Solve a knotty problem for me

December 9, 2024 9:34 AM

I need a knot to finish the hanging loop for a Christmas ornament. Can you recommend one?

I made these adorbs little glass snowmen. They are beads - there is a hole straight through them. I want to put them on strings for hanging per the photo, but I want that knot at the bottom that joins the two ends into the loop to be both attractive and secure.

The knot that is there right now is a sliding knot so if you tug on one side it will fall apart. That won't do. Plus I don't like the sticky outie ends.

If possible, please link a photo tutorial for your recommended knot.

posted by jacquilynne to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (12 answers total)

The bowline is my go-to knot! Easy to tie, secure, yet easy to untie if necessary.
posted by sriracha at 9:44 AM on December 9

How would you avoid the sticky outie ends with this knot? I could maybe bury the one pointing into the loop inside the snowman though it would be a tight fit with the other two strands, but if I clipped off the running line that goes off to the left of that photo would the knot fall apart?
posted by jacquilynne at 9:51 AM on December 9

To fully hide the ends while remaining secure and resistant to jostling is a pretty advanced and intricate task, and usually only done for larger knots with bigger cordage as a decorative display. I would suggest settling for a good looking knot with minimal ends projecting. The type of knot for joining two cords is a bend. The Carrick bend is what I'd use. Ashley's book of knots says it "is perhaps the nearest thing we have to a perfect bend. It is symmetrical, it is easy to tie, it does not slip easily in wet material, it is among the strongest of knots, it cannot jam and is readily untied. To offset this array of excellencies is the sole objection that it is somewhat bulky."

Here I think the slight bulk would look nice. Here's an animated instruction, plenty of other vids available at a quick search. I would tie the knot, dress it, then snip the ends close and seal them with a lighter or heated bit of wire or silverware, assuming that's a synthetic cord as it appears to be.
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:54 AM on December 9

Put a bit of craft glue in the knot, let it dry, then cut off the ends. (I recommend E6000 or equivalent.)
posted by seanmpuckett at 9:54 AM on December 9

So. Many. Knots.

How attached are you to that length of string? A simple true square knot (not a granny) would do the job, if you just want something functional.

This would be a really pretty knot to enhance your ornament and is easy to tie. Might need more length; would have to experiment.
posted by BlueHorse at 9:57 AM on December 9

Chinese flower knot (basically the same as the square stitch you'd use to make a keychain at summer camp with plastic lacing)
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:58 AM on December 9

Those are extremely cute!

If you don't like the ends sticking out at the bottom, how do you feel about having the ends at the top?

You could tie a small knot in the middle of your cord (or a narrow ribbon), run both ends through the bead from bottom to top, then tie whatever knot you like at the ends to close the loop.
posted by demi-octopus at 10:26 AM on December 9

If you don't like the look of the knot, what about another bead? You might even get a bead that fits over the knot, glue it in place, and then trim the cord as short as possible.
posted by soelo at 10:27 AM on December 9

The Carrick bend seems to work. I made one, trimmed the ends of the cord back right close to the knot and it isn't falling apart at all. Bulky not only isn't an issue, it's kind of necessary to keep the knot from passing through the channel in the bead.

The cord is silk, not synthetic, so I can't heat set it. I could adhesive set it, god knows I own enough varieties of glues and resins, but that actually doesn't seem to be necessary, as the knot seems very stable on its own.

Thanks, everyone!
posted by jacquilynne at 10:38 AM on December 9

I would use a thin cord, string a bead on the bottom, tie a square knot, and turn the thread until you can hide the knot in the body of the snowman, with the bead keeping the string from falling out. That way the ends only need to be trimmed enough to not poke out of the bottom or top.

You could also make the cord ends look part of something more intentional by hanging a tassel from the bottom or gluing beads to the ends of the cord.
posted by tchemgrrl at 10:45 AM on December 9

I would thread a pretty bead on the cord, and then feed both lengths back in to the snowman. You can then knot the top however you like and use the resulting loop to hang the snowman. This way, the potentially ugly knot is tucked in the branches of the tree, rather than being so immediately visible under the snowman.
posted by In Your Shell Like at 11:02 AM on December 9

Have you thought about using a button, slightly larger than the base of the snowman?
posted by kate4914 at 5:13 PM on December 9