How to Make a Box Braid With Lanyard String
Lanyard braids are popular with children, who make the braids as a fun way to pass the time and then tie the finished braids onto bags or key chains. The thin lanyard strings are slightly elastic, helping prevent the braids from snapping if accidentally snagged on something when hanging off a bag. The box braid, which combines two pieces of string into a single braid, is the most basic style of lanyard braid.
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Instructions
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1
Lay a lanyard string on a flat table running parallel to your shoulders, then lay the second cord atop it perpendicularly, forming a cross with four equal arms.
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2
Lift the left and pull it across the top string loosely. The loose draping will create a small loop around the top lace. Lift the right end then drape it over the top lace farther away from you than the left-end loop, resulting in a second loose loop.
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3
Drape the near loose end of the other string over the loose loop nearest you, then through the loose loop farthest from you.
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4
Drape the far loose end of this string over the loop farther from you and through the near loop.
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5
Grab the loose ends of two strings in your left hand, and the remaining opposite two loose ends in your right hand, and then pull them apart to tighten the stitch. If your stitch is not yet completely tight, tighten each stitch individually, pulling the two ends of one string in opposite directions, then the ends of the second string, repeating until the stitch is a tight checkerboard square.
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6
Pick up the left and right ends and drape them, as above, across the prior stitch to create two loops.
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7
Pick up the near and far ends and drape them over the two loops. As above, tuck the end which was closer to you through the far loop, and the end which was farther from you through the near loop.
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8
Tighten the stitch by taking two ends in one hand and two in the other and pulling them apart, tightening each string individually, if needed.
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9
Continue to tie new stitches until you reach the desired braid length.
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