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Hi everyone! I love nature walks in spring and summer,
but I don't like getting bug bites! So I'm going to show
you how to make bug repelling paracord bracelets.
You can find paracord in craft stores, toy stores and
outdoor stores. They often come in these type of
packages, especially for bracelet making. They usually
contain several colors of paracord and buckles.
You'll need 2 colors of paracord, a buckle, scissors,
measuring tape, pliers, a lighter and a heavy paper clip.
First, you'll need to calculate how much paracord is
needed for your wrist. This is actually the most difficult
step. [laughs]
Measure your wrist.
Add 1 inch for your buckle.
Add another half inch or so to make sure it's not too
tight and multiply your new length by 10.
Divide that total length in half for the two colors.
Now add 3 inches to the length of one of those colors
and make that the color you'll be using on the
inside of your bracelet!
You'll end up with a length for each or your cords.
This doesn' t have to be exact and when in doubt,
make it a bit longer.
Measure your cords and cut them.
Cut the end of one of the cords and pull the inside
threads out a little bit.
Cut those off.
Slide the cord's shell up again.
You'll now have a part of hollow cord.
Grab your other color cord and melt the part
where you cut it with a lighter so that it doesn't fray.
Place this cord into the hollow part of your other cord,
making a male/female connection.
Use your lighter to melt these two cords together.
And use your pliers to push the hot cords and
secure them further. Don't worry about how this looks
as this connection will be hidden inside of the bracelet!
My buckle is bent, but if you have a straight buckle that
works fine too!
The purple is going to be my inside color, so that part of
the cord is a bit longer.
Grab the female part of your buckle. Now pinch the
purple cord into a flat loop and push it down
through the buckle.
You now want to grab the two ends of your cord,
stick those through the loop and pull.
Make sure the part where you melted the two cords
together is not too close to the buckle, but also not too
far away from it.
Adjust it until it looks similar to mine and then pull the
knot tight.
Hold your cords flat in the same direction and stick the
ends downward through the male side of the buckle.
Slide the buckle up and try it on your wrist to see where
the male part of the buckle needs to sit.
Keep in mind that your bracelet will get bulkier,
so if you measure an exact fit, it might end up being too
tight for comfort. So measure a somewhat loose fit.
Hold the cords where the buckle needs to sit and
remove from your wrist with your other hand.
Position the buckle where it needs to be and fold
the longer parts of the cords underneath.
Clip the male part of the buckle and the top part of the
cords with your heavy paper clip. This will keep the
buckle in place and prevent your bracelet from
moving around while you work on it.
Grab your inside cord - for me that's the purple one -
shape it into a flat loop and lay it over the inner cords.
Now grab your grey cord, lay it on top of the purple cord,
then go underneath the inner strands
and upward though the purple loop.
Pull and slide the knot all the way up.
Don't pull it too tight just yet!
Remove the clip and try the bracelet on.
Now is the time to see if your buckle really is positioned
correctly.
If not, adjust your knot until the bracelet fits as you
want it to, keeping in mind it will get bulkier.
If you positioned your buckle correctly, pull that knot
very tight. Now make another knot, the same way as
the previous one. Grab your purple cord again, shape it
into a flat loop and lay it over the inner cords. Now grab
your grey cord, lay it on top of the purple cord,
then go underneath the inner strands and upward
through the purple loop.
Pull and slide the knot all the way up and pull tight.
It's that easy!
Keep repeating the exact same thing and always start
with the purple cord so that the inside of your bracelet
will be all purple and the outside of your bracelet
will be all grey.
[music]
Make sure to pull every knot as tight as you can. You
can go all the way to the end if you want to, but I
personally prefer to leave a little bit of space around
the end buckle, so that it's more flexible and easier to
put on.
Pull that last knot even tighter than the previous ones.
Now cut both cords.
Melt the ends of the cords and immediately push them
into the back or the sides of your bracelet with
your pliers.
Make sure these ends are completely flat so you won't
feel them when you wear the bracelet.
[music]
This is what it looks like!
If you used a flat buckle, you can wear it on both sides.
Which is nice, but a curved buckle adds comfort. So it's
up to you what perk you prefer! [laughs]
When you put it on, be careful not to get your skin
pinched in between the buckle. To prevent that, it can be
helpful to put it on the other way. It's easier, and the
shape of your wrist is different on the top side, making
it less likely to have your skin pinched.
Aren't they beautiful?
Now for the insect repellent part!
You'll need a small, dark glass bottle.
Essential oils of bergamot, litsea, lemon and lavender.
You'll also need ***, demineralized water and a
teaspoon.
There are many essential oils that keep insects away,
but I don't like the smell of all of them. So I made this
personal blend that's both effective and smells nice.
Because if you're going to wear it all day, it's not very
pleasant if it's stinky, now is it? [laughs]
You'll want to put one drop of each essential oil
into your bottle. Bergamot, lemon, litsea and lavender.
Add one teaspoon of ***. This will keep your blend
from going bad.
Fill the rest of your bottle with demineralized water or
purified water. This dillutes your blend, without
interfering with it's shelf life.
It has to be a dark, glass bottle, because essential oils
lose their beneficial properties when they're
exposed to light.
And a plastic bottle would start dissolving into your
blend over time, possibly making your blend
toxic and ruining your bottle.
Shake before every use and trickle or spray a
generous amount of your blend to both sides of your
bracelet. Let dry completely before putting it on.
You'll need to reply this blend when you notice
the scent is fading from your bracelet.
Because the bracelet will absorb the mixture and you'll
just wear the dry bracelet, it's unlikely to cause
skin reactions.
To make sure you're not allergic, first test a few drops
directly onto your skin.
Now you can go out in nature, smelling good, looking
stylish and explore without being eaten alive
by insects! [laughs] Enjoy!
Let me know in the comments below what
YOU love to do in summer time and if you liked this
video, please give it a thumbs up. Thank you for
watching and I hope you'll subscribe for more videos!