How to Tie a Roman Knot Cincture

A roman knot cincture is a rope belt that is worn as part of a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical vestments or with the habits of a nun or monk. They are tied with a number of knots equal to the number of vows the person made when she entered her Order. Tie your own Roman knot cincture to wear as a part of your vestments, or make one to wear with a monk costume.

Take one tasselled end of the rope cincture and hold it in your left hand. Wrap the rope over your left hand index and ring fingers and bring the rope back up around your fingers. Cross the rope over the first loop at an angle facing your thumb and loop it back around your fingers. Cross the rope over itself three times in this manner.

Pick up the other end of the rope cincture and insert it through the three slanted wraps of the rope and pull it through while you remove your two fingers and hold onto the wraps with your thumb to keep them in place.

Pull both ends of the rope taught to tighten the knot. If you did it properly, the three wraps will