You’re probably looking at a pile of twine or a hole in an old soccer goal and wondering how to sew a net. It looks like a magic trick. You see a series of interlocking diamonds that somehow hold together under pressure, and it feels like you need a degree in topology to figure it out. Honestly? It’s just one knot. Over and over. If you can tie your shoes, you can do this, but you’ve got to get the rhythm right or you’ll end up with a tangled mess that looks more like a spiderweb on caffeine than a functional tool.
Net making—or "netting" as the old salts call it—is one of those ancient human skills that hasn't changed much since the Mesolithic era. We’ve found fragments of nets in Finland that date back to 8300 BC. They used willow bark. You’ll probably use nylon or polyethylene. The physics remains the same. You are essentially creating a flexible fabric by knotting a single continuous strand of twine into a grid.
It’s tactile. It’s meditative. And it's incredibly frustrating for the first twenty minutes.
The Gear You Actually Need
Forget those massive industrial looms. To sew a net by hand, you need two basic tools: a shuttle (often called a netting needle) and a gauge (sometimes called a mesh stick).
The shuttle holds your twine. It’s a flat, elongated bobbin that lets you pass a large amount of cord through small holes without it snagging. You can buy these in plastic for a few bucks, but the wooden ones feel way better in the hand. If you’re feeling crafty, you can even carve one out of a piece of bamboo or scrap wood.
The gauge is even simpler. It’s just a flat piece of wood or plastic that determines the size of your mesh. If you want two-inch holes, you use a two-inch gauge. People use anything—popsicles sticks, rulers, even credit cards. The width of the gauge is what matters because the twine wraps around it to ensure every single diamond in your net is the exact same size. If your gauge isn't consistent, your net will look lopsided and won't hang straight. That’s the first big mistake beginners make.
Getting Started: The Foundation Row
Everything starts with a "setup" line. You can't just knit into thin air. Most people tie a heavy cord between two chairs or use a doorknob. This is your "headrope."
You’ll start by tying a series of loops onto this rope. This is the only part that feels different from the rest of the process. You’re basically creating a row of "ears" for the rest of the net to hang onto.
- Wind your twine onto the shuttle. Don't overfill it, or it won't pass through the loops easily.
- Tie the end of the twine to your headrope.
- Hold your gauge up against the rope.
- Bring the shuttle down behind the gauge, up through the loop you just made, and pull it tight.
Repeat this until you have the width you want. If you want a net that’s ten diamonds wide, make ten loops. It’s that simple. Well, sort of. You have to keep the tension consistent. If you pull one loop tight and leave the next one loose, the net will fail the moment you put any weight in it.
How to Sew a Net with the Sheet Bend
This is the "meat" of the project. The Sheet Bend (or the Weaver’s Knot) is the standard. It’s secure, it doesn't slip, and it’s relatively easy to untie if you catch a mistake early.
Once you finish your first row, you turn around and go back the other way. You take your shuttle, pass it through the first loop of the previous row, and pull it down until it hits the top of your gauge. Now, here is the trick: you have to trap the twine.
Hold the loop against the gauge with your thumb. This is non-negotiable. If you let go, the knot will slide. Toss the twine to the left to form a big circle. Bring the shuttle behind the two strands of the loop and then back through that circle you just made. Pull it tight toward you.
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Snap.
That little "snap" sound is the sign of a good knot. If it feels mushy, you probably didn't cross the threads right. You’ll do this thousands of times. It becomes a rhythm. Loop, thumb, circle, pull. Loop, thumb, circle, pull.
Why Your Fingers Will Hurt
Your pinky and thumb do most of the work. The twine—especially if it’s nylon—is abrasive. Professional net makers often tape their fingers or wear thin leather guards. If you’re sewing a large net, like a volleyball net or a large fishing cast net, you’re looking at hours of repetitive motion.
Also, watch out for "twine twist." As you pull cord off the shuttle, it naturally starts to twist and kink. Every few minutes, let the shuttle hang and spin out the tension. If you don't, the knots will start to flip over on themselves, and you'll end up with "thieves"—knots that look right but slide when pulled.
