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Cord Knotting Tip: How to Finish Waxed Cord Ends so They Don’t Fray
Today I’m going to show you the simple trick I use to finish off my knotted waxed cord jewelry so the ends don’t fray. Nope! I don’t use glue – I prefer to use this technique instead of using glue to finish my cord ends because I find that it lasts longer, it’s less messy, there’s no drying time, and I just really hate the way some glues can dry hard and flake off or feel scratchy against the skin.
If you like this video, be sure to check out more of my cord knotting tips, tricks and tutorials at the end of this post!
NOTE: This technique is intended for WAXED cord and works best with NYLON cord. But please be sure that you have not first used any glue or other substance (like nail polish) on the cord before you try this. Please also take note of the safety tips in the video before you give this a go!
If you’re unable to watch the embedded video, you can click here to watch>> How to Finish Waxed Cord Ends << on YouTube.
TOOLS AND SUPPLIES:
• waxed cord (I use this .8mm waxed nylon cord)
• a bowl of water and/or a fire extinguisher (safety precautions)
• a lighter
I want to use a whiping stiches on a necklace, how do I measure and know that I have enough stringing material for this.
Hi Mairby,
So sorry for the extremely late reply – I must have missed your comment before. I have never used whip stitches but a good way to help get an idea for how much cord you need is to measure a section of say, exactly 6 inches, and make a couple of stitches or knots and measure again to see how much room each stitch takes up. You also will have to keep in mind how many beads you are using (assuming each bead will correspond to one stitch), then try to get an idea of how many of these beads you will use per inch. Then multiply that number by the length you want your finished necklace to be, and again multiply that number by the number of inches each stitch takes up. Add this to the length you want your finished necklace PLUS an extra 4-6 inches to allow room to finish off your necklace.
For example:
5 beads per inch x 16 inch necklace = 80 stitches or knots in the whole necklace
80 stitches x .25 inch per stitch = 20 inches of cord just for the knots
16 inches desired finished necklace length + 20 inches for stitches = 36 inches of cord
36 inches + 6 extra inches for finishing = 42 inches cord to start with.
If you are using beads that are all different sizes, figure out how much cord each one will take up and try to plan out a pattern as much as you can before you start. If you can plan out a pattern of 2 inches and add up the total of how much cord each bead takes up in the pattern, you can still figure out how much cord you will need for that 2 inches. Multiply that number by 1/2 the length of your desired necklace to find out how many knots for the whole necklace, and follow the rest of the formula the same.
I sure hope that makes sense – it seems a bit complicated but it is still way better than running out of cord before you finish your design :)
Thanks for your question!
~ Jessica