How to Tie a Pineapple Knot

Although knots are typically used to tie down or secure objects, some knot enthusiasts enjoy turning knots into creative works of art. The art of knot tying involves tying a string or cord into several knots to form a distinctive shape. One type of decorative knot is the pineapple knot. This knot is tied using a wooden dowel, and when it is complete, has the distinctive shape of a pineapple. A pineapple knot is a relatively complex knot, so you might want to attempt an easier pattern before you try to tie a pineapple knot.

Lay your wooden dowel on a flat work surface and begin to tie a Turk’s head knot. The pineapple knot is a variation of a Turk’s head knot. To tie this knot, lay the dowel on top of the end of your cord. Wrap the cord up around the dowel, back under the dowel and up under the cord on top to create an “X” shape on the top of your dowel.

Pull the working end of the rope towards the front of the dowel, so the rope is parallel to the first pass you made. Tuck the end of the rope under the first pass of the rope. Roll the dowel over so the working end is on the bottom. You will see two straight lines of wrapped cord if you’ve tied the knot properly.

Pull the parallel rope that’s furthest from the working end over the other parallel rope to create an eye-shaped opening. Pull the working end over the first cord and through the eye you created. Pull the cord under the second rope and pull the working end over the wooden dowel.

Roll the wooden dowel over to reveal your completed Turk’s head. To turn the basic Turk’s head into a pineapple knot, use a second cord in a different color to retrace the knot. This will make the knot thicker and give it the look of a pineapple.

Pull the completed knot off the wooden dowel and pull the working end tight to create a rounded pineapple base. Tie the ends of your cords in a knot and tuck the knot inside the center of the pineapple to create a loop stem.