How to Level Up at Paracord Crafting
So, you've been making paracord bracelets for a while now, and you're starting to get tired of weaving the same thing over and over. Monotony is… monotonous.
If you're just starting out in paracord craft, learning new things can seem impossible, but those who practice hard at their art rarely regret it.
If you run a paracord business, branching out and building your knotting knowledge is one of the best ways to grow your small company. It can also be one of the most enjoyable parts of being a small business owner.
So how can you improve and bring innovation to your work? Here are a couple of steps to becoming a better paracord crafter.
Start Small
As with any skill, paracord concepts build on each other. It's likely that you have already learned how to make a square knot or "cobra" bracelet. Those same concepts can be used to make dog leashes, jeep handles, gun slings, handle wraps, or even macramé. Don't be discouraged if you try an ambitious project and fail miserably at it. Every pro has experiences like that.
Learn Basic Knots
Learning knots doesn't sound very exciting, does it? That's because learning anything, without having the context of why it's important, is a drag. If you don't think what you are learning is important, your mind is not engaged. We put together a series of blog posts on basic knot tying. If want to get inspired to learn knots, give it a read. It's called Knot Interested.
Follow people that impress you
The best way to get inspired, and learn a few things at the same time, is to closely watch social media accounts of people that create things you enjoy. Here's the caveat—you won't get better at something by simply watching it being done. You must do it yourself too.
Watch Tutorials
We do our best at Paracord Planet to provide you with quality learning materials to help you get started—and to push your limits. Take a look at both our photo tutorials and our video tutorials. You'll find plenty of ideas to keep you creating.
Practice
Here's the part you might not want to hear: Getting better at anything requires a lot of time. Sure, you can practice in smart ways to make the most of your time, but that still doesn't eliminate the need to put a lot of work into your craft. Every time I make a knot, I get a little bit better and faster at it. Never give up!
Push the Boundaries
Most creative people that stand out in today's media-saturated world are ones that do something new. If you only follow other people's tutorials, you will always be "in their shadow," so to speak. This is often also true of more traditional arts like painting and novel-writing. If you want exposure, be brave!
So How do you push the boundaries with paracord? Rather than answer your question, I'll give you a couple of examples.
Warren Schoedel
This retiree made a life-sized woolly mammoth in his garage using paracord for the hair. It's a completely original idea—and a huge one too.
TreeNet Willy
Ever wish you could transform your backyard into the ultimate hangout spot? Will had an idea and ran with it. He makes paracord net tree forts. That definitely pushes the bounds of "normal" paracord craft. Read our blog post about Will.
Gregg Pastore—Surf City Paracord
Gregg's most recent creation is a fully poseable cyborg action figure made entirely out of paracord. His attention to detain is apparent in everything he makes.
Conclusion
If you skimmed to the end of this post for a summary, here it is: Think small, think big, use tutorials, don't use tutorials, sit back and watch, practice.
It's hard to see progress until you look back at where you started. If you have any other tips for our readers on how to grow your skills as a paracord crafter, comment below!