A jewelry cord with a sliding knot closure is perfect for finishing casual necklaces and bracelets and offers many advantages. Cord coordinates with a variety of materials: gemstone, crystal, stamped metal blanks, wood and bone, mirage beads, metal charms, and enamel work. Inch-for-inch, jewelry cord is one of the most affordable finishes for pendants, beads, and charms. Sliding knot closures are adjustable in length, so one size fits all. And maybe most importantly, it is a metal-free finishing method (think allergy-free for sensitive skin).
When selecting a cord for your project, let the weight and size of your pendant or beads be the guide for selecting a cord. Use a finer cord with small, lightweight adornments, and use a heavier cord with large pendants.
A sliding-knot necklace closure works with the following cording materials:
Tying a sliding knot may look tricky, but with a little practice, it’s not. Just follow these steps:
I chose to work with 2mm waxed-cotton cord. It is available in 1mm and 2mm sizes so it complements a variety of pendant and bead sizes. The woven cotton cord is sturdy and does not fray easily. The wax gives the cording body and nice drape. I prefer a lightly waxed cord, as a cording with a thick layer of wax doesn’t slide quite as easily.
Lay the cord out in a large circle with the necklace ends overlapping about 12 inches (the circle part is beyond the picture frame). Fold back one of the ends at about 6 inches (this is the free end that will be used to form a sliding knot).
Loop the free cord end back under the stable necklace cords.
While holding the original loop, circle the free cord end around the stable necklace cords once.
Circle the free cord end around the stable necklace cords two more times, for a total of three circled loops.
Thread the free cord end through the three circled loops.
And then thread the free cord end through the original loop.
Pull the free cord end and the coordinating stable cord end to tighten the knot, but not so tight that it is difficult to slide. After tightening the knot, you should be able to slide it along the cord it’s tied around.
Tie a sliding knot on the opposing necklace side. Start by folding back the free necklace end about 6 inches.
Loop the free cord end back under the stable necklace cords.
Circle the free cord end around the stable necklace cords three times.
Thread the free cord end though the three circled loops.
Thread the free cord end through the original loop.
Pull the free cord end and the coordinating stable cord end to tighten the knot.
Here is a finished sliding knot.
Trim the cord end tails to about 1-1/2 inch in length. If you like, you can tie a knot on the end prior to cutting the tail. You can also fray the end of the cord to make a decorative tassel effect.
To adjust the length of the necklace just slide each knot along the necklace cord. Slide the knots toward each other for a longer necklace and away from each other for a shorter necklace.
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For this necklace, the large-hole beads and carved bone pendant can be added after the sliding knots are tied.
To wear the finished necklace, slide the knots toward each other so the necklace opens to full length. Place the necklace over your head and then adjust the necklace to your desired length by sliding the knots away from each other.
Here are the supplies used to finish this necklace:
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A sliding-knot closure works equally well to finish a bracelet. Just add large-hole beads and then tie the sliding knots.
To wear the bracelet, slide the knots toward each other to enlarge the bracelet just enough to pass your hand through. Once the bracelet is on your wrist, slide the knots away from each other to adjust the bracelet for a comfortable fit.
Here are the supplies used to finish this bracelet:
Make things,
Mollie
