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blue green pet mat

How to make a climbing rope mat

Download and print the square mat pattern (ABoK 2268) and follow the directions below to make your own climbing rope mat. Pro tip: use this cheat sheet on your first pass around to save yourself time!

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Materials needed

  • 200 - 250 ft of clean, retired climbing rope

  • 18 smooth nails

  • Wooden board 3'x3'

  • Hammer

  • Hot knife rope cutter (or other cutting tool)

  • Printed pattern and cheat sheet

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1. Create your board

  • Use your pattern to create your board. For a 3'x3' board, your pattern will be approximately 3x the size of what you print on standard letter paper. 

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2. Start the first weave

  • Start at the top of 1, bring to the bottom of 2, then up to 3. Weave through 18 and back to the start. Keep the rope tight between points 1-10 and slightly loose between points 11-18. On the second round, the rope will travel outside of points 2-10 and inside points above 11.

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3. Verify your pattern

  • Trace the rope path to make sure the over-under alternating pattern is correct. Correct any mistakes before starting the second pass.

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4. Continue to weave

Follow the pattern around and continue to repeat the weaving process. Remove nails when the rope starts to get tight on the board. Repeat process until your mat is finished, typically after the fifth layer. 

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5. Finish the ends

Trim the rope ends and melt them together to secure. If a rope cutter isn't available, tape the ends before cutting and melting with a lighter. Remove tape after cooling. Add a few stitches to further secure. And you're done!

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