Tying a Lanyard

Looking to use a lanyard to tie your keys or pocket knife to your belt? The defining characteristic of a lanyard is, of course, the knot. Here is how to tie one in the box stitch style, which is one of the easier knots to learn.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Two pieces of string, rope or plastic cord, such as gimp. (All of these will be referred to as “string” in the instructions.)

1. Take your two pieces of string, put them on top of one another and tie this combined string in a knot in the center. This will create an X-like shape with the two strings meeting at the single knot in the middle.

2. Loop the string through the hole in your object (your keys, your knife and so on). That way it will be secured as your tie your knot. However, be aware that you will have to cut it or untie a lengthy knot to take it off later.

3. Put the object and the string on a flat surface where you will have room to work, such as the floor or a table. Spread out your X so that you have four separate ends to work with. Make sure to keep the knot in the center of the hole in your object.

4. Grab the end of your choice and place it over top of the middle of the string adjacent to it clockwise. Make sure you overlap it far enough down so that your ends still remain far away from one another and separated.

5. Repeat Step 3 with the end of each arm of the X. When you've done the overlapping on all four, pull the knot tight by pulling on each end of the X at the same time. Be sure to pull in the horizontal direction. If you pull on the diagonals, your knot will get twisted. In other words, make sure the ends are parallel to one another.

6. After you've got one tight box done, repeat the step again for each arm 10 or more times. Eventually a lengthy square rope will start to form. When your lanyard is at your desired length, you can simply tie it off and cut off any straggling ends of your string.

7. If any of your knots come out crooked or end up being too loose, just take them out and try again. You may have to practice a few times to get them done correctly, especially when you are still learning.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you use a string that is heavy enough to hold your item. No matter how strong your knot is, the string can still break.
• There are a lot of different knots that you can use to tie your lanyard. This is only one of them. Check the library or a hobby store for a book on knot tying.
• For fun and style, try using two different colors of string.
• Make sure you don’t pinch your fingers when you pull your knot tight. Keep them away from the center of the knot.
• Be very careful when handling knives, even if they are closed.