A survival bracelet makes an excellent accessory that’s both fashionable and functional. Woven out of strong paracord, these bracelets can be unmade to give you a useful length of durable rope in any emergency situation. While there are many different ways to make your own survival bracelet, this general guide should help you get started.
Materials
One great thing about making paracord survival bracelets is that they require very little in the way of tools. All you’ll need is a pair of scissors, a lighter, and a premade buckle. Most people prefer plastic for its greater comfort, but you can use metal if you’d prefer greater durability.
You’ll also need a supply of paracord. Choose whatever color you like, but make sure you get sturdy 550-pound line. The total amount you’ll need will vary depending on the weave you use. Most bracelet designs need at least eight feet of paracord, while some can use up to 25. Bracelets made with more cord will end up chunkier once you’re finished with them. Some designs also use four internal strands rather than the two-strand bracelet described below.
Threading The Buckle
Start by taking your length of paracord and looping it in half. Push the middle of your cord through the male and female ends of the buckle and then secure it to the female part by pushing the buckle itself through the loop. Pull the cords tight to secure this knot.
Sizing
Wrap the bracelet around your wrist and move the male end up or down the paracord until it closes comfortably. Remove the bracelet, taking care to keep the male end in place. Move it about an inch further from the female end to allow for the added thickness of the weave.
Weaving
Now you’re ready to start really making your bracelet! Start by fixing the male end in place by tying a knot underneath the buckle. Take note of which strand comes out of the knot higher; you’ll want to alternate this with each subsequent knot.
Start weaving by bringing the higher end over the central strands to the opposite side. Loop the opposite strand over it, bring it under the central strands, and out through the loop formed by the higher end. Pull the two strands to either side to tighten the knot.
This process simply needs to be repeated until you’ve filled up the space between the two buckles. Push each new knot up towards the male buckle to keep the weave tight as you go.
Finishing The Ends
When you reach the female end, loop your strands around the finished bracelet so that they’re lying on the inside surface and knot them. Cut the loose ends off about one inch from the knot. Press down on the exterior sheath of the paracord to expose the white strands inside.
Trim these back about a half inch to make the ends easier to seal. Once this is done, burn the sheath of each end with the lighter. Once the material starts to melt, flip your lighter over and press the cord into it to produce a neater seal.
Here is a video that shows how to make a simple paracord bracelet by KevinBrauer on YouTube.