How to Quickly Create and Modify a Square Knot

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An easy-to-follow guide to folding and modifying square knots

Co-authored by Britt Edelen and Luke Smith, MFA

Last Updated: April 14, 2023 Fact Checked

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Need a quick knot that’ll hold fast? Look no further than the square knot, also called the reef knot! The square knot is a simple beginner’s knot with many practical uses. It’s great for connecting ropes and securing non-essentials to something like a pole or a backpack, and the square knot’s quick and easy execution makes it valuable in time-sensitive situations. We’ll walk you through 2 simple ways to tie this essential knot, as well as a few modifications to make your square knot even more reliable.

Things You Should Know

Use square knots to join 2 lengths of rope or to secure low-priority items, but avoid using it in circumstances where knot strength is essential, like climbing.
Tie a square knot with 2 different ropes, 2 ends of the same rope, or with 2 loops of rope.
Make a square knot by tying 2 half-knots—the partial knot you make when you begin to tie your shoes.
Modify your square knots by stacking half knots, or by adding an extra coil to make the stronger surgeon’s knot.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Tying a Basic Square Knot

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1
Lay the rope to your left on top of the rope to your right. In our example, we'll lay the right-hand rope (the orange rope in the above graphic) over the left-hand (yellow) rope. However, if you lay the left-hand rope over the right-hand rope instead, which may be more comfortable for some knotters, you can still tie a square knot using these directions—just reverse our instructions. If we ask you to adjust the left rope, adjust the right instead; if we ask you to tie the left rope, tie the right.^{[1]
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- Alternatively, you can tie a square knot using just one rope, too. Hold one end in your left hand (going forward, this’ll be your left-handed rope) and one end in your right hand ( this will be your right-handed rope).
The right-hand rope will now be wrapped around the left-hand rope, with the end of the right-hand rope positioned beneath the left-hand rope.^{[2]
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3
Bring the right-hand rope back over the left-hand rope. Both ends of the ropes are now facing upward, and the right-hand rope has made 1 complete twist around the left-hand rope. At this point, you have what is known as a “half knot.” If you were to repeat the steps above again, you'd have tied an overhand knot^{[3]
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- Note that these first 3 steps for making a square knot are the same as you'd use for tying your shoes.
The end of the right-hand rope will be on the left at the start of this step, but it's still the rope that was originally on the right, so it's the rope you'll lay over the top here.^{[4]
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This is virtually the same as in Step 2, just mirrored in the opposite direction since the original right-hand rope is now coming from the left. This knot is essentially the same knot twice, but in different directions each time.^{[5]
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You now have four emerging lengths of rope: the two ends you used to tie the knot, and the rest of the two ropes. Pull all four "slack" lengths of rope with equal force. If you don't, the knot may not hold its shape and may even come apart as you tighten it.^{[6]
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Check and untie your square/reef knot. From the front, your square knot should look like the one in the graphic above—a neat, even knot resembling two loops, with one loop wrapping around the base of the other. Then, untying the square knot is simple—just grab the round part of each loop in your hands and pull in opposite directions. The knot will come apart easily.^{[7]
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- If you want to tie a stronger knot, opt for knots like bowlines, or a climbing knot like a figure eight follow-through knot.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using an Alternate Method

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1
Form a loop with the left-hand rope, with the end positioned under the rest of the rope.. Start with one rope in each hand (as you would in the method above) and fold the left-hand rope on top of itself to make a good-sized loop. This loop is called a “bight.”^{[8]
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- This method will make a knot that's identical to the one in the method above.
- As above, you can make a loop with the right-hand rope and reverse the directions to get the same knot.
Pretend you’re threading a needle, with the looped rope as the eye of the needle. For the next several steps, curl your left index finger around the base of the loop to keep it together.^{[9]
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Thread the right-hand rope through the loop. Pull it down and through—it should pass under the lower' half of the left-hand loop.^{[10]
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Pull the right-hand rope (the one that's threaded through the loop) and bring it up over the two ropes that come together at the base of the loop. If you're holding the loop in your left hand as directed, this will be at the left side of the loop. When you're done, the right-hand rope should be above the loop.^{[11]
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Finally, take the end of the right-hand rope (which is now to the left of the loop) and put it under the upper part of the loop. This mirrors the motion you made earlier on the bottom half of the loop. At this point, the right-hand rope is back "inside" the loop. Pull the right-hand rope through the loop.^{[12]
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Congratulations! Your knot should be exactly the same as the one you made in the method above. You can use either method to tie a square knot, so familiarize yourself and use whichever feels more comfortable to you.^{[13]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Modifying Your Square Knot

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1
Add extra half knots for added support. To make your square knot a little stronger: once you’ve tightened your knot, repeat the over-and-under half knot pattern to create an additional half knot on top of the square knot. You can "stack" as many of these half knots as you'd like to give your knot additional strength.^{[14]
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- Note that even "stacking" square knots in this way won't make your knot safe for critical usage. Don't use square knots (even stacked ones) for securing heavy loads or dangerous objects—they can (and do) fail. Instead, use a more secure knot like a Carrick bend or a Double Fisherman's knot.
Another way to make your ordinary square knot a little stronger is to make what's called a surgeon's knot. To do this, after you wrap your right-hand rope over and under the left hand rope the first time, wrap it over and under again to create a second coil. After this, repeat the rest of the steps exactly as you normally would. You don't have to add an extra coil when you make the second half knot.^{[15]
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3
Use loops (rather than individual ropes) for the entire square knot. To tie this variation, simply start with one loop in each hand and treat each as you would treat individual ropes in the standard square knot instructions. In other words, the right-hand loop becomes the right-hand rope and the left-hand loop becomes the left-hand rope and the instructions are followed identically.^{[16]
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- If you have long lengths of rope to use up (like, for instance, if your shoe laces are too long), you may want to try making a square knot with loops of rope (also called "bights") rather than single lengths of rope.

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How do I make a square knot with very thin material?

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You do it the same way you would do it with a thick rope.

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How do I make a sliding knot?

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Start by making a loop and stick your two fingers through the hole. After that, grab the continuing string and pull through. Now you can pull that string to make the hole larger or smaller.

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How do I make a square knot for Afghan fringe?

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Roll up the Afghan. Place it on a table with a piece of cardboard under it with the fringe pointing away from you. Macrame supplies include a T-pin. Twist a bundle of fringe fibers together for a few inches; two to six strands, depending on the size knot desired. Use an overhand knot to hold the twist together. Repeat for the width of the fringe, securing each knot with a T-pin into the cardboard. Release the first two T-pins. Make the first right over left move and pull snug, but don't allow the knot to cause a pucker. Secure the first move with a T-pin. Advance to the left over right move, and snug down to form the first Square knot. Remove the T-pin for this knot and repeat across the rug.

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Tips

This is a good knot for tying boxes and bundles because it is flat and doesn't stick out.

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After you've tied the first half of the knot, an easy way to remember which way the rest of it goes is to remember that the end that's lying on top then continues going on top, over the other one (see the yellow end in the photo in Step 3, above).

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If you have difficulty learning to tie this knot, using two ropes of different colors (as shown in the pictures) can help you keep them straight.

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Warnings

This bears repeating: the square/reef knot is not designed to be used under high strain; a strong force pulling on either end can pull the knot apart. Other knots, such as the sheet bend or fisherman's knot, can handle stronger loads

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This knot works because the friction between the two rope ends holds the knot together. Therefore, it is not usually suitable for slippery ropes, such as nylon.

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