Paracord bracelet - beginners DIY tips

It was my son’s 10th birthday last month and I wanted to make something for the party bags. There was no specific theme for his party this year, but as they were all going to camp out in the back garden, a camping related DIY seemed the way to go. I started searching for ideas and quickly came across Paracord or ‘Survival’ bracelets. These chunky bracelets are great for boys and girls and quick to make, so I decided to give making them a try.

Supplies:

Searching for suitable paracord on Amazon took a while as there seemed so many different options to choose from. I first ordered a packet of 4m length ‘Efco Paracord Colour Mix 550 4m‘.

But when I started making bracelets I realised that 4 m is only enough for two bracelets. I needed to make six, so I then ordered a ‘Make your own wristband pack‘ which was enough for six and includes small plastic buckles. This worked well and was a good starter pack. If you want to make more or bigger bracelets, the best option is to order a longer length like this 550 Paracord which comes in a 30 m length. The black rainbow colour was our favourite. I then ordered a pack of plastic clips, which, after some research, were cheaper to buy in bulk. The size I chose were 2.9 cm length which was fine for children’s bracelet sizes. They liked choosing from all of the different colours.

Instructions:

I followed this ‘Paracord Bracelet instructions‘ on Instructables, as I was using a single colour. You can also find instructions on Instructables to show you how to make two colour bracelets. I also tried this one from ‘Homemade Gifts Made Easy‘ which doesn’t need any plastic buckles, but the buckles are more secure for kids. I haven’t tried any other patterns yet but there are lots of different weaving/ knotting patterns which you can find by searching on Pinterest for ‘paracord bracelet’.

General tips:

You’ll need approx. 2.4 m of cord to make a bracelet to fit a 10 year old
The loose ends of the bracelet can work themselves free, so make sure you sew them to the main bracelet with a few stitches
I was tempted to buy these buckles with a whistle, compass, fire starter flint and scraper but I wasn’t sure whether they were best idea for party bags!
The bracelets are easy to make, so it’s a good activity for children to make at parties, camping, Scouts, Brownies etc.

Camping Party – extra ideas:

As the boys were sleeping in the tent I decided to buy some mini torches, a glow stick party pack and glow light balloons. The glow stick pack was great fun – they made glasses, bunny ears and a glow ball. The tent floor was a complete mess the next day, so I think they had fun!