How to Make Hemp Ankle Bracelets

Make a very simple hemp ankle bracelet.

Unravel some of the hemp and encircle your ankle with it still attached to the roll (or ball). Making sure that the hemp is as loose or tight as you desire, pinch the part of string that just touches the end piece, end cut it with scissors. Now you have a model of how long you want your anklet to be.

Measure the segment of string with the ruler or yard stick. You may want to write this measurement down so that you will not forget it.

You are going to measure two different strings. The first string needs to be about 6 times the length that you want the anklet to be (the measurement of the model anklet). The second string needs to be twice the length of the first (12 times the length of the model bracelet). To do this, you can either use math to calculate the exact measurements and use a ruler, or you can use the model anklet as a reference next to the twine and move it down 6 times, and then 12 times.

Fold the two strings in half,and put them side by side at their center points. It will look like there are 4 strings.

Make a knot that forms a loop at the top by pinching the curved, center points of the string, loop it around the four strings, and pull the center point through the loop.

You need to be able to pull on the strings without pulling this knot forward. You can clip the knot to a clipboard, or you can loop it around a yard stick, and hold the yard stick between your knees. If you do not have a clipboard or yard stick, you can get creative by putting something heavy on top of the knot to weigh it down, or by looping it around a stationary object.

Before you begin tying knots, you should keep in mind that the two longer strings will be doing the tying, and the two shorter strings will serve as something that the longer strings can tie around. You will also be using the two sets of strings as if they are two pieces of very thick string. Think of them as siamese twins that cannot be separated.

Now you are ready to learn the basic knot. Pull the shorter strings toward you so that they are taut. Take the longer strings, and cross them over the top of the shorter strings. Now, reach under the shorter strings, through the loop you just made, and pull the longer strings through. Still holding the shorter strings taut, pull the knot toward the top until it is knotted into place.

NOTE A very common mistake that people make is pulling both the short strings and the long strings out away from each other, as you may have done when learning to tie your shoes, to make the knot. This is not how you form this knot. You have to keep the shorter strings tight and still with your left hand, and pull the loop toward the top until it is a knot with your right hand.

Keep repeating this knot. Make sure you use the same hands every time, and that you pull the knot all the way up to the previous knot so that it is forms a consistent, close-together pattern. You will begin to notice a spiral forming around the bracelet. This is a normal, decorative part of the pattern.

When you have finished the bracelet, there are several ways you can end it. If you don't plan on removing the anklet, you can just tie the end to the beginning loop, making a VERY tight knot, and cut of any loose strings. If you need to remove the anklet regularly, you can tie a large bead to the end of the anklet, again using a very tight knot, cut off loose ends, and pull the bead through the beginning loop to secure the anklet.