Much Ado With Near Nothing

Much Ado With Near Nothing

Three awesome projects for your paracord scraps

Image from Instructables

Aside from monsters under the bed, the most frightening idea for me as a child was to be forced to eat my entire broccoli. I hated broccoli.  I knew that, my mom knew that, and so did Liza, our trusty old dog who sat under my chair at the dinner table to receive my unwanted food remains. Still, every night there would be a portion of broccoli on the edge of my plate. “Jackson,” she would plead with me, “there are thousands of hungry children out there that would kill for this broccoli right now.” I always imagined that there were thousands of hungry children that would rather have a burger. Regardless, I caught a lot of grief as a child for not finishing my plate. We all have wasteful tendencies, whether it be the wasting of our money, our talent, or our broccoli. My New Year’s Resolution this year was to stop being so wasteful in all aspects of my life; Now, it’s my turn to instill in my readers a sense of frugality when it comes to their crafting. With 100 feet or more of paracord in one’s arsenal, crafters often have the tendency to reach the end of their hank or spool and simply dispense any remaining scraps. Well, in the famous words of a red octagonal sign: “STOP.” The ends of paracord hanks should be utilized, as there are many craft creations that only require inches of cord. Listed below are three awesome projects for you to undertake with your excess paracord scraps.

#1: The Paracord Ring

Image from Etsy

If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, that’s only because the girl hasn’t met paracord yet. Unlike diamonds, you don’t have to put a mortgage on your house to afford a little cord. When you are making a bracelet, whether it is monochromatic or multi-colored, why not save a few scraps to make a matching ring? A paracord finger ring only requires six to eight inches of cord and is remarkably easy to weave. To make your own paracord ring, check this out.

#2: The Paracord Fishing Lure

Image from Paracord Forum

From my previous blog, “Gone Fishing,” you might recall this unique use of paracord scrap for the fisher. Constructing a fishing lure out of the end of a paracord hank or spool is a great idea because of the simplicity. Fray the end of a hank, pull out and spread apart the seven strands composing the inside of the paracord, and run a hook through the makeshift lure. Stow away some extra paracord scraps into your tackle box, and you’ll have a long day ahead of you on the lake! To make your own paracord fishing lure, check this out.

#3: Paracord Lash-Points

Image from Bushcraft USA Forum

There’s a certain beauty that resides in subtlety. A lash-point on the side of a backpack or bag is rarely noticed but highly efficient. With only two to four inches of paracord, you can construct your own lash-point by singeing the ends of the scrap, and stitching the scrap to your bag, making sure to leave gaps. The gaps in this handmade lash-point can be used to hold a carabiner, or simply to have extra paracord on you while you are outdoors. If nothing else, some colorful paracord can add a little pizzazz to your bag. To make your own paracord lash-point, check this out.

The most wonderful part of paracord is that it is so functional that the possibilities are limitless. That feature is not compromised even if you’re only working with a few inches of paracord. I challenge you readers to cultivate your own idea to make use out of paracord scraps. Shakespeare was on to something: there truly is much ado with near nothing. To participate in contests and giveaways to win free paracord, make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, add us to your Google+ circle, and check out our Pinterest. We also are now on Snapchat under the username “ParacordPlanet,” and would love to interact with our fans!!

Written by: Jackson Yakowicz, Paracord Planet Intern

Contact at jacksony@imsetc.com

For more of ParacordPlanet, view our full blog.