Tutorial: Cording

I'll be giving a tutorial on how to make an ornament like the one above some time next week and thought it would be helpful if I also explain how I make cording and tassels. Today's tutorial is how to make cording.

Cording is easy to make but difficult to photograph when you are alone and need two hands to make it (my sons have no idea how to get the right angles etc for this. I tried and almost had some arguments when everyone got frustrated with it not being quite right, so I decided no photo's was for the best) so I'm not including photo's with this.

What you need:

• 40" / 1.02m (craft)thread in a colour of your choice.
• Optional: A Kreinik Custom Corder (not affiliated, just a happy customer) if you have one.
• Somewhere to hook your thread onto - a hook on the wall or a pencil that you tuck behind for example the back of a chair works.

How to make the cord:

• Fold the thread in half.
• Place both ends together and tie a knot.
• Hook the loop end of the thread over the hook of the Custom Corder or around the pencil
• If using a pencil: tuck the pencil behind the spokes of a chair or get someone to hold it for you. (This is how I made my cords till I got my Custom Corder so I know it works)
• Pull the thread taut.
• If using the custom corder hook the knotted end onto the Custom Ccorder hook and give it a good dozen or more turns of the handle.
• If using the pencil then start twisting the cord between your fingers, which direction doesn't matter much as long as you keep twisting the same way the whole time.
• After a bit of twisting you can check to see if the cord is ready by taking hold of the twisted cord about 3"/ 7 cm away from the end you are holding/have hooked onto the custom corder.
• If it curls together in a way that makes a cord you like then it's time to stop twisting
• If you don't like the twist, or it doesn't twist much then you need to keep going a bit longer.
• Once you are happy it's time to make the cord.
• Keep the twisted thread taut!
• If you have a Custom Corder unhook it and hang it from the hook in the middle of the twisted thread.
• If you don't, then don't worry - it will work out!
• Still keeping the thread taut remove the twisted thread from the hook/pencil
• Bring both ends together and let the threads twist together.
• If you are using a Custom Corder things should go smoothly, just wait till the Custom Corder has finished rotating.
• If you used a pencil things might look a bit snarled up at this point, all you have to do is take hold of the cord above where it's snarled up and ease the threads downwards which will with a bit of work make it nice and straight. 
• Tie a knot in the ends you brought together to prevent them from untwisting.
• Your cord will now be about 8 1/2 inches / 18.75cm
• If your cord is longer than you like FIRST tie a knot where you want it to end before cutting or your thread will untwist almost instantly!

If you are a visual learner then I suggest having a look at the following video's on YouTube They are ones that seemed helpful and from all sorts of places.

Kreinik Custom Corder - just use the one thread unless you want a fancy cord with more threads.
By hand - again just use one thread as mentioned above - it's less wasteful.

Other methods:
Using a spool and a crochet hook
Using a mixer
Using a drill
Using a cardboard box 
A sewing machine

I hope this was helpful for you!