Feb 6, 2008. 2:48 PM  REPLYcould you give a link on where to find some cheap paracord and what strenght you recomend

 atrum06 says:  Feb 1, 2009. 10:52 AM  REPLYjoin the army you'll get all the free 550 cord you can handle! and chemlights! and the best part is you get to go camping with 200 of your best friends!

 Gina65 says:  May 2, 2009. 8:31 AM  REPLYFunny the way you put it! xD

 dizzytired says:  Feb 8, 2008. 10:00 PM  REPLYCheaper Than Dirt

That's usually where I buy my camping/airsoft gear, pretty reliable from my experiences.

 Tommi Potx says:  Feb 6, 2008. 7:02 PM  REPLYParacord is tested to 550 lbs. (It's also known as 550 cord) I do believe we ordered ours from the U.S.; even after shipping, it's still cheaper than getting ithere in Canada. We got ours from Happy Camper, S.C. there are a ton of places you can get it online.

 wolveshollow says:  Mar 22, 2009. 4:47 PM  REPLYA quick Google-ing and I found these...looks similar and fairly reasonably priced.

http://skullsvilleusa.com/skull_beads.html

 Big_Saw says:  Mar 1, 2009. 7:19 AM  REPLYThanks for the monkey fist info....been trying to figure that one out since boot....good job.

 book worm says:  Aug 14, 2008. 4:38 PM  REPLYI FOUND MY BEADS ON LINE IN ENGLAND BY SEARCHING FOR CFAFT BEAD SUPPLIERS GOT 100 SKULL BEADS IN WOOD FOR £8.99 NOTSURE WHAT THAT IS IN DOLLARS BUT NOT A LOT THEY ALSO DO SOME PRETTY NICE STIRLING SILVER ONES FOR SILLY MONEY

 dgod724 says:  Jan 31, 2009. 6:56 AM  REPLYdo you have a link to the site that you bought the beads from? I hate to bother but I am having a hard time finding the beads. Also do you know what sizethe inner diameter is it would help if you are unable to find the link to the web site of purchase. Thank You. P.S this is on of the funnest project I've donein a while. all i need is the beads.

 Carlos Marmo says:  Oct 30, 2008. 12:07 AM  REPLYWonderful Work! Congratulations!

 chemman says:  Sep 4, 2008. 7:17 PM  REPLYSorry, but as anyone who has ever been in boy scouts knows "fraps" is a common lashing term.

 Scott338 says:  Feb 17, 2008. 10:21 AM  REPLYI have done this before and I wear it pretty much all the time, but instead of a Monkey's Fist I use a Chinese Button. It's smaller, looks better (I think) anddoesn't get in the way.

 Bridel568 says:  Sep 1, 2008. 3:15 PM  REPLYhey how do u make a Chinese Button?

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

 mikel81 says:  Jun 1, 2008. 1:33 PM  REPLYCheck Stormdrane's most recent post.http://stormdrane.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-tie-lanyard-knot.htmlIt has excellent tutorials listed on how to tie this knot, also known as a lanyard knot. I used the Boatswain's Whistle Knot tutorial and had no trouble. youcan even double up this knot to make it bigger and give a different look.

 Tommi Potx says:  Feb 18, 2008. 10:19 AM  REPLYI've researched the Chines button, and must say: it is better looking; I'm doing it tonight!!

 fungus amungus says:  Feb 21, 2008. 8:55 PM  REPLYI smell a sequel.

 rmullins says:  Sep 1, 2008. 7:56 PM  REPLYI just tried both the 'monkey fist' and the 'chinese button' knots and while it's true the chinese button is a bit more elegant, the monkey fist is acool knot and its extremely easy to tie. In addition I have found about a half a dozen ways of tying the 'chinese button' knot. I am going with this<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgqxDfpMqAw&feature=related">version</a> on youtube. Other instructions on tying the button suckbig time, but this lady does a great job. She needs to put on an instructable here!

In any case the monkey fist is cool, but I am not a big fan of stripping cordage. One of the cool things about the paracord bracelet as a survivaltool is that you can 'unbraid' it in an emergency and depend on its tough ability to hold 550 pounds. Once you rip out the guts it's pretty muchworthless as a survival tool.

 Syncubus says:  Jun 9, 2009. 4:03 PM  REPLYI ended up attempting this bracelet with black (unstripped) 550 'paracord'. The 'monkey's fist' would have made for a MASSIVE fastener forunstripped 550. The 'chinese button' knot seems to suit the size well (and was a nice learning experience, since it was the first time I'veattempted one). I started with about 12 feet of paracord (I have an 8" wrist), and I'm glad I started with some extra.

I really tightened down on the knots to keep everything firm which makes for a stiff bracelet, and luckily it came out just right, size-wise. I'mstill looking for a bead for it (I'm using an old metal washer, just to hold it together, right now).

Fun instructable!

 Scott338 says:  Sep 2, 2008. 7:34 PM  REPLYI agree...I like it because I can carry 10 feet of cord with 7 strands per cord which can be broken down even further. Even the smaller innerstrands are strong enough for most uses. Thanks to Stormdrane (with some modifications), I also have a 3 inch wide rifle sling with 80 feet of550 cord I keep in my pack for when I need to sling the rifle, or in case of a survival situation. That was a cool project...

 whydoihavetosignup says:  Feb 10, 2009. 11:31 AM  REPLYCould you post a picture of that, I would love to see how you did it. I am looking to make a sling for my shotgun and am looking for someideas.

 Scott338 says:  Feb 12, 2009. 5:16 PM  REPLYI'll try to post the picture...I have a few I just took. One thing to remember, always use 1 1/2 inch swivels; standard swivels are 3/4-1inch. Also, I made the sling about 5 inches too long and folded it through the swivel and back on itself so that the length can beadjusted. I then knotted the extra cord to the sling. Works very well, doesn't slip off the shoulder.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Paracord-Bracelet-with-Monkey-Fist-Button/

 rmullins says:  Sep 1, 2008. 7:57 PM  REPLYOops I hand-coded in the you tube link above. Sorry about that.

Chinese Button Video Chinese Button Video

 mkamchin says:  Apr 14, 2008. 7:47 PM  REPLYit would be helpful to explain how to do ladder weaving. please \ _ [:-)]---[ _ /

 greasemonkey45 says:  Feb 13, 2008. 12:42 PM  REPLYPerfect! Found the cord at H-Depot for $2.48!

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