Things You'll Need
Lanyard hook (optional)
Four strands of gimp (craft lace), 3 feet each, two of each color
Making lanyard crosses involves crossing one piece of lanyard over another. This technique can also be used for other lanyard projects, such as fish. It is tricky at first, so be sure you practice your basic square (box) and circle (barrel) stitches before moving on to crossing lanyards.
A lanyard hook makes it easier to start your lanyard and to turn your lanyard cross into a zipper pull, key chain or necklace. You can leave it off for a more simple lanyard cross to keep in your pocket or give away.
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Step 1
Make a starting square (box) stitch with one strand of each color of gimp. Thread the strands through the lanyard hook and even out the ends (or lay them out on a table with the centers crossing). Loop each end of one to the opposite side. Weave each end of the other color over and under the loops, so that you have an interlocking grid of gimp. Tug on all four strands to pull the stitch tight.
Step 2
Create a 3-inch-long lanyard using the circle (barrel) stitch. Instead of making the loop straight across, bring the top strand over to the bottom right and the bottom strand to the top left, then weave the left and right strands through at the same diagonal.
Step 3
Pull the final stitch tight, trim the end and seal the lanyard with glue or by melting the end slightly with a lighter or match.
Step 4
Start a new lanyard with the other two strands of gimp. Use the barrel stitch to create a 1-inch-long lanyard.
Step 5
Lay the first lanyard in the middle of the strands of the new lanyard, with one string of each color on either side of the old lanyard. Make a box stitch around the old lanyard, about an inch from the top, and tighten it so that it is secured within the new lanyard.
Step 6
Continue the barrel stitch for another inch, then cut and seal the ends of the new lanyard.
Tip
Wait twelve hours before cutting the ends to ensure that the lanyards are pulled tight and won't unravel. Make sure the stitch crossing the two lanyards is straight across, or one side of the cross will stick out at an angle.
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