DIY: Tie the Knot

February 4, 2010

Posted by Corinne Gill

The knot, a traditional wedding symbol, is meant to represent everlasting love and unity. These bracelets are a stunning and unusual way to showcase this wedding tradition -- and make perfect bridesmaid gifts to boot. They're so simple and elegant, but they also have a bit of home-spun charm. They're like grown-up versions of the friendship bracelets we made at summer camp for our best friends in grade school. It's a perfect way to say "Thank You" to your nearest and dearest friends now, too.

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You will need about 45 inches of ribbon or cord for a 7-inch bracelet. A 4-mm width is easiest to work with. You'll also need liquid seam sealant, tweezers, buttons, a foam board, and dressmaker pins, as shown here.

1 You will need about 45 inches of ribbon or cord for a 7-inch bracelet. A 4-mm width is easiest to work with. You'll also need liquid seam sealant, tweezers, buttons, a foam board, and dressmaker pins, as shown here.

Seal ends of cord with seam sealant. Thread through buttonholes, keeping ends even, and lay face down on foam board. Insert pin through one buttonhole and cord to secure. Make S bend with end A, securing by winding around pins; pierce cord with pin at top right corner of S bend. Weave end B over first horizontal segment of S bend, and under the next two.

2 Seal ends of cord with seam sealant. Thread through buttonholes, keeping ends even, and lay face down on foam board. Insert pin through one buttonhole and cord to secure. Make S bend with end A, securing by winding around pins; pierce cord with pin at top right corner of S bend. Weave end B over first horizontal segment of S bend, and under the next two.

Weave end B back over all three horizontal segments of A . Then weave it back up, under the bottom two segments and over the top segment. Remove pins. Using both hands, carefully pull cord as indicated left, making a loose knot.

3 Weave end B back over all three horizontal segments of A . Then weave it back up, under the bottom two segments and over the top segment. Remove pins. Using both hands, carefully pull cord as indicated left, making a loose knot.

Using tweezers, gently tug up on knot where indicated above and slide knot so it's about 1 1/2 inches from the button. (The back of the knot will resemble the one far left; the front will resemble far right.) Use tweezers to tighten knot. Pin it to foam board, and secure. Continue adding evenly spaced knots.

4 Using tweezers, gently tug up on knot where indicated above and slide knot so it's about 1 1/2 inches from the button. (The back of the knot will resemble the one far left; the front will resemble far right.) Use tweezers to tighten knot. Pin it to foam board, and secure. Continue adding evenly spaced knots.