Fixing the "Belly" and Adding Shaping
If you just sew row after row, you get a flat rectangle. That’s fine for a fence or a goal. But what if you want a bag or a circular net?
This is where "creasing" and "bating" come in. These are just fancy terms for adding or subtracting loops. To widen a net, you tie two knots into a single loop from the row above. This adds a new column of diamonds. To narrow it, you take two loops together and tie them into one knot.
This is how you make a basketball net that tapers toward the bottom. It’s also how you make a round cast net that opens like a parachute. If you’re making a hammock, you actually want to stay straight, but you might use a thicker gauge in the middle to give it a "pocket" so you don't roll out.
Mending: The Skill Nobody Practices
Most people learn how to sew a net because they want to fix an existing one. Mending is actually harder than making a net from scratch.
When a net rips, it doesn't break in clean squares. It’s a jagged mess of "halves" and "bars." You have to cut the hole back into a clean shape—usually a diamond or a series of steps—before you can sew in a patch.
The rule of thumb for mending is to always start at a "three-legger" (a knot with three strands still attached) and end at a "three-legger." If you try to tie into a "two-legger," the whole thing will unspool the second it hits the water or a ball strikes it.
You’re basically recreating the missing diamonds. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle where you have to manufacture the pieces as you go. It’s deeply satisfying to see a gaping hole disappear into a seamless pattern.
Materials Matter More Than You Think
Don't use cotton. Just don't.
It looks cool and vintage, but the moment cotton gets wet, it stretches and starts to rot. Unless you’re making a decorative net for a kid's bedroom to hold stuffed animals, stay away from natural fibers.
- Nylon: The gold standard. It’s strong, has a bit of stretch (which absorbs impact), and is easy to find. It does sink in water, though.
- Polyethylene (PE): This stuff is stiff and a bit plastic-y. It’s great for heavy-duty bird netting or soccer goals because it stands up to UV rays really well.
- Dyneeema/Spectra: This is the high-end stuff. It’s incredibly thin but stronger than steel. It’s also very expensive and slippery, so your knots have to be perfect or they will slide.
If you’re just practicing, grab a roll of #18 braided nylon mason line from the hardware store. It’s cheap, bright, and holds a knot like a champ.
The Common Pitfalls
Newbies always make the same three mistakes.
First: The "Sliding Knot." If you don't pinch the twine against the gauge, the knot will form slightly above or below where it should be. This makes your diamonds uneven.
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Second: Winding the shuttle wrong. If you wind it like a sewing machine bobbin, it’ll twist. You have to wind it in a figure-eight pattern around the center tongue of the shuttle.
Third: Losing count. It’s remarkably easy to skip a loop when you’re in the zone. You’ll get to the end of a row and realize you’re one loop short. There is no easy fix—you have to untie back to the mistake.
Actionable Steps to Get Started
You don't need a workshop to do this. You can start tonight.
- Make your gauge: Cut a strip of stiff plastic (like a yogurt lid) or a piece of wood. Make it about 5 inches long and 1 inch wide. This will give you 2-inch mesh.
- Load your shuttle: Get some mason line and wind it onto a netting needle. If you don't have a needle yet, you can use a small popsicle stick with notches cut in the ends as a temporary measure.
- Set your anchor: Tie a string between two points at chest height.
- Practice the Sheet Bend: Don't worry about making a whole net yet. Just practice tying one loop to another. Focus on the "pinch" with your thumb.
- Build a "Washcloth": Try to make a net that is only 10 diamonds wide and 10 rows deep. It’ll give you a feel for the edges—which are the hardest part to keep neat.
Once you’ve got the rhythm, you can move on to bigger projects. A simple forage bag is a great second project. It’s just a tube of netting with a drawstring at the top.
Netting is a slow craft. It’s not about speed; it's about the integrity of the knot. Every knot you tie is a tiny insurance policy against the net falling apart. Take your time, keep your tension even, and watch the diamonds grow. It's one of the few things in this world that is exactly as strong as the work you put into it. No shortcuts. Just string and patience.