Paracord bolo tie

In this tutorial I show you how to make a bolo tie out of paracord.
The bolo tie is an interesting alternative to the classic tie. It has a different look, with metal tips and a concho (charm). Besides the exotic look, the bolo tie does not need to be tied and is adjustable. The concho slides up and down and adjusts the size of the neck loop.

I made a bolo tie for me and will be making one for my son so we can make ladies swoon at gatherings.

Traditionally, the bolo tie is made using leather or rawhide. But there is not a lot stopping us from trying one out rope as well!

Consider this tutorial as a jumping off point. We are going to learn the basics of bolo tie making and make a simple, eye pleasing bolo tie.

So, let’s take a look at the supplies, then make one!

Supplies

The bolo tie requires a few specific and a few common supplies. Most can be found online quite easily.

bolo tie tips. Two of these are used on the tips of the bolo tie. They provide some weight and they pull the tie neatly down.
bolo tie slide. The slide allows you to adjust the size of the neck loop. There are a ton of variations. Use one where you can easily adjust the size of the loops on the bottom (usually the cheap ones are the best for this, since they are fairly thin). If you can’t get a slide, take a part of a wine cork or a plastic cap and drill 2 holes into it to make a makeshift slide.
concho. This is the decorative piece on top of the slide. Often times it is a nice looking charm or the lone star (nickname and symbol of Texas).
2 pieces of paracord 550, each 4 feet long (120 cm). This is enough for a 40 inch (1 meter) cord, the average length of a bolo tie. We will later on twist these two into a single strand to get a rope-like effect.
scissors and a lighter for cutting and melting our cords.
glue and tape (electrical or other).
pliers can come in handy for adjusting the bolo tie slide and assembling the concho.

Bolo tie tips.

Bolo tie slide- top view.

Bolo tie concho with a rivet for attachment.

Now, let’s see how to make a simple bolo tie!

Bolo tie tutorial

We are going to start by twisting our 2 pieces of paracord into a single, rope-like cord.

Twisting our cords

We begin by taking our two cords and securing two ends together using a piece of tape.

Place the cords under heavy object. In my case, Christmas cookies- yes, they can be used to make things, not just make you fat :).

Take the left cord and twist it to the left (counterclockwise).

Then place your left cord over the right one.

Take the new left cord and twist it to the left (counterclockwise).

Place it over the right cord.

Take the new left cord and twist it to the left (counterclockwise).

And place it over the right cord.

Keep doing this until you reach the other two ends of our cords. Secure those two ends together using some tape.

The result is a single, twisted cord about 40 inches long.

Attaching the bolo tie tips

We are now going to attach the bolo tie tips. In my case, the tips are already a snug fit to the ends of my twisted cord.

Put a bit of glue into each tip (optional and not really needed if the tips are already a snug fit). Don’t use too much since it can be pushed out with the ends of our cord, making a bit of a mess.

Attach the tips in a screwing motion.

The end result on one side.

Both bolo tie tips attached.

Adding the concho

The concho needs to be prepared before we can use it. We will attach it to the bolo tie slide, making the two a single piece. You can do this by simply gluing the concho onto the slide, or better, attach the concho using a rivet (usually the concho comes with it as a 2 part set).