DIY: Macrame Watch Strap

Something unpleasant happened to my old DIY watch strap made of old curtain fabric and a button, thus the change.

I got a vintage watch body from my parents without any strap (I guess the leather strap worn out after time) or closure parts. It was a couple watch, and I got the men’s one since the women’s one was too small for me.

This watch strap changing adventure of mine gets interesting, somehow. I’ve decided to try doing macrame (or more popularly known as the friendship bracelet technique) with left-over threads and yarn.

“Macramé or macrame is a form of textile-making using knotting rather than weaving or knitting. Its primary knots are the square knot and forms of “hitching”: full hitch and double half hitches.”  

- Wikipedia

Don’t forget to read The Verdict at the end of the post.

MATERIALS:

Watch body
Thread / thin yarn
Strong-holding tape
Scissors
Tape measure
(not in the photo) Push pin / safety pin

Closure accessories (traditional buckle / clasps / buttons / hook and ring, etc.)

PROCEDURE:

STEP 1

Look for a design you’d want. 

I got my pattern from friendship-bracelets.net. I chose a simple two-colored design using 8 strings.

You can search for a pattern fitting for the size of your watch or depending on the design and/or colors.

STEP 2

Measure more or less 55″ of thread per color. 

The colors and number of strings will depend on your design. For my chosen pattern, I got six (6) strands of black and two (2) strands of cream.

STEP 3

Fold the strands in half and loop them onto the bar where the straps used to be.

Do this for all the strands, arranging them by color according to the pattern.

I did one side after the other so less tangling will happen.

STEP 4

Tape the body to a table or a book. This will make knotting easier.

STEP 5

Knot, knot. 

(Who’s there?) ((Haha, Ida. Nice try.))

I had to knot two strands at a time though, since my thread was too thin.

But the pattern was actually easy to follow since the instructions were clear.

This project just needs to be done with caution and A LOT of patience. Forward and backward knotting is no joke.

If you happen to make a mistake, just unknot the strands with a push pin or safety pin.

After a few minutes of knotting, you’ll start to see the pattern!

STEP 6

Continue knotting. Measure the strap around your wrist every now and then, to see if it’s the right length. Make sure it only reaches halfway.

When the length has been decided, braid or fishtail the ends, knot to secure, and cut the excess thread.

I decided to separate the strands into two sections to give it a more /friendship bracelet-y/ look.

STEP 7

Knot the closure strands together. If you chose a one-strand closure, knotting is optional.

And there you have it, your very own macrame/friendship bracelet watch strap!

The Verdict:  

This watch strap has been my favorite out of all the watch straps I’ve done, I have no idea why I didn’t do it sooner. It could’ve looked cooler with a buckle, though.

But either way, will I do this again? 

Definitely. 

DIY Tea Points:

Do it yourself! Post a photo and tag:

@idasiasoco on Twitter

@idasiasoco on Instagram

with the hashtag #gteDIY!

For questions, suggestions or DIY requests, you may comment below!

Keep creating,

ida_