How to Make Flat Lanyards

There are many uses for lanyards, most notably as jewelry or key chains. You can make them out of a variety of materials such as parachute cord or hemp. Your finished product will generally be a spiral or a flat lanyard, depending on the way you weave it. Lanyards are actually made by tying a series of knots. For beginners, it is suggested you use two different colored strands so that you can easily tell them apart.

• 1

  Determine how long you want your lanyard to be. You'll be using four pieces total. Two pieces will be for the base and should be a little longer than you want your finished product to be. The other two need to be five to six times longer since they are the ones that you'll be tying knots in.

• 2

  Place your strings with the shorter two in the middle, and the longer two on either side. Make them even with each other at the top.

• 3

  Lay the right-hand string over your two shorter center strings, but underneath the string at the far left, forming a loop.

• 4

  Fold the left-hand string behind the two center strands and bring it up through the loop you formed with the far-right strand.

• 5

  Tighten the knot you just tied. Repeat this knot starting with the left-hand string. Alternate your starting side after each knot until your lanyard is the length you desire. By alternating sides, you will form a flat lanyard. If you were to continue doing one-sided knots, you would form the spiral weave.

• 6

  Finish off the end of your lanyard by tying a knot in it or wrapping the remaining lengths of cord together with fishing line and securing with super glue.