How to Tie Paracord Knots

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 References

Knowing how to tie different kinds of paracord knots is important. You can use some knots as stoppers or buckles for bracelets, and you can use other types of knots to make up bracelets. Some of the more popular knots include the: Lanyard, Monkey's Fist, and Snake.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Tying a Lanyard Knot

1
Fold a length of paracord in half. Make sure that the paracord is oriented vertically, with the folded end pointing upward. This is a great knot to add to the end of a paracord bracelet. Unlike the Monkey’s Fist, this knot does not require a lot of cording, so it is a good choice if you don't have a lot to work with.^{[1]
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2
Fold the right end of the paracord into a loop. Make the loop pointing towards the right, with the tail pointing towards the left. The tail should be oriented horizontally, under the left end of the paracord.^{[2]
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- The loop should be a few inches/centimeters down from the top fold.
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3
Fold the left end of the paracord into a loop as well. This new loop should be pointing to the left. The tail should be horizontal as well, but this time, it should be in front of the right loop.^{[3]
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- Make sure that the left and right loops are at the same height and level. Don’t make one higher than the other.
4
Feed the left-hand strand through the back of the left loop. Take the strand that’s on the left side of your project. Feed it through the back of the left loop and out the front so that it is facing you. Point the strand upwards.^{[4]
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5
Feed the right-hand strand down through the front of the right loop. Take the strand that’s on the right side of your project. Pull it towards you, then feed it down through the right loop and out the back. Point the strand upwards as well so that it is parallel to the left strand.^{[5]
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6
Pull on all 4 cords to tighten the knot. Gather the 2 cords on the top in one hand, and the 2 cords on the bottom in your other hand. Pull on the cords slowly to tighten the knot. Adjust the knot as you pull so that it is symmetrical and looks like a braided bead.^{[6]
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- You may have to pull on the cords 1 at a time. You may also have to adjust the loops forming the knot.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making a Monkey’s Fist

1
Have at least 3 ¹⁄₂ inches (8.9 cm) of 550 paracord to work with. The Monkey's Fist is a popular decorative and stopper knot. You can add it to the end of a paracord bracelet, then slip it through the loop on the other end of the bracelet to close it.^{[7]
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2
Fold the end of the cord over and tie it into an overhand knot. Fold the last 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) of the paracord over. Wrap the doubled cord around your index finger to create a loop, then slide the folded end of the cord through the loop. Tighten the knot, bringing it as close to the folded end as possible.^{[8]
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- This replaces the marble you'd typically put inside this type of knot, so keep the overhand knot round. It's okay if it is loose, as long as it is round.
3
Cut the short stub from under the knot. You can cut the stub off with a pair of scissors or a sharp knife, leaving the longer cord behind. Make sure that you cut it as close to the overhand knot as possible. The stub won't fray because it will be inside the knot.^{[9]
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- You can melt the end of the stub with a lighter, or you can seal it with a drop of glue.
4
Pinch the knot between your fingers. Point your left index and middle fingers to the right. Slide the knot between them, stopping at the knuckle closest to your fingertip. Close the fingers until the knot is pinched between them. The cord should be draped over the top edge of your left index finger.^{[10]
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5
Wrap the cord 2 times around your index and middle fingers. Pull the cord behind your index finger. Bring it down towards the bottom edge of your middle finger. Wrap it around your fingers like this for a total of 2 times. Stop when you reach the bottom of your middle finger on the second wrap.^{[11]
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6
Push the overhand knot inside the loop around your fingers, if needed. You now have paracord wrapped around your index and middle fingers, forming a pocket. You need the knot to be inside this pocket. If the knot is outside the pocket, push it into that pocket so that it is still between your fingers, but covered up by the wrapped cord.^{[12]
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7
Wrap the cord horizontally 3 times around the looped cord. Pull the cord behind the loops wrapped vertically around your index and middle fingers. Slide it up through the V-shaped gap between the left side of the wrapped loops and the joint between your fingers. Pull it back towards the right edge. Do this 3 times, and finish with the cord pointing to the right.^{[13]
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8
Slide the wrapped cord off of your fingers. Be careful while doing this. You want the wrapped cords to keep their shape with the ball in middle. Make sure that all of the horizontal and vertical loops are together and not coming apart. The holes between the loops should be distinct.^{[14]
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9
Wrap the cord 3 times vertically around the horizontal loops. Turn the project so that the working end of cord is facing you. You will see a loop on the top and bottom of the project with a cord wrapped horizontally around them 3 times. Pull the end of the cord down through the top hole and up through the bottom hole. Do it for a total of 3 to 4 times until you see 3 vertical cords.^{[15]
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10
Find the starting loop and cinch off the excess cording. Rotate the knot until you find the first wrap you made. Pull on the next wrap to bring up the excess cording in a big loop. Find the next wrap, and pull on it to bring the loop forward. Continue pulling on the adjacent wraps, working the loop around the knot until you reach the cord. Pull on the cord to remove the excess loop.^{[16]
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- Don't pull too hard on the wraps and loops. Do this step twice, if needed.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Creating a Snake Knot

1
Fold a length of paracord in half with the folded part pointing upward. Do not cut the paracord; use everything that came in the package. Remember, you can always cut the excess off, but you can't add any back.^{[17]
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- The snake knot is actually a series of knots that are joined together to create a wide band. You can turn this into a keychain, belt, or bracelet.
2
Fold the left paracord into a loop. Make sure that the loop is pointing towards the right paracord. The rest of the left paracord should be behind the loop, pointing down.^{[18]
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3
Pull the right paracord down through the loop. Make sure that you pull it all the way through the loop. When you are done, position it behind the left paracord.^{[19]
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4
Bring the paracord back through the loop. If you have not already, pull the right paracord behind the left one so that it will wrap around it. Pull the right paracord towards you, then feed it back through the loop.^{[20]
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5
Pull on both paracords to tighten the knot. As you tighten the knot, it will slide upwards, towards the folded/sealed part of your paracord. You want to leave some space between the knot and this area.^{[21]
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- How much space you leave is up to you; about 2 finger-widths would be perfect.
6
Flip the paracord over to the right and repeat the knot. Take the new right paracord. Bring it behind the new left paracord. Loosen the knot on the right side, then pull the right paracord down through the knot.^{[22]
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7
Pull on the cords to tighten the knot. Simply tug on the left and right paracords until the knot tightens and is snug. Don’t tighten it so much that you can’t undo it later on, however.
8
Repeat the last 2 steps until the snake is the length you want it to be. Tug on the left and right paracords to tighten the knot. Flip the bracelet over, then bring the right paracord behind the left one. Loosen the bottommost right knot, then feed the right paracord through it. Tighten the cords and repeat. Keep going until the snake is the length you want.^{[23]
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9
Finish the snake bracelet with another ball-shaped knot. You can use a Lanyard knot or a Monkey’s Fist knot for this. Slide the knot through the loop at the beginning of the bracelet to close it.