Make Tangle-Free Headphones

Everyone knows how annoying tangled headphones are. You spend 10 minutes trying to get them undone when all you want to be doing is jamming out or working out. But there is a way around it. According to Apartment Therapy, the thicker your headphones are, the less they will tangle. So an easy fix? Embroider your headphones!

In the picture, that knot is called the Chinese Staircase, and it’s fairly easy to do. Especially if you have some background in making string or friendship bracelets, as most people call them. And basically the headphones become just another string that you pass over. You can probably just use string you have at home, or stores like Michaels you can buy floss for less than $1 a color.

To do the Chinese Staircase, start out with three strings. You can do more if you already know how to do it, but for beginners having three strings is enough. In this case, you can either do one color (especially guys, you probably won’t want to have rainbow colored headphones), or you can switch. If you plan on doing on color, you can just buy three of the same color string, or when cutting it, make the color you want longer than the others.

When you cut the string, make sure it’s three times the length of your headphones, as instructions say to make sure that the string is 3 times the length of what you are trying to make. That’s why in the picture the string is wrapped around the wrist three times, so that it is long enough for a bracelet. It is always better to have too much than too little. I’ve made many friendship bracelets where I ran out of string too early, and it is frustrating. So measure the length of your headphones, and cut the string when it’s three times that length.

To start, double knot your strands together. With the headphones, just double knot around the wire.

Stabilize the knot so it won’t move around while you’re pulling strings and everything. Tape usually works fine.

Now loop the first color (the color you want to show up), so that it looks like a 4. Make sure to cross it over and under all the strings you are using, not just one. And the headphones, of course.

Now pull the string through the hole of the 4, and pull. When you’re pulling, make sure to keep the strings you’ve crossed over horizontal by holding on to them tightly, and have the other string vertical. This will make sure the right color shows up.

Keep repeating this step. If you want to change colors, repeat 10-15 times and then switch the string you are crossing over with. If it’s all the same color, just make sure the string is long enough.

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As you go along, make sure that you can see the design. It should be like a staircase spiraling down your headphones. Keep going until you’ve covered the headphones!

Tips from wikihow, inspiration from here and here.