braided leather bracelet DIY

I will show you how to make a simple,yet beautiful braided bracelet from an old belt without using any special tools,just some you can find at home or almost any local store.Here is what it should look like when we are done.

                                           So to get started here`s what you`ll need:

                                          An old leather belt,a sharp knife and a short piece of rope.

First cut the belt as shown in the picture above.About 9 inches (23cm) in length and about 8/10 of an inch (2cm) in width.This is what you should get:

  

Next cut the strip lengthwise twice  about 1/2 an inch (1,2cm) from the top going all the way through,dividing the strip into 3 equal bands .

Now you are ready to start braiding.First separate the bands.Then Take the LEFT one and put it OVER the MIDDLE one.So the left one is now the middle one and middle one is the left one.Then take the RIGHT one and put it OVER the MIDDLE one.Here is what you should get:

Now just keep going: LEFT OVER MIDDLE, RIGHT OVER MIDDLE.......until you reach the end.

                                      When you reach the end tie a strong knot with a piece of rope.

Then tie a second knot about an inch (2,5cm)  away from the first one.This is the first part of your closing mechanism.

 At the other end cut a small triangular hole so that the second knot will fit through tightly.This is the second part of your closing mechanism.

Now just put the string and the second knot through the hole you`we  just made and you are done!