Summary: Photos and how-to knot tying videos of our favourite decorative knots showing step by step how to tie them.  We'll show you how to tie  the Monkey's Fist, Turk's Head, Round Plait, Shamrock Knot,  etc. 

There are several lifetime's worth of decorative knot tying to be learned - This page only covers a few basics with its knot videos.  Please check out some of the books we recommend below - you'll be Amazed at what can be done with rope and knotting!

Quick Navigation: Main Knots Page | Bends | Decorative | Hitches | Knots | Loops | Splices | Other

Books on Knots and Marlinspike we think are useful

Chain Plait - A decorative series of knots

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Crown and Wall Knot - A decorative way of securing multiple strands of rope.  In the photo above, you can see it in the last two rows below the Turk's Head knot at the neck of the bottle.

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Good Luck Loop - A decorative knot, based on the Japanese Knot, used for forming a loop at the end of a line.  The reason for its being considered decorative is because it can be extremely difficult to untie after tension has been applied, thus it is not very practical (but it looks nice!).

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Japanese Knot / Square Knot - A decorative knot forming a square shape.

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Monkey's Fist - A functional and decorative knot commonly found in heaving lines, sometimes with a stone or ball bearing in the center to give it some weight.  The knot in the photo is  part of a Morning Star that I made 10 or so years ago (used only for beating the dust out of boat carpets!) - it has a golf ball in the center.  I also use them at the end of a buoyant heaving line to give a person in the water something to grip while being dragged along.

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Ocean Plait - A decorative flat laying mat. (no photo at the moment)

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Round Plait - A decorative flat laying mat.

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Shamrock Knot / True Lover's Knot - A decorative knot that intertwines two thumb knots to form a shamrock shape.

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Turk's Head Knot - a decorative knot that is initially formed in a cylinder and then, if desired, can be worked into a spherical form similar to the Monkey's Fist.

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Turk's Head Knot - Flat / Plait - A decorative version of the Turk's Head knot that is tied in the form of a mat or plait.  It can then be collapsed into the cylindrical form if desired.

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Thanks for taking a look at our decorative knots page.  If you have any questions or comments, would like to see any additional decorative knot tying instructions, please contact us!