How to Do a Six-String Box Braid

Thread multiple strings or craft laces together to create stitches which, once repeated, become attractive braids. The box stitch is a basic string braid that combines two laces to make an item with four flat sides. To create a super box stitch, six laces are used instead of two, with the sides of the braid created three times wider than the sides of a standard box stitch braided lanyard.

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6 craft laces

Instructions

- 1
  
  Lay three laces flat, side by side and running with one end near you and one end away from you. These three laces will create two of the opposing sides of the braid, while the remaining three laces will provide the other two sides. Spread the laces out so they cover a total width of approximately 1 inch.
- 2
  
  Lay the remaining laces atop the first three laces perpendicular to the first laces, with the centers of the top laces over the centers of the bottom laces.
- 3
  
  Grab the near end of the left bottom lace and drape it over the three top laces, then grab the far end of the left bottom lace and drape it over the top laces to the right of the near end. Repeat with the middle lace and the right lace, creating six loops in total.
- 4
  
  Weave the left end of the far top lace over the leftmost loop, under the second leftmost loop, over the third, under the fourth, over the fifth and under the sixth.
- 5
  
  Weave the right end of the far top lace over the rightmost loop, under the second rightmost loop, over the third, under the fourth, over the fifth and under the sixth, nearer to you than the left lace. The right end will travel under the laces the left end travels over, and vice versa.
- 6
  
  Weave the ends of the middle top lace, with the left farther away but nearer than the ends of the far lace. Repeat with the near top lace.
- 7
  
  Grab the six ends of the top laces and pull apart gently, then the six ends of the bottom laces, alternating between the two until a tight checkerboard stitch is tied.
- 8
  
  Bend the six ends of the bottom laces over the prior stitch, as you did over the top laces originally, to create six loops.
- 9
  
  Weave the six ends of the top laces in the same pattern as the first stitch.
- 10
  
  Repeat the stitch until you near the end of the laces.
- 11
  
  Tie an additional stitch but do not pull tight.
- 12
  
  Wrap each loose end around the other end of the same lace, then pull through the center of the stitch. Pull all twelve loose ends to tighten the final stitch.