braided dog leash tutorial

8/11/2019 Braided Dog Leash Tutorial

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Braided Dog Leash Tutorial

The leash shown in this tutorial will be strong enough for small to medium dogs. If you plan onmaking leashes for larger dogs (like dobermans or great danes), you should do an eight-plait

braid as a minimum.

ou will need the following tools! Leather la"e #ore ("an be round leather or para"ord) $nap %a&ed thread $harp s"issors 'a"to knife La"ing fid La"ing needles Leather "onditioner

ubber or rawhide mallet hard surfa"e

This is going to be a four-plait braid. $in"e we will be passing the la"e through the snap loop to

start braiding, we will need to "ut only two strands of la"e.

$tart by measuring the length of the leash you want to make, in"luding the wrist loop (don*t

forget to go aroundthe loop as you measure). +ultiply this length by (the la"e will be folded

in two), then multiply it again by . (this is to a""ount for the wrap around the "ore while

braiding). To the result, add /0 (this is 1ust to ensure we still ha2e something to grab and workwith when we get towards the end.

3&ample! If the total length you measured (in"luding the wrist loop) is 450, multiplying by willgi2e 6/0, then multiplying that by . will gi2e 440, and then adding /0 will gi2e 70. $o you

would ha2e to "ut two lengths of */0.

The tri"k to getting a straight pattern is to keep an e2en tension on the strands as you braid. 8ot

ob2ious if you*re new to braiding, but don*t worry, it*ll "ome with pra"ti"e.


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9ig. - ou "an use the la"e as is (the one on the left) or be2el it

for a more professional look (the one on the right)


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9ig. - To make things easier, atta"h one end of the "ore to the snap you

want to use. (didn*t ha2e a snap so I used a keyring)

9ig. : - %hate2er "ore you use, make sure to "ut the other end at a angle.

This will redu"e the bulk when you tie it to form the wrist loop. If you use


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para"ord, be sure to seal the end by heating it.

9ig. 4 - 9orm the wrist loop and tie it with wa&ed thread. I find wa&ed thread

is the best for this be"ause it is somewhat sti"ky and won*t slip. Be sure to

wrap it as tight as you "an. 9or instru"tions on how to do this knot, you "andownload this ;D9 I found on the web! %hipping knot. I use +ethod


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but any of those will do.

9ig. - Before I start braiding, I like to put some leather "onditioner on the

la"e. I use Dr. =a"kson*s >ide e1u2enator but there are other "onditioners

that will work 1ust as well.

;ass the two strands through the hardware loop and find the middle point

of ea"h strand. This will gi2e you four strands to braid with. 8ow "ross them


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o2er like in the pi"ture.


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9ig. / - Take the ba"k strand on the left and bring it o2er the front left strand.


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9ig. ? - 8ow take the ba"k strand on the right and bring it under the first

strand it meets and o2er the following strand.

9ig. 5 - Take the top strand on the right, wrap it around the ba"k, then

wea2e it between the two strands on the left, going under the top oneand o2er the bottom one. Don*t worry about the pattern at the ba"k, it

will "reate itself as you braid. If your pattern is e2en at the front,


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so will it be at the ba"k.

9ig. 6 - $ame thing, but with the top strand from the left this time. %rap

it around the ba"k, then wea2e it under and o2er the two strands on the right.

9ig. 5 @ 6 are what you will be repeating to "reate the braid. Aeep going with


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this until you get to where you tied the wrist loop.


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9ig. 7 - >ere we are at the wrist loop tie. Aeep braiding until you*2e "o2ered it.

9ig. - Aeep a "lose eye on the moment where you will ha2e gone 1ust

o2er the wrist loop tie. t that point, when braiding with the strand

from the left, bring it through the loop as you braid it. n"e you*2edone this, keep braiding around the wrist loop. n"e you ha2e gone all

the way around, take a pie"e of wa&ed thread and tie it around your braid.


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This will keep the braid from undoing itself as you lea2e it for the ne&t step.


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9ig. - 8ow we need to prepare the ends of our strands for the la"ing

needles. 9irst, ski2e the ends and "ut them in an arrow shape.

9ig. : - Then put a needle on ea"h strand. Be sure to "lose the needles

on the la"e by tapping them with the mallet, else you*ll be pulling the


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needles and the la"e won*t follow.

9ig. 4 - 8ow, for this part, you*ll ha2e to study the braid and see where

ea"h strand should go. Basi"ally, you want to double o2er the pre2iously

braided part. Cse the la"ing fid to open up the spa"e where you want to go.


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This makes it a little easier to pass the needle and la"e through.


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9ig. - >ere*s the la"e before fully pulling it through.

9ig. / - nd now it is pulled.


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9ig. ? through / show the same pro"ess for the other strands.


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9ig. ?


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9ig. 5


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9ig. 6


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9ig. 7


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9ig.


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9ig.


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9ig. :


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9ig. 4


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9ig.


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9ig. /


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9ig. ? - epeat the pro"ess twi"e for ea"h strand. >ere we ha2e the end result.


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9ig. 5 - Before "utting the strands off, put your work on a hard surfa"e and

gently tap it with the mallet. This will help the la"e to settle in pla"e.

9ig. 6 - 8e&t, using the heel of your hand, put pressure and roll the braid.

Do this on the whole length of the leash. This will gi2e the braid a more e2enfinish. >ere I used my hand, but if you want to take things a step further,

you "an use a flat pie"e of wood to do the rolling. This way you*ll be able


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to put more pressure and the braid will "ome out e2en ni"er.

9ig. :7 - 8ow that the la"e has settled in pla"e, it*s time to "ut the loose

ends. I use "uti"le "utters for this sin"e they allow me to get in real "lose

to make the "ut. >owe2er, be "areful not to "ut the braided la"e. ;ut the"utters in pla"e, pull on the loose end and "ut. ;ulling on the la"e before


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"utting is to ensure that when the la"e retra"ts, it 0hides0 under the braiding.

9ig. : - >ere is the final produ"t. 8ow, some of you might be wondering how "ome this leash

is so short. %ell, it didn*t really need to be that long for the instru"tions, right E)

>ope you*2e found this helpful. >a2e fun and en1oy braiding leashes for your furry friendsF !)

braided dog leash tutorial

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