Something I saw on Pinterest and Etsy was a way to make your cords look more colorful and fun. It is the same idea as making the knot bracelets as I’m sure many of you did when we were little. The “rollercoaster” bracelet knot is the method I used. Here is how I made my cord covers:
- Headphones, Cell phone charger, or any other cord you want to cover
- Sewing Floss (cross-stitch yarn)
- Scissors
- Tape
Step One: First you will want to cut the sewing floss at least four times the length of the cord of the cord. It’s always better to have extra, then to not have enough. For mine, I used three different colors. One thing you want to check first is your pattern. If you will be repeating a color more than once in a pattern, you will need to have more of that color floss cut (see photo below).
For mine, I repeated the light pink twice in the pattern; therefore, I added more of the light pink. So I had one strand of white and one strand of dark pink, both of which were 4 times the length of my cord. And I also had one strand of light pink, which was 6 times the length of my cord. All of which were under the 8 yards in each packet per color.
Step Two: Start making your bracelet. First you will want to tape down the end of your cord to something sturdy. Also, using a hair clamp helps to hold it in place. You will then tie your strands to the beginning of the cord. Then you’ll begin to make the bracelet pattern with the sewing floss. It is hard describe, so I have made a video to teach you the technique I used in case you don’t already know it.
Finished Product: Here is my finished iPhone cord plug, as well as another cord that I wrapped on my old iPod headphones.
You can make whatever pattern you like, with any colors you like and add it to any cord. It’s also really cheap to make, since each sewing thread pack is less than a $1.00 and has at least 8 yards. Most likely you won’t use the entire thing on one cord. Have fun making all your cords colorful and fun!!
- FromPinToLife YouTube Tutorial - http://youtu.be/rWg7q7u1ejM
- Original inspiration from Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/pin/86342517825589146/
How do you get it started?
When I started the strands, I made a double knot at the very top. It’s not very easy to hide, at first, but once you start you can clip off the excess ends. Also, I’d imagine for less bulk, you could double knot each strand individually at the top, and then gather all the pieces together and start the “rollercoaster” knot process. Let me know if you need more help, I can try to take a photo for you.
I just finished my cord but I’d like to know how you end it so the tail ends of the strands aren’t showing, without cutting them off at the end. I’m thinking if I do that, it may unravel.
I tied little knots with each strand at the end and snipped them close to the end. I didn’t tie one large knot for the same reason you are afraid it would unravel. So far, I haven’t had any issues by tying each strand in a knot at the end.
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Does doing this protect your cables and cords from regular wear and tear? I have an iphone cable that is tearing on the rubber casing, and whether I get a new one or try to fix it, I’d like to know if this would help reinforce it to prevent this problem again.