How to Make a Whip

Making the Base of the Whip

Purchase your 50 foot (15 m) of ⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) thick rope. Head to a crafts store for the best selection. In terms of rope type, you can choose whatever kind you want—solid braid nylon works great for its softness. Swap your rope with paracord if you'd like.

Fold your rope into a 25 foot (7.6 m) long loop. Lay all 50 feet (15 m) of your rope straight onto a flat surface. Start by crouching in front of one of the open ends—this is the running end, which is the part of the rope used to tie the knot. Now, pull the opposing open end down to the left all the way to the running end to create a 25 foot (7.6 m) long loop made of 2 parallel pieces of rope. Make sure the loop is as narrow possible.

Mark the distance 5 feet (1.5 m) up from the running end. Use a measuring tape to determine the distance 5 feet (1.5 m) from the running end. Now, mark this spot with a permanent marker. Make sure you have 2 loose ends of the rope in front of you. Confirm that the loose end on the right is the running end with the mark 5 feet (1.5 m) up from it.

Fold the standing end of the rope to the tip of the running end 4 times. The standing end of the rope is the portion of the rope that isn't actively involved in knot tying, which is everything above the 5 foot (1.5 m) mark. Start by pressing down on this mark with a finger on your right hand. Now, use your left hand to pull the rope above this point down to the left tip of the running end. Make the fold all the way to the running end to create a loop and make sure it's as narrow as possible. Repeat this process 3 more times. After this step, note the number of 5 foot (1.5 m) long loops in front of you—there should be 4. Each of them should be parallel to the 2 loose ends of the rope to the right.

Reorient your rope into a star formation. Also called a pentaradial formation, the star formation is when 5 parts are connected at a central axis. Move each of the loops outward about 72 degrees apart. You can measure these angles with a protractor or just use your best judgment. If you're confused about the star formation, think of a sea starfish! The arms of the star formation should be made of 4 loops and 1 pair of parallel ropes, one of which is the running end. To create a star formation, you can also take a straight horizontal measurement between each loop and make sure they're equal.

Create a Chinese good luck knot. To do this, press down on the top of the loop with the running end about 5 inches (13 cm) down toward you from the center of the star. Now, take the all of the rope below this point and bend them to the right to cross the neighboring rope loop. Continue this pattern in a counterclockwise direction, crossing each loop over the loop next to it. Once you reach the starting point, stop. Be sure that each loop intersects roughly perpendicular with the loop next to it to make a "X" shape.

Tuck the final looped end through the first loop. After you get to the starting point, take the last loop you crossed over and tuck it underneath the loop created by the first crossover. Once it's tucked under, straighten it out and angle it perpendicular to the arm of the star it's crossing over. The loop created by the first crossover should look roughly like a triangle.

Pull the ends outward to create a Chinese good luck knot. Start by pressing firmly down on one of the crossed sections where the ropes overlap with your non-dominant hand. Now, pull the end outward away from the center of the star. Repeat this process for each of the other ends, moving counterclockwise around the star. Afterward, you'll have a Chinese good luck knot, which is the woven square in the middle of your loops. Pull the ends outward by the same length to create a proper knot.

Creating the Whip Handle and Lashes

Twist two 5 foot (1.5 m) long ropes together. Align the ropes parallel and twist them together once 3 inches (7.6 cm) from the center using your thumb and forefinger. Now, twist the top rope clockwise and then pull it over the rope below it so that it faces you. Slide your thumb and forefinger up to hold the twist in place. Twist the second rope in the same way, pulling it over the rope underneath it. Continue twisting your ropes over each other until you have 6 inches (15 cm) of twisted rope. Use ⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) thick rope for the best results. Use you’re the thumb and forefinger of your non-dominant hand to hold each twist together and prevent your ropes from loosening and coming apart.

Create a loop using the 6 inches (15 cm) of twisted rope. Once you're done cording your 6 inches (15 cm) of twisted rope, grab this portion in the center and band it into a loop. Afterward, you should have 3 inches (7.6 cm) of rope from each end of the top of the loop. Hold the loop together using your thumb, index, and middle fingers.

Tie a double overhand knot at the bottom of the loop created. Point your left index finger to the right. Hold the untwisted rope diagonally across your left index finger with the loop pointing to the top-right. Wrap the loop clockwise around it until it faces your chest. Afterward, wrap it across the untwisted rope diagonally to the top-left and wrap it once around your finger until it points to the top-left again. Now, insert the knot through the opening that is at the top of the untwisted rope. Work slowly when inserting the loop through the opening.

Tuck the corded loop into the back of the Chinese good luck knot. Be sure that only the loop is pressed through—the remainder of the rope should stay hanging below the knot. Adjust the knot by pulling the rope pairs outward from the center. This will ensure that it maintains a firm appearance. To locate the back of the knot, hold it up so that the rope loops hang to the ground—the back is the part that faces the ground with the loops.

Create the handle from 10 consecutive Chinese good luck knots. Start with the unlooped strip of rope and cross it over the rope next to it. Keep moving in a counterclockwise rotation, crossing the next rope over the rope following it. Continue until you reach the beginning. Now, tuck the final loop into the original loop you created. Repeat this process about 10 times, making sure each knot is on top of the previous one. As you move through this process, take care to weave around the double-overhand knot and the rope lashes that extend from the knot. Afterward, the 10 knots should look like a handle, with the corded loop at the top and the lashes of the whip underneath it. Once you've created the knots, press the resulting handle onto a flat surface with the palm of your hand until it takes on a cylindrical appearance.

Create the lashes with a pair of scissors. Start by finding and cutting the loops that are hanging from the handle. Afterward, all of the rope hanging from the whip handle should have free ends. Now, make a horizontal cut across the lash rope extending from the handle about 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) from the bottom of the free ends. Don't worry if the lashes aren't perfectly even.