Often, finishing off a paracord belt is the hardest part of the project. Some methods involve re-threading cords back through the belt, but typically they can be bulky at the end and lack a tapered finish.
To remedy this, I created this method.
Once you are done weaving your paracord belt (there are several great instructables out there that show how to do this), you can end it with my tutorial.
Please remember to vote for me in the paracord challenge!
Step 1: Positioning
I prefer to rotate the belt 180 degrees when I am finished weaving the belt itself to gain the perspective you will see in the pictures, but feel free to use another position if it is more comfortable. I will explain from the view I have just described.
I will refer to the strands by their colors shown in the pictures.
To begin:
- Stop weaving at your desired length (stop at the point where you would cross the strands to begin another knot, but do not cross them just yet).
- Cross the black strands over, but do not place them under the brown inner strands like you did while weaving your belt.
- Place the brown inner strands out in front of the belt side-by-side so they are straight.
- The 2 brown strands on the bottom should be positioned to the side so they are out of the way. For now, we will focus on the 4 on the top.
Step 2: The First Weave
Weaving the end is just like the cobra weave, using one strand of each color as the inner strands and the other two as the working strands.
- Pass the black strand on the right below the other 3 strands. This should create a loop.
- Bring the leftmost brown strand under the black strand that you just placed under the other strands
- Bring the brown strand around the black one and pass it through the loop you created with the black strand.
- Tighten the two strands just like a cobra weave. The other 2 strands (black and brown) are the inner strands and should not move.
- Make sure you leave enough space for the next 2 weaves between this one and the belt.
Step 3: The Second Weave
- Place the working black strand below the standing inner strands (black and brown). This should create a loop.
- Bring the working brown strand under the working black strand.
- Bring the working brown strand around the black one and pass it through the loop you created with the black strand.
- Tighten the two working strands up just like a cobra weave. The standing inner strands should remain where they are.
- Check the back side to make sure everything is even (both sides should look nice if you want the belt to be reversible).
Step 4: The Last Weave
Tie this weave exactly like you did in the last one:
- Pass the working black strand below the standing inner strands (black and brown). This should create a loop.
- Bring the working brown strand under the working black strand.
- Bring the working brown strand around the black one and pass it through the loop you created with the black strand.
- Tighten the two strands just like a cobra weave. The standing inner strands should remain where they are.
- Check the back side to make sure everything is even.
Step 5: Tighten Up
When you are finished with the 3rd weave, you can pull on the strands that protrude from the top of the weave to bring the weave closer to the belt.
Pull on the working strands as desired.
Tighten the two brown strands on the bottom (these were placed out of the way in step 1) if needed.
This step leaves a lot of freedom. Change it up to suit your preferences.
Step 6: Cutting and Fusing
Once everything is tightened up to your satisfaction, it is time to fuse the ends.
Cut and fuse each strand one by one, cutting close to the belt. No other part around this cord should show signs of being burnt.
Be very careful with this step. You’ve made it this far; you don’t want a sloppy finish to your amazing belt. Pay extra attention to this final step. You may want to put in some practice beforehand to get it just right.
Note: When you cut, do not use a knife. Instead, use some sharp scissors. From my experience, knives do not offer quite as much precision as scissors do.
Step 7: Finished
When you are done, the end to your belt should look something like the above pictures.
If your fuses are precise, there will be no need to hide them. I can attest it takes a lot of practice to get it down, and even now I struggle with fusing the ends just right. If you use a reversible belt buckle, you can even switch sides if you are looking for a new look.
Thank you for reading. I hope this helps you create a clean end to your belt.
Please remember to vote for me in the paracord challenge!
