Make a Paracord Watchband or Bracelet
A paracord watchband makes a great gift or can be used as a survival tool. Unraveled, it provides about 10 feet of handy paracord for fixing tent lines or tying together broken gear. You can even use the line inside the cord for fishing line.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- About 10′ of 550 paracord (If you’re working on a smaller watch, you can use a smaller buckle and 325 paracord.)
- Watch
- Tape measure
- Scissors
- Lighter
- 5/8″ side-release buckle
- Felt-tipped marker
- Hemostat
WHAT YOU’LL DO
1. Melt both ends of the paracord with the lighter. While they are still hot, carefully flatten both ends with the bottom of the lighter. This will make it easier to pass the cord through the watch or bracelet. The best size watch has about 5/8″ between the lugs (where the pins go).
2. Wrap the paracord around a wrist comfortably and mark it. This will be the length of the watchband.
3. Loop the cord through the female end of the buckle and draw tight. You should have 20″ of cord on the short end. The long end is your working end.
4. Pass both cords though the pins and under the watch. Loop both ends twice around the male end of the buckle. Make any adjustments in the length of the band to match the wrist measurement. The band will stretch about another inch after completion because of the tightening and pulling on the wrapped cord, making for a comfortable fit.
5. Pass the long and short codes back through the pins and under the watch.
6. Begin to wrap the long end of the cord as shown. Push and tighten the wraps as you go along.
7. When you reach the watch and your wraps are tight, pass the cord through the pins and under the watch. Continue wrapping and tightening the paracord until you reach the male end of the buckle.
8. Using the hemostat, reach under three loops of cord, grab the end of the remaining cord and pull the cord underneath the three loops. The cord that you just pulled through should then be cut close and melted flat. Leave enough cord to hide it under the fourth loop. Do this for both the male and female ends.
9. Your paracord watchband is now complete.
PHOTOS OF COMPLETED PROJECT
Check out these photos of the completed project sent to us by Boys’ Life readers. If you have a photos of a BL Workshop project, please use the form below to send them to us.
awesome
You can buy a buckle that has a striker and flint and a whistle . You can buy a watch that has a compass inset in it too
Yes But they are $$ and bulky
Looks cool, but where do you get the paracord?
Can get paracord at Walmart,Dicks online or any sporting good store.
You can get paracord from Academy. i order it bulk online. 1k ft is only $20-$25 or less for when you have Troop or Pack projects. You can get it in all kinds of colors. The sites that sell bulk will usually also sell all the parts like buckles. They usually have duct tape in various colors too.
Does it work DOE
This tool could be a useful tool in the wilderness you can also use a compass instead of a watch and you can include more 550paracord on the back if you want.
oh wait never mind I got it now 😀
I’m trying to make this right now but it’s too hard to keep it flat!! >:c someone please help!
Smart
It helps if you soak the cord beforehand, and while it’s soaked, wrap it around something rectangular and soft and yank it slightly taut as it dries. I used a small first-aid pouch while doing mine.
I’m going to make one
me too
It’s easy
i have a paracord bracelet with out the watch