Braiding paracord the easy way

Today I will show you an universal way you can use to braid paracord. It is easy to learn and remember and is now my go-to method for all the various ways of braiding. It works well with 4, 6 and 8 strands/cords. Naturally you can use more, depending on what you are making.

Braiding paracord has a lot of applications. Some like to braid necklaces (4 cords seem to be the most popular), while others enjoy making leashes, bracelets, even belts. I posted tutorials on the round braid paracord bracelet and the diamond braid bracelet, which might be interesting to you.

I primarily made this tutorial because there are a lot of different braiding techniques out there and keeping track of them is tiresome, while having one technique for any number of cords is, at least for me, a lot more manageable.

The basic tutorial

Below you will find the universal braiding technique you can use for braiding paracord.

The basic is that you always take the top cord. You split the cords on the other side from the back and place the same cord to the bottom of the side you took it from. You alternate the top right and left cords in doing so and a braid will form.

But does this work with 6 strands for example?

The same procedure can be done with more strands. There are a lot variations to try out!

 

Variations

Braiding also has quite a few variations. These go by color or braid sequence.

By color

The two examples at the bottom both result in a different pattern in the braid for example. With 6 or more strands, the color combination potential increases even further.

 

By sequence

Splitting the top two cords is one option. You could split the bottom two in a six cord braid.

Another variation is splitting, going over the second cord (like before), but instead of going back to the other side, going under the third cord and back to the other side.

 

All to these techniques are worthy trying, but the lesson learned should be. It is easy to braid, simply follow the universal rule and you should be fine. If you want to mix it up though, try the additional variations.

If you want to see more on braiding paracord, see my how to braid paracord tutorial, which shows flat braids, as well as some 4 strand round braid styles.