How to Make a Hemp Bracelet

Making a hemp bracelet is inexpensive, relatively simple and fun. While you can buy ready-made hemp jewelry, choosing your own beads allows you to get creative and personalize your style. Working with hemp is also a great way to pass the time on a road trip. Stock up on twine, pick out some beads, learn the basic knot and you’re ready to make a hemp bracelet.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hemp twine
• Scissors
• Safety pin
• Beads
• Cord tips or choil ends (optional)
• Clasp (optional)

Preparing the Hemp

1. Buy hemp twine at a craft or bead store. Natural-colored hemp that’s 1mm thick (also known as 20lb. twine) is the most popular option for bracelets, but feel free to experiment with different thicknesses and colors.

2. Cut one strand of hemp that’s around six times the length that you want your bracelet to be.

3. Cut a second strand of hemp that’s twice the length of the first, or roughly 12 times the length of the bracelet.

4. Fold both strands in the middle, one at a time, making a crease at each midpoint.

5. 

   Knot the creased midpoints together, leaving a loop at the end that’s about 1/2- to 3/4-inch long.

Making the Bracelet

6. Secure the knotted end of the bracelet by safety pinning the loop to a piece of fabric furniture or a car seat. Alternately, place something heavy on top of the loop to weigh it down.

7. Arrange the four strands of hemp twine so that the two shortest strands are together in the middle, with one longer strand on each side.

8. 

   To knot the hemp, pull the right outer strand to a 45-degree angle away from the middle strands. With your left hand, guide the right outer strand over the two middle strands, then under the left outer strand, creating a figure four.

9. 

   Holding the figure four in place, weave the left outer strand under the two middle strands and up through the middle of the figure four. Tighten by pulling on both outer strands.

10. Repeat the figure-four knot on the opposite side, beginning with the left outer strand.

11. Alternate the figure-four knot on either side for a flat bracelet. Create a spiral bracelet by continuously knotting on the same side.

12. 

    Add a bead by threading it on the middle two strands. Knot around the bead using the figure-four pattern. Leave at least one or two knots between each bead.

Finishing the Bracelet

13. Continue knotting and adding beads until the bracelet is long enough to wear around your wrist.

14. Complete the bracelet by tying the four strands together in one knot.

15. Fasten the bracelet around your wrist by tying the four loose strands beyond the knot through the loop on the other end of the bracelet. Trim the loose ends.

Tips & Warnings

• For easy-to-remove bracelets, add cord tips or coil ends to each side of the bracelet, then attach a clasp.

[becx]

on 8/12/2009 Wonderfully simple instructions and a beautifully finished product! Quick and easy to make - can't wait to start the next bracelet. Thank you.

[vintage]

on 7/9/2009 good article, going to try this 5*

[cuteblondie1999]

on 6/21/2009 thanks soooooooo much this was my first hemp bracelet and it was so simple and very hard to miss up on

[tmr09]

on 4/14/2009 lots of help. thanks. my bracelets perfect

[jessnicbitt]

on 7/21/2008 Thank you very much for posting this. This was very helpful for me. I had never, ever, made a hemp bracelet before, and I made my first one perfectly the way I wanted in hardly any time at all. I can't wait to make more. :) Thanks again!