How to Braid Hemp

The cannabis sativa plant, which is famous on its own regard, has a multitude of uses in our everyday lives. One of its oldest and most widely utilized derivations is hemp. The uses of hemp are vast and it is widely used to create rope, paper, canvas sheets and cloth. Since this plant fiber can be grown without the use of any pesticides and does not require much water for its sustenance, it is accepted as an environment friendly fiber, for producing various costume jewelry accessories and clothing.

Braiding hemp necklaces can be a fun way for you to pass your time or even provide you with economical and hazard-free accessories. You can choose to entangle any number and kind of beads, to improve the look of your hemp necklace or bracelet. How to braid hemp and how to make hemp bracelets are two very simple and easy tasks to pick up and once you know them, you will never forget them. Follow these simple steps to learn all about braiding hemp.

Step 1:
First you need to gather up all the materials that you will require for your task of braiding hemp. Get a roll of hemp rope (easily available at any Walmart outlet or even your local craft store), a measuring tape, a pair of scissors, a key ring or a pencil and lastly, any kind or number of beads that you wish to entwine on your necklace.

Step 2:
Measure the length of the necklace you desire and cut out 4 strands. Say the length of your necklace is to be 12 ". You must add 2" inches to this, for the purpose of tying. Now you must cut out one strand twice the length of the previous amount (28"), and one more strand twice the length of this amount (56"). So now you have two strands.

Step 3:
Now you need to tie a larks head knot on the key ring. Fold the strands in half and get a U-shaped loop. Place your key ring on top of the U-shaped loop, pull the loop through it and fold it down. Now pull the straight strands through this folded loop and secure it. If you have successfully tied a larks head knot, you are on your way to knowing how to braid hemp.

Step 4:
Now keep the two shorter strands in the middle and the two longer strands on the outside and you can begin the task of braiding hemp. Take the left sided longer strand and place it loosely over the two shorter strands. The right sided longer strand goes below the middle strands and through the loop formed by the other longer strand. Secure the two longer strands and continue this process, till you wish to attach beads to it. This knot is called a square knot.

Step 5:
After equal intervals of space, say every 2", add a bead. Simply run the two short strands through the bead and continue to tie your square knots after that. Ensure that you secure the beads firmly. Once you've reached the midpoint of the short strands, you can add a pendant of your choice. The way to do that is the same as adding the beads.

Step 6:
Now you can continue to knot the rest of the strands in a similar way. Make sure you maintain the level of symmetry, so place the beads at the same amount of intervals as the other side. You have now successfully learnt how to braid hemp.

Step 7:
Now, you can unfasten the larks head knot you had tied earlier and check if the length of your necklace is correct. Secure the top ends to each other firmly and your hemp necklace is ready for wear. Cut off the extra edges on top, if they are excessively trailing.

As you can see, braiding hemp is a fairly simple activity and you can master it with a bit of practice. Master the art of beading and add different kinds of beads and pendants, to get exciting new designs for accessories.