How to Back Braid Rope

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Last Updated: August 7, 2020

Back braiding is a way to tie loose strands of rope together. Braided rope can be used in a number of ways, including as a lead for horses. You don’t need a lot of supplies to braid rope. You can make a simple crown knot, then weave the rope strands together by hand to form thick, strong braids.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Tying a Crown Knot

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1
Unravel 10 in (25 cm) of rope into 3 strands. You will need a 3-stranded rope. If you look closely at the rope, you can see the 3 thick strands spiraling around each other. Begin pulling them apart by hand. You can slide a pen or another tool between the strands to loosen them.^{[1]
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- Use a tape measure to determine how far to unravel the rope.
- Be sure to choose a longer rope, preferably about 10 ft (3.0 m) in length, if you plan on using it as a lead.
- You will have a hard time getting a strong braid if you unravel less than 8 in (20 cm) of the rope.
2
Tape over the end of each rope strand. Undoing the rope leaves you with 3 strands that fray easily if they are left unprotected. You can cover them with electrical tape or Scotch tape. Position a small bit of tape at the end of each strand, wrapping it all the way around the tip. Wrap each strand individually.^{[2]
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- Remember to cover all 3 strands. It will shield your rope as you braid it.
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3
Hold the rope underneath the unraveled section. Grasp it firmly in 1 hand. You will use your other hand to loop the rope sections together, creating a crown knot. Maintain your grip on the rope until the knot is finished.^{[3]
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- Move the rope strands apart with your free hand so you can see them better.
4
Wrap 1 strand over the strand to its right. You can start with any of the 3 strands. To make the process easier, you may want to start with the strand furthest to the left. Pick up the left strand, then position it over the strand next to it. Let it hang there for now.^{[4]
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- If you start with a different strand, be careful. Work slowly so you weave the strands together in the correct order.
5
Loop the second strand over the other strands. Grab onto the taped end of the second strand. It should have the first strand hanging over it. Loop it around so it passes over the third strand and reaches the first strand, which is on your left.^{[5]
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- Make sure the tail of the first, leftmost strand stays over the second strand.
6
Tuck the third strand through the loop created by the first strand. Get ahold of the third strand. Carefully bring it over the second strand and towards the first strand. Bring it down near the inside portion of the first strand.^{[6]
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- Doing this forms the crown knot. If the strands come undone, reset the strands and start over from the beginning.
7
Pull on the strands to tighten the knot. You want your knot to be nice and even on the rope. To do this, tug a little on the end of each strand. Using an equal amount of pressure should ensure that all the strands stay the same size.^{[7]
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- Continue adjusting the knot until it feels secure on the rope.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Weaving Rope Strands Together

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1
Separate the rope strands underneath the knot. Lower your hand from the crown knot. The rope underneath it is still intact. You can pick apart the strands to loosen them like you did before. You can use a pen or another tool if you need more leverage, but undo only small amounts of rope at a time.^{[8]
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- You will need to continue undoing the rope as you weave the strands into a braid.
2
Pull 1 of the loose tails through 1 of the underlying strands. Although you tied a crown knot earlier, you will still have excess rope above it. Grasp 1 of these excess rope “tails.” Pull it to the side and then down to the rope strands directly beneath the knot. Wrap it underneath the closest strand, then pull it all the way through.^{[9]
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- The tail and strand you start with doesn’t matter, but keep a close eye on which rope sections you wrap together.
3
Wrap the second loose tail through the rope strands. Grab another loose tail, then do what you did with the first tail. Bring it over and down towards the knot, looping it underneath another rope strand. To make the braid consistent, choose the closest strand again. Pull the tail completely through to tighten it.^{[10]
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- Make sure you loop the tail under a different rope strand than the one you used before. Each tail should pass under a different neighboring strand.
Get the third loose tail, then bring it over and down towards the knot to wrap it underneath the last remaining strand. This strand should not be looped around either of the other tails. Pull the rope tail to complete the initial part of the braid.^{[11]
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5
Alternate looping each tail and strand until the braid is finished. Go back to the first tail you looped. Pull it over, then back down and underneath the nearest strand. Pull it all the way through to tighten it. Then move onto the second tail and third tail, repeating the process each time. Continue doing this until you reach the ends of the tails.^{[12]
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- In order to make a strong braid, loop the tails 1 at a time. Switch tails after each pass.
- The braid should look consistent. If it doesn’t, undo the loops. You may have connected a tail with an incorrect strand.
When you are done making the braid, the 3 tails will barely poke out of the rope. Pull them as tightly as possible so the braid can’t unravel. You don’t have to worry about applying an equal amount of pressure. As long as you pull on all 3, the braid should tighten sufficiently.^{[13]
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7
Cut off the excess rope tails near the braids. These tails are the same ones you wrapped around the rope strands. They are easily identified by the tape you used to prevent fraying. You will see the tap sticking out of the braid. Using a sharp pair of scissors, sever these tails as close to the braid as possible.^{[14]
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- If the braid seems loose, you can try taping around the areas where you cut the tails. The tape may successfully hold your rope together as you use it.

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Question

Has anyone ever used nylon 3 strand rope? It is rather loose, I'm thinking of melting the tips into the braid, and then overlaying it with heat shrink tubing. This seems viable to me.

Moo

Community Answer

Yes, it seems appropriate that melting the tips would be the best solution here. Melting the tips into the braid would make it a lot neater looking than just tape.

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Tips

If the rope isn’t smooth, try rolling it between your hands. This should eliminate any frayed strands.

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You can tie a snap to the other end of the rope, then hook it onto a dog collar or horse reign.

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