Make 2: Paracord Bracelet

     Anybody who knows me knows that I am a gadget geek. I love all sorts of gadgets, and have a collection to prove it. My definition of gadget is somewhat expansive, and doesn't just mean a new shiny electronic toy. It can mean a new multitiool, or knife, or backpack, or anything that if functional and cool. This goes back a long way, to the days I was a Boy Scout, and loved collecting camping gear, from terribly cheap "Rambo" knives to can openers you wear on a chain. My latest make harkens back to these childhood obsessions, and is also useful, functional, and, I daresay, attractive. Behold: the paracord bracelet!
     I have been thinking about making a paracord bracelet for some time, ever since reading the instructions for making one in The Best of Instructables Volume I, a collection of some of the best projects for DIY-ers and hobbyists from the amazing website Instructables.com. If you're not familiar with Instructables, then I highly recommend checking it out. There are instructions for making and doing practically anything, and I plan on mining the site for future projects for the Make A Week project. But I digress. This week's make was a paracord bracelet. This is a really useful piece of gear that, in an emergency or survival situation, could supply you with approximately 6 feet of 550 paracord. If you don't know what paracord is, look here. In short, it's super tough, super useful cordage, that has a wide variety of applications in the outdoors. The bracelet is a handy way of carrying a decent amount of this useful gear with you at all times.
     The first order of business for this project was to procure paracord. After looking at a couple of general merchandise and hardware stores, during the week, I came up empty handed. So, on Saturday I made my way to Sportman's Warehouse, an enormous store catering to outdoors enthusiasts. Think of it as the Red State version of REI. I knew that they would have it in stock. I was able to pick up 100 ft. of paracord for approx. $7 (a pre-made bracelet of the same style was available for $10.99). I was also looking for a side-release buckle for the  bracelet, but they were out of stock of the appropriate size. This wasn't a big deal, since there are other styles of bracelet that use knots and loops to attach it to the wrist.
     Once home and settled, I started looking up various plans for the bracelet style I wanted to make. After combing Instructables.com and Youtube, I had a general idea of how to make it. You start with a loop, made of a length of paracord that is equal to 2 times the circumference of your wrist:

The first step

Pictured below is all of the equipment needed: the loop, another 6 ft. of paracord, a knife, and a lighter.

All the stuff

     Once you have your loop, you take the long piece of paracord, fold it evenly in half, and place it behind the loop. You then start making something called the cobra knot. I had a difficult time figuring out this know at first, but once I figured it out, it was pretty easy. I won't go into details here, but check out this video to demonstrate basically the same steps that I took.

     Here's the completed bracelet, on its own, and on my wrist:

Awesome!

     So there you go! A simple make, and one that's potentially useful. Plus, I think it looks pretty great, too! I have materials to make plenty more, which I probably will, now that I know how easy it is. So, what do you think?

Bonus Make: Reusable Dryer Sheets
     Several months ago, Rachelle bought a great book at our local used bookstore, Title Wave. Her excellent score was The Big-Ass Book of Crafts. This book has dozens of cool, funky craft ideas, from the whimsical to the practical, and reusable dryer sheets definitely fall into the latter. The instructions are pretty simple. Take some cloth, cut it into 8 inch squares (or thereabouts) with pinking shears. Wash the squares. Take liquid fabric softener and put it in a spray bottle. When you're ready to use the dryer, take a fabric square, and spray it 6-8 times with fabric softener, then toss this in the dryer. No pictures (the squares are in the dryer), but you get the idea. Easy, simple, and green.