Use lanyard—also known as gimp, boondoggle, scoubidou or plastic craft lace—to create a variety of crafts, such as keychains, zipper pulls and bracelets. Different stitches weave the lanyard together in various patterns, including boxes, circles and corkscrews. Combine different stitches into the same lanyard for an interesting look.
Butterfly Stitch
Video of the Day
The butterfly stitch, one of the simplest lanyard stitches, is made from a series of slipknots. Knot two strands of lanyard together, make a loop with one strand, push a loop made from the other strand through and tighten the first loop, then repeat until your lanyard is as long as you like. Because the butterfly stitch lays flat, bends easily and isn't bulky, it is often used to make bracelets.
Video of the Day
Cobra Stitch
The cobra stitch is a series of knots around a central strand. Knot three or more strands of lanyard together and loop one outer strand over the central strand. Then lift the other strand over the end of the first strand, behind the central strand and up through the loop made by the first strand. Pull the knot tight and continue. Adjust the width by adding more strands of lanyard to the central strand. To make the king cobra stitch variation, complete another cobra stitch on top of your first.
Box Stitch
The box stitch, or square stitch, is the basic standard for many complicated lanyard stitches. Cross two strands of lanyard in the middle, make a loop with each end of the bottom strand (crossing over the top strand), weave the other two strands over and under the loops and pull the stitch tight. The square shape of the box stitch can get a bit boring, so add a half-twist now and then with the circle stitch. Variants include the brick stitch (a double-wide box stitch made with three strands of lanyard), the super-brick stitch (a triple-wide box stitch) and the quad stitch (made with four strands of lanyard in the shape of a giant cube).
Circle Stitch
The circle stitch, or barrel stitch, is made just like the box stitch, except that rather than bringing the loops straight across, you draw them to the side. This results in a circle shape, with the two colors of lanyards running in a spiral. When you add strands of lanyard to the circle stitch (as in the brick and super-brick box stitch variants), you don't wind up with a larger circle, but a corkscrew-like pattern.
Triangle Stitch
The triangle stitch is a hybrid between the circle and box stitches, made with three strands of lanyard. Knot the strands together, create a loop with one strand, loop a second strand over the first and weave the third strand over and under. If you alternate the order of the strands, you can create a look similar to the box stitch, with the different colors in straight lines. If you repeat the colors in the same order, however, your stitch will twist, creating a look similar to the circle stitch.