Half Hitch Bag Strap

There are many ways to make attractive straps for bags and purses. Sometimes, a common-looking bag can be "spruced up" by a surprising strap that doesn't follow the expected road. You could use this hitch stitch even to decorate a bag, but it is used most often for bag straps.
It is very easy to make, and if you make it in two colors, it's very attractive and calls attention to the bag.



To make it, you will need:

Two crocheted ropes, the color of your choice, (please search for the braiding tutorials to find how to crochet the cords or ropes) approximately twice the size of the length of the strap, leave one end of the crocheted rope attached to the ball of yarn, just in case you need to make it longer after all,
and work with the opposite side that you've already finished. This will save you problems, if for some reason, you wind up with more cord or less cord than you need for your strap.

Half hitches are a macrame stitch. It is one of the basic stitches and one of the most used to make bag straps. The strap we will be making is an alternating half hitch chain, made with two ropes or cords. To make it, proceed as follows:

1- Pin the working end of your ropes to a piece of cardboard or to a pillow securely.
Then hold the inactive cord straight down, keeping it somewhat taut. Bring the opposite, or working rope across and place it in front of the inactive rope, then
bend it around the inactive cord, and then out of the bend above the working rope, moving it towards you. Then lift the working rope's end and tighten a bit.

2- Now, making the second half hitch running on the opposite side. To make that one you will put the working rope behind the inactive rope, bring it around from back to front, forming a loop and insert the end of the working rope towards the back of the working cord. Pull to tighten into place.

To make the strap you will alternate these two half hitches back and forth for as loong as you need to.












Don't forget always to alternate the strand until you get the length of strap you want. Now, sew the ends of the strap firmly around a purse ring, or if you prefer, for added strenth, join a bit of yarn to one edge of the strap and crochet 1 or 2 rows of sc, across, thus joining the cords to one another, and then, bend the end of the halft hitch strap around the purse ring and sew it across this little strip of sc stitches.







That will make it stronger for daily wear. Do the same thing with the opposite end of the strap.



You're done!


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From STRESS to Joy

Knotting A Strap--Festoon

In Spanish, the call this knot the festoon, hence the name of this strap.
This is a technique borrowed from macrame that will yield you an easy, sturdy yet pretty strap or you can simply use it to decorate the front of a bag as we have done before with our braided ropes.
The benefit of using ropes is that you can sew them together at the ends, bend them around a purse ring, sew them to secure tem to the ring, and you're done, whereas, with the original macrame technique you're dealing with strands of yarn and it is a bit more involved to secure the ends to make them workable.
If you're going to use it to festoon around a bag or as a nice decoration going down the front of a bag, calculate a bit of an excess to go over the edge of the bag and be secure on the inside inside the lining, and secure well at the bottom of the bag with tiny well-placed stitches. If you are using the festoon for a purse or tote strap, you can even join a bit of yarn at the ends and picking up the loop at the end of each rope, crochet an sc in each and do a second row of sc to secure them together, so that it will be easier for you to sew the edges to a purse ring.

This is how to make this strap:

Measure your bag, and calculate double the amount of strap or festoon embellishment that you will need. As always, I advice that you leave the bottom portion of
the rope, still attached to the yarn, with a safety pin holding the last loop, just in case you need to make a bit more to complete your project, or to unravel some
to fit it in.

Pin 3 ropes in colors of your choice either to your bag or, if you're using them for a strap, to a pillow or a piece of cardboard.

1- Place the rope on the left on top of the rope on the middle, then behind it, then bring down, forming a loop around the middle rope. Tighten a bit. (First part of the festoon knot made.)
2- Place the rope on the left below the on the middle, then, bring the working end around, forming another loop going in the opposite direction to the one made before. Tighten a bit. (Second part of the festoon knot completed.)
4- Now repeat the first 2 steps with the rope on the right. (Fastoon formed)
Continue this way for as long as you want to to complete your festoon. You can make it tight so that the middle rope cannot be seen, but I think that letting it be seen in between knots adds to the pretty effect. Look at the photos for guidance.

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The Wonderful Love of God

Adriana's Braid

If you make bags often or totes, you cannot have enough of these braids. You could be making the same simple bag, and making it look different each time by using one of these braids. This one is beautiful as is, but you can embellish it further as I will explain later. Let's get going!

Make 6 ropes as explained before (please refer to other tutorials for manner of making the ropes)
of 6 different colors of your choice (it will help you keep better track of where each rope goes
and honestly speaking, the braids are prettier that way!) Choose colors that match or contrast
your bag or tote in a complimentary way. It the bag is in a neutral tone (beige, light gray, ets.)
the sky is the limit, because those colors go with any other color or hue you can imagine!

To start the braid: Measure your bag to place ropes at an equal distance on both sides.

Pin 3 ropes on one side at the top of the bag, leaving a bit of extra rope that will be secured to the inside of the
bag and will go under the lining of the bag.

Pin 3 topes on the opposite end at the top of the bag, leaving at least 3 inches in between the two groups of ropes.

Braiding:

1- Bring the left hand rope over the middle rope to the center.
2- Now, place the right hand rope over the new middle strand to the center.
3- Now bring the middle rope forward from behind and pass it over the strand that is now on the left side, and bring it to the center.
Repeat these 3 steps once more. Now pin the ropes in place, and repeat this process with the other 3 ropes on opposite side of bag.
Pin both braids so that the top braiding will not become runraveled.

No bring the rope that is on the left of the second braid and join it to the first group of rope pairs and do the same with the last rope on the
right side.

Now, bring the new second braind from behind, and pass it over the rope that left to join the other group of pairs. Now braid again with the 3 new pairs on each side as before.

Pin securely and sew your braid to the bag. Fasten off, Cover inside ends with lining.

Note-
When you sew your braid in place, make sure to move upward the rope that lies behind in the center and secure it in place so that it can be seen.
You can also sew a beautiful crocheted flower in the center or a pretty, large button of your choice.

Done!

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Less than 2 minutes to read and it will brighten your day!
Be Not Discouraged