When I made Atti’s swing I ended up with a ton of extra rope I couldn’t bear to get rid of. I bought a really soft nylon so that Atti would be able to hang on to it comfortably, and I immediately saw the potential in it for jewelry. With statement necklaces being such a big trend I went online and searched for decorative knots to make a big fat necklace out of. This particular version is a Chinese Good Luck knot.
I wanted a long version too, so I just tied a simple overhand knot in a long piece of rope. I love how it looks kind of like a rope of pearls a flapper would wear, but tougher.
To turn your rope into a necklace, you’ll need a couple of endcaps, some wire, a couple of jump rings, some glue, and a clasp.
Thread the jump ring onto the wire, then thread the wire through the thin end of the endcap. Glue the rope inside the endcap and wrap the wire around the rope to keep it super secure. Attach your clasp to the jump rings.
I had so much leftover rope I just kept right on going and decided to make a couple of bracelets. I got this knot off of some website talking about boat hitches, but out of this soft nylon it’s just perfect for a bracelet.
Place one end of the rope in the palm of one hand and toss the rest of the rope around the back, cross over the end in the front, and over again towards the back with the free end to the left of the other rope.
Bring the free end of the rope back up to the palm of your hand, cross over the left rope and under the right rope.
Twist the two ropes running across your palm so that the left rope goes over the right rope.
Run the free end of your rope through that loop you’ve made and then repeat these steps over again until you make it all the way around the bracelet.
Once you make it back around to the other end of the rope, tie those ends together a couple of times and tuck them to the inside of the bracelet.
To keep the ends from fraying and falling apart, use a match to melt the ends of the nylon together.
I think this bracelet is my favorite of all my rope experiments. My obsession with bracelets is well documented, and this one is a big chunky cuff like I love, but it’s also so deliciously comfortable to wear. You just have to make sure you pick a soft rope and not something tough and scratchy.
LOVE the bracelet! Not as sure on the necklace though, it almost looks like a noose. (I hate how critical that sounds, sorry.)
Hee. You’re sweet Sarah. It’s not critical, it’s just different strokes. I like a little danger in my jewelry. 😉