Hello friends! As someone passionate about jewelry making, if you’re also interested in starting this beautiful hobby, I’ve prepared this article for you. Honestly, when I first started designing jewelry, I never thought that “just tying a knot” would be so important. But over time, I realized that what creates a beautiful and durable piece of jewelry lies in the most fundamental part: the knots.
First Meeting: Overhand Knot
I recommend starting with the Overhand Knot. This knot is actually as simple as we remember from childhood. As the name suggests, you curve the thread upward and pass it through from bottom to top. And just like that, you’re done!
Why is it so important? Because this knot is very useful at the beginning and end points of your jewelry. Especially when you need to secure the ends of your wire, this knot becomes your guide. As you can see in the image, it’s formed in a quite simple way.
My practical advice: Start with thick wires at first, so you can feel the knot in your hands. Then gradually move to thinner ones. Trust me, this knot will never leave you halfway through.
Strength and Durability: Surgeon’s Knot
Now let’s move a bit further and meet the Surgeon’s Knot. This knot gets its name from surgeons because it’s also used by medical professionals. Honestly, I fell in love with this knot.
If you ask how it’s done: You bring two wires side by side and tie a knot. But we’re not finished! You go through the same path one more time. Think of it like a double locking system. This allows the knot to be locked twice.
Why is it so strong? Because it locks from both sides, it never slips or unravels. If you’re someone like me who worries, and you want your jewelry to never break, this knot is perfect for you.
I strongly recommend using Surgeon’s Knot especially when making heavy or valuable jewelry. As you can see in the image, when combined with gold rings, it also looks professional. After tying this knot, you’ll feel like a real jewelry designer.
Flexibility and Aesthetics: Sliding Knot
If you’re like me and love adjustable jewelry, Sliding Knot will become your best friend. The best feature of this knot is that it gives you flexibility.
Think of it this way: You’ve made a bracelet, but it doesn’t fit everyone the same size. That’s when the sliding knot comes into play. Thanks to this knot, you can adjust the size of your jewelry. When you want it tight, you can tighten it; when you want it loose, you can loosen it.
How is it done? You bring two wires parallel to each other and pass beads or metal accessories over them. Then, you tie a knot on both sides of these beads. Because the wire passes between the beads, it can move easily and you can change the size.
In the image, the sliding knot made with gold beads looks absolutely amazing. It’s both functional and beautiful. The first time you make this knot might seem difficult, but after a couple of tries, it becomes very easy. Trust me, you’ll master it too.
Professionalism: Sivaang Knot
Finally, let’s talk about our most sophisticated knot, Sivaang Knot. When I first heard the name, I thought, “Wow, this must be incredibly complicated.” But as I worked with it, I realized that this could also be learned.
Sivaang Knot has a slightly more complex structure. As you can see in the image, it’s made with metal wires and pins. This knot gives your jewelry a truly professional appearance.
How is it done? You curve the wire, wrap it in a special way, and secure it with the help of pins. Although it seems complicated at first glance, when you progress step by step, you realize it’s actually a logical system.
The biggest advantage of using this knot is that it gives your jewelry an artwork-like atmosphere. If you’re like me and want to create things different from others, I definitely recommend learning this knot.
Practical Tips
When making all these knots, it’s helpful to remember a few basic rules:
First, choose your wires carefully. Working with thick wires in the beginning makes the job much easier.
Second, be patient. Knots aren’t things to be made quickly. Create each knot carefully.
Third, practice. Not everything will be perfect at first, but you’ll get better with every practice.
Finally, believe in yourself. Millions of people tie these knots, and you can too!
3 Knots, 10 Bracelet Styles — Full Visual Guide
The Quiet Magic of Cord Bracelets
One morning, one image
It’s early morning, tea in hand, and you’re scrolling through your phone when it pops up: “3 knots, 10 bracelet styles, full visual guide.” A white background, pastel tones, ten bracelets each cuter than the last. You can’t help but stop and think, “I could make that.”
Good news: you really can. But first, let’s take a closer look at this image, with a friendly eye.
Why does it feel so warm?
Let’s give credit where it’s due: the colors are beautifully chosen. Burgundy with mustard yellow, light blue with cream, terracotta with navy. Each one seems to tell the story of a season, a mood.
The bracelets actually fall into two big families:
- Simple single-knot styles: Two thin cords with one decorative knot in the middle. The burgundy-yellow, light blue, beige and brown-mustard ones belong here. Elegant, easy to wear with anything, and the classiest way to say “I made this myself.”
- Fully braided styles: The coral spiral, the blue-orange braid, the golden chain-like one. Showier, a bit more demanding of your patience, but the kind that makes you proud once it’s done.
What they all share is an adjustable closure. They grow or shrink to fit the wrist, which makes them perfect as gifts.
A small confession: no human made this image
Now for the bittersweet part. Did you try reading the labels? “sfionioi bracelet”, “clanfship bracelet”, “spincati bracelet”… None of them are real words. That’s the clearest sign the image was generated by AI. AI is great at drawing pictures, but it still stumbles over text.
There are a few more oddities:
- There should be ten different styles, yet almost all of them are numbered “style 02”.
- The title says “3 knots”, but the main decorative knot at the center of the bracelets isn’t one of those three.
- The “square knot” and “sliding knot” drawings look nothing like those knots. The so-called sliding knot is just a curled-up cord.
So this image makes a lovely mood board, but it isn’t a recipe you can follow step by step. Don’t feel bad if you get stuck and think “I couldn’t do it.” The problem isn’t you, it’s the guide.
The three knots you actually need
The good news is that you can make almost every bracelet in the image with just three basic knots:
| Knot | What it does | Which bracelets |
|---|---|---|
| Josephine knot (double coin knot) | The interlaced, figure-eight-like ornament in the middle | The simple single-knot styles |
| Square knot and half hitch | Repeated, they form a braided or spiral body | The coral, blue-orange and golden styles |
| Sliding knot | The closure that makes the bracelet adjustable | All of them |
The Josephine knot can be a little confusing at first, because you have to watch the over-under crossings of the cord. But after two or three tries your hands get used to it, and soon you can tie it with your eyes closed. For the spiral style there’s just one secret: if you always tie the half hitch from the same side, the cord starts twisting on its own.
A few friendly tips before you start
The materials list is surprisingly short:
- 1 mm waxed cord or nylon macramé cord (sliding knots slide best on these)
- Scissors and a small lighter (to melt the ends so they don’t fray)
- Tape or a clothespin to hold the cord in place
And a few little secrets:
- Make your first bracelet in a single color. When colors mix, it’s harder to follow where the knot goes.
- Cut your cord generously. Set aside about 50 cm for a simple style and 1 to 1.5 meters of working cord for a braided one. Extra can be trimmed; missing cord can’t be added.
- Pull every knot to the same tension. That’s the secret to a neat-looking bracelet.
- Watch a video. Knots are much easier to understand in motion. A still image, especially one this muddled, isn’t enough.
Final word
This image reminds us of something small but lovely: not every “full guide” we see online is truly complete. But inspiration is inspiration, wherever it comes from.
So save this image, pick a style whose color palette you love, and one evening sit down with a cup of tea and tie your first knot. Maybe the first one turns out a little crooked, maybe the second too. The third, though, will most likely end up on a friend’s wrist. And that’s exactly where the beauty of a handmade bracelet lies: it isn’t flawless, but it’s full of care.