Paracord Bracelet Milk Crate Jig

This instructable will have you making custom length 550 paracord bracelets in no time.

Things you will need:

1 - Milk Crate or similar rigid box
2 - Canopy Tent Bungee Ball Ties (or heavy duty rubber bands)
1 - Pair of Fastex Side Release Buckles (size of your choosing)


Bonus items you may want:

Containers to hold your 550 Paracord
Containers to hold your Fastex Buckles
Brass Grommets
Sharp Scissors
Lighter or similar heat source
Ruler
Forceps
Small waste container for clipping and mis-burnt ends

To set up your milk crate jig, take one side of the Fastex buckles (I've used the male side in this photo) and thread the canopy tarp bungee ball through the buckle. If you don't have any of these or can not find them at your local hardware store, you can use heavy duty rubber bands in their place.

Pass the bungee cord through the milk crate handle and over the ball end. If you want this to be a little more permanent than how I have it, you can use a zip tie around the end of the bungee that slipped over the ball so that it won't come off.

Perform the same process on the opposite side of the milk crate using the remaining matched Fastex buckle.  These will be a part of your jig and when it comes time to make a bracelet, you will need another set of fastex buckles.

To use this jig, I insert a fresh pair of Fastex buckles into the ones attached to the bungee ball cords.  These will be the ones that you will be tying your 550 paracord to and will be part of the finished product.

Start to wrap the 550 paracord around your ruler. In the photo, I have 7 feet wrapped. Wrap to your desired length and cut.  Melt the ends.

Make a bight in the center of your paracord and insert it through the bottom of the lower Fastex buckle.

Thread the working end of the paracord through the "eye" of the bight in the lower buckle.  Pull this knot tight.

Thread the working end of the paracord through the top Fastex buckle. I like to insert from the bottom but it really doesn't matter.

Pull the working end towards the bottom Fastex buckle and measure the length for your final sized bracelet.  I used to have a hard time tying the first knot and locking in my final length, so I used a pair of forceps to clamp the four paracords together. This made it a lot easier to start my first knot. Once you have that, you can remove the forceps.

Tie whatever knot you want and finish the ends by clipping and burning/melting.

That's it. Simple.

You don't have to use a milk crate. I just happen to have one. You can make a wooden box or whatever. 
As long as whatever you use, make sure it is strong enough to hold the tension that will be placed on the sides of the box by the elastic bungee ball ties.

Now you try!

Click "Next Step" to see optional accessories...

I use empty "Mixed Nuts" containers to hold my 550 paracord in. When I get a new hank of paracord, I unwrap it and lay it out on the floor, from one end of my house to the other in several long loops.  I start by pushing one end into the plastic container then keep feeding it until there is no more to feed. I take the end of the paracord and push though the gromment hole in the container's lid and attach it with the brass clip. Now whenever I need a length of paracord, I can pull it up and out of the container without any fear of knots or tangles.

I have been keeping peanut butter jars for years. I must have a few hundred in my shed holding nuts, bolts, washers, screws, etc...

It was only logical for me to use a peanut butter jar to hold my Fastex buckles.

I used two pieces of PVC pipe attached to the milk crate to hold my scissors and lighter.