Paracord watchband with a side release buckle

I made a tutorial for the paracord watchband. I've added a photo tutorial on a blog page for it and one with more details on the instructables website.

Hovaczech found a macrame link showing similar diagrams to how I do the alternate half-hitch and sent it to me. The closest one is the 3-strand version, I have 4 strands with the inner two being wrapped as the core by the alternating half-hitches. I actually start off just like I'm making a regular cobra stitch paracord bracelet, adding just 1/2 inch to my actual wrist size, looping onto one end of a side release buckle, then thru the other part of the buckle, and start the alternating half-hitches there.

Alternate half-hitch paracord watchband

I tried the alternate half-hitch with one of my watches as a watchband using olive drab and maroon paracord and a side release buckle.

Alternate half-hitch paracord bracelet

Here's a different type of paracord bracelet with a side release buckle. It's made using alternate half-hitches. I used almost 12 feet of olive drab paracord in this one with a finished length of about 10 inches(my wrist is 8.5", so it's a loose comfortable fit for me). More or less paracord could be used depending on how tight or loose the half-hitches are made and if they're spread out or bunched up as you tie them. Two colors could be used for this as well as doing double half-hitches. If made larger, it would also work as a dog/cat collar.












Here's a two-tone version done in black and olive drab paracord.

...and done as a lanyard with a swivel clip for a knife, flashlight, keychain, etc...

Here's a diamond/spiral braid lanyard I made with Type I paracord for my SOG multi-tool. I used a small swivel clip on one end and a small carabiner on the other end where I did an eye splice with common whipping over the splice.

Another snake knot lanyard. It takes a long time to do each of those knots compared to some others, but I see it as a kind of meditation, so I enjoy it. I removed the inner strands of the paracord for this one using about four feet each of olive drab and maroon, adding a swivel clip on one end and a small carabiner at the other end, attached to my Spyderco Salt I pocket knife.

Snake Knot Doubled

I used two strands of paracord, black and olive drab, and from the middle of those I worked with the four strands doubling up the snake knot and used a completion stitch at the end.

Snake Knot Knife Fob

I used a couple of feet of paracord for this snake knot knife fob. It's a simple alternative to a similar shape/size hangman's noose. These simple fobs can serve as decoration on a knife utilizing the lanyard hole, offering a better grip, and it can make digging a pocket knife from the depths of a pocket a little bit easier.

Snake Knot Paracord Bracelet

I made this paracord bracelet in olive drab using the snake knot with a loop and lanyard knot to secure it. It uses about one foot of paracord for each inch of bracelet length. It takes longer to make as there are about five snake knots per inch, compared to cobra stitches only using a couple of knots per inch.

A side release buckle will also probably work, but I think I'd use a smaller 3/8" size, looping onto one end, make the snake knots, then loop thru the other end and make a lanyard knot or cobra stitch and trim/melt the ends.

Here's another one done in two colors, navy blue and orange paracord with a knot and loop closure.

Snake knot lanyard

The main body of this lanyard is done in the snake knot. I started a little over 6 feet of paracord and made a 2 inch loop at the center of the length of cord, made a lanyard knot(also called a boatswain's whistle knot), then did a series of snake knots, fed the two cords thru a swivel clip and made another lanyard knot around the clip, trimmed and melted the ends. The finished length of this one is about 9 inches and I used about 6 feet of paracord in it.

This was a first attempt at this knot, which I believe is a variation of a two-strand wall knot(Ashley Book of Knots #775), so I wasn't sure how I'd use it. I think I'd make it a bit longer next time so that it would be long enough to also be used as a wrist lanyard as well as one to attach to keys, knives, flashlights, etc... and clip to a belt loop and hang down in a pocket.

Thanks to Scott for bringing the snake knot back to my attention. I'm sure I'd seen someone else use it before, but I don't remember where. I'm a member of quite a few forums and it's hard to keep track of them sometimes, but it helps in learning from the ideas shared on things to make with paracord in addition to the books I have.

Gifts from a friend

A friend recently returned from Iraq and sent me a couple of cool items.

Check out the black reflective paracord grip on the AK47 spike bayonet, with the skulls weaved into the cobra stitch/Solomon bar/Portuguese sinnet knotted handguard.

The paracord bracelet also has the pewter skull beads. Nice work Big Al! Thank you, Sir.  I appreciate it, and glad you made it safely home.

Zebra Compact Pen Wrap

I've used Zebra brand ball point pens for years and a new compact model came out last year that fits neatly on a keyring, making it a good choice for EDC(Every Day Carry). I thought I'd try adding a round crown sinnet with paracord over the metal barrel.

I added a split ring, removed the pocket clip(carefully bent it back and forth until it snapped off), and then started a round sinnet with two 42 inch long pieces of paracord, leaving the inner strands intact.

 I trimmed off the excess cord and melted the ends. I'll have to see how it holds with my keys and other gadgets, I think I may add a dab of superglue to make sure it doesn't want to slide off the barrel. I may try another one with the inner strands removed.

Carrick Bends...

Both of these are examples of the Josephine Knot, also known as a Carrick Bend, Sailor's Knot and Anchor Bend. I made the one in black as a paracord bracelet and the doubled one in black and neon green as a choker, but it could also be used as a bracelet, belt, strap, etc.

They have a loop on one end and a knot to fit thru the loop, on the other end. I'll have to see if I can figure a neat/clean way to use a buckle on 'em.

Paracord Cross

I've seen folks wearing these made with hemp cord or twine since I was a kid. I even remember trying to make one back in the 70's at a vacation bible school, but couldn't figure it out and ended up making something with popsicle sticks instead. I saw one online while surfing(KHWW) and it sparked my memory, so I gave it a try.

It's made using a couple of sinnets(round or square will work). I start with four 24 inch lengths of gutted(inner strands removed) paracord. Make the two separate top and bottom sinnets of the cross first, no loop on the bottom part and I make a small loop on the top part, but you could make the loop longer to use as a lanyard, fob, or necklace. Once you have those made, with the loose ends facing each other, use two strands from the top and two from the bottom and continue a sinnet out to the side making an arm of the cross, doing one side, trimming and melt the ends, then do the other side.

I made a few more using the round sinnet, two outer ones are made with Atwood utility cord(olive/black tracer and the woodland camo) and the smaller center one with olive/black tracer Type I paracord.


The black and neon green cross was made with gutted 550 paracord using a round sinnet.

I've had a few soldiers email me since I posted the cross, and said they've made them with paracord while serving in Iraq and 'Ranger Rosaries' and 'Pathfinder Rosaries' are also popular.

I also made this small 1.5" by 1" cross in leather.

Cool Glow Stuff!

I just received some glow-in-the-dark cord from "Cool Glow Stuff!". I bought the 1/16" and 3/32" diameter cords, since those sizes should braid well with paracord. The other glow cord I've used is from TAD Gear, shown on the right. The two lanyards I made on the left are made with the Cool Glow Stuff! cord and the one on the right is maroon paracord and TAD Gear glow cord.

A few paracord wrist lanyards...

Paracord wrist lanyards, tied with loops/attachment points on both ends.

I added a couple of quick photos showing the the start of the sinnet, where the longer length of cord(wrist part) ends are turned back and a sinnet is started at the base of the shorter length's loop/lanyard knot, then tied up around the wrist loop strands.  Approximate lengths of cord I used were 28" for the shorter and 42" for the long, leaving 14" of the longer part for the wrist loop and sinnet back around it.

Make a paracord bracelet with a side-release buckle tutorial

I've made a short tutorial showing how to make a paracord bracelet with a side-release buckle. There are a few tutorials online that show how to make a paracord bracelet, but they don't show how to do one with a buckle, and I'm frequently asked how to do it. Using a buckle will also allow you to make larger versions the bracelet for use as a dog or cat collar. Here's the link.

Paracord Lanyard Tutorial

I've attempted to make a tutorial on one of the lanyard variations I've made. I think there's enough there to help someone give it a try. Here's the link if anyone's interested:

Paracord Lanyard Project

Here's a wrist lanyard I made with some TAD Gear glow cord I have left(TAD Gear is currently out of it and possibly looking for a new source). And a couple of photos of my Maglites, some with my paracord grips.

Alternate and continuous ring hitching...

Alternate and continuous ring hitches. I used The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropework by Geoffrey Budworth for learning these. I vaguely remember doing the alternate ring hitch in the scouts years ago.