How To Make A Monkey Fist With A Tennis Ball?

A quick and easy guide on how to make a monkey fist with a tennis ball.

Materials

For this project you will need a tennis ball, about 4 feet of 550 paracord, and a lighter. You will also need a sharp knife to make a slit in the tennis ball.

1 tennis ball

1 length of 3/8″ rope (about 18″ long)
Monkey fists are unique, compact and make great keychains or pendants. Making them is also a simple way to use up any excess rope you might have lying around. All you need is a tennis ball and some 3/8-inch rope (about 18 inches long).

1 length of rope (3-4 ft)

-Tennis ball
-Scissors
-Lighter (optional)

Instructions:
1. Start by making a loop in the rope, leaving about 6 inches of slack. This will be the monkey fist part of the keychain.
2. Wrap the rope around the tennis ball until the entire ball is covered. It’s okay to have some slack in the wraps, as you can adjust this later.
3. Once the entire ball is wrapped, begin tucking the end of the rope into the wraps. You can use a lighter to slightly melt the end of the rope to make it easier to tuck in and secure.
4. Continue tucking and wrapping until the end is completely secure, then trim any excess rope.

Step One

You’ll need a tennis ball for this one. Start by holding the tennis ball in your dominant hand. Make a fist around the tennis ball, holding it in the center of your palm.

Make a small hole in the tennis ball. This will be the starting point for your braid.

Use a sharp knife to make a small slit in the tennis ball. The hole does not need to be large, but it should be big enough to fit the end of the rope through. Start braiding the rope through the hole, making sure to keep a tight grip on the tennis ball so that it doesn’t come undone.

Insert one end of the rope into the hole.

-Tighten the rope around the tennis ball by holding the end of the rope and winding it around the ball.
-Wind it as tight as possible.
-Leave about 6 inches of rope dangling from the end.
-Now take the long end of the rope and insert it into the hole that was just made.
-Feed it through until about 6 inches is left dangling.
-Pull on both ends of the rope until the knot is tight against the ball.

Step Two

Start by holding the tennis ball in your dominant hand. You’ll want to make sure that you’re holding it in the very center so that it’s balanced. Next, take your other hand and make a tight fist around the tennis ball.

Begin braiding the rope around the tennis ball.

Start by making a loop in the end of the rope, then thread the other end of the rope through it to form a knot. This will be the center of your monkey fist, so make sure the knot is snug against the tennis ball.

Now, take the end of the rope that is not knotted and begin braiding it around the tennis ball. The tighter you braid, the denser your monkey fist will be. After a few wraps, thread this end of the rope through the loop you made in the beginning. This will help to secure your braid and keep it from unraveling.

Continue wrapping and braiding until you have used up all of the rope or reach the desired density for your monkey fist. Once you are finished, knot this end of the rope off as well. You can trim any excess rope at this point if necessary.

As you braid, make sure to keep the rope tight against the ball.

As you braid, be sure to keep the rope tight against the ball. This will result in a tighter, more secure braid. Once you reach the end of the rope, tuck the end under one of the middle strands of rope. This will help to keep the braid from coming undone.

Step Three

This is the third and final step to making your monkey fist with a tennis ball. You will need a length of rope, a tape measure, and a tennis ball. You will also need to find a place to make your monkey fist. This can be done outside or in a large room inside. Once you have all of your materials, you are ready to start making your monkey fist.

Once you’ve reached the end of the rope, tuck the end into the braid.

With the end of the rope in your dominant hand, tuck it under the braid and then back up through the center of the braid. This will cinch the end of the braid closed.

Trim any excess rope.

Now that you have the monkey fist nice and tight, it’s time to trim any excess rope. Use a sharp knife or scissors to carefully trim away the excess rope, being careful not to cut into the tennis ball. Once you have trimmed away the excess rope, your monkey fist is complete!