Paracord Uses for Every Day

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Top Ways to Use Paracord to Improve Everyday Items

Paracord is a natural choice to get more mileage from the things you repeatedly use, given its durability. People are discovering how to use paracord to repair broken items or reinforce weak components of the things that get a lot of use from day to day.

• Zipper Pulls. Many zipper pulls are made of flimsy material that can't stand up to the repeated motion of opening and closing. Use paracord instead to make it more durable.
• Drawstring. The string that holds bags closed and keeps clothing on can easily snap. Extend the life of your belongings after a break by replacing the drawstrings in backpacks, sweatpants, and hoodies with paracord.
• Footwear. One of the first applications of paracord outside of parachute cords was when members of the military started using it to lace up their boots. Paracord's toughness and durability make it an excellent substitute for standard cotton laces in shoes or boots. You can even secure flip-flops using paracord.
• Better Grip. Strengthen your grip by wrapping paracord around the handles of tools, like knives or axes, as well as steering wheels and vehicle grab handles.
• Bag Handles. You can reinforce bag handles and make them more comfortable by weaving paracord around them. You can also add handles to bags or bundles, like sleeping bags or laundry bags. Using paracord of different colors can make a plain bag easy to identify.
• Thread. The list of things you can do with paracord grows as you take it apart. Remove the inner strings of paracord from the outer sheath, and you have strong sewing threads which are perfect for stitching together sturdy materials like upholstery, leather, canvas, and vinyl.
• Cord Supports. Protect charging cords and electronic cables from wear and tear by using paracord. As a bonus, you can color-code individual wires to personalize the tech accessories in a shared home or office space.

Crafty Things to Do With Paracord

Other projects use paracord to make new items rather than strengthening or repairing existing ones. It was only a matter of time for creative crafters to start working their magic and come up with even more everyday uses for paracord.

Paracord Uses for Personal Items

Paracord is a natural choice for any clothing or accessories that could use some stretch, like belts and suspenders. Paracord is ideal for face mask loops that go behind the ears and sleep masks that go around the head, as well as hair ties.

One of the most popular paracord crafts is a strap for any item that one might carry in their pocket or bag to grab hold of quickly or to give better visibility, such as a key ring. Another useful thing to do with paracord is to make a neck strap. These help keep easily lost items such as masks, sunglasses, and cameras with you at all times.

What else can you do with paracord? Braiding or weaving intact paracord or its empty sheathing is a trendy way to create bracelets, watch straps, and headbands. This method can also be used to form a fitted holder, with or without a carabiner, for water bottles, mint tins, hand sanitizers, lighters — anything you want to find and keep.

Everyday Uses For Paracord Crafts Around the Home

Macrame is cool again, and crafters use paracord to create knotted wall hangings and plant or fruit hangers. It is also easy to find homemade rug ideas made using rope in a nautical or rectangular pattern.

The most popular paracord, 550 paracord, is named so because it has a tensile strength of 550 pounds and is very useful to hang heavy decor like large pictures and mirrors.

Although 550 paracord uses are extremely varied and well suited for almost anything a rope can do, one room of the house where you will want Kevlar paracord is the kitchen. This is because 550 paracord is flammable and will burn at high temperatures, while Kevlar is twice as heat resistant, up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit, so you never have to worry about it burning, even if you are using the broiler or cooking over direct high heat. You can use Kevlar to make potholders and also wrap cast iron handles with it.

Still, the Most Important Paracord Uses Involve Safety

There's a reason paracord is the favorite cordage of people who spend their time outdoors. It's a survival tool and is rightfully considered essential for its use in emergency situations. Although people continually learn how to use paracord in new ways, the best everyday use for paracord is simply to have some in your home and vehicle. You never know when you will need to tie something up or down, start a fire or create another light source (which you can do by spinning a ring of paracord fastened to a lightstick or by using reflective cord or glow-in-the-dark rope). After all, every day, you should be prepared for any day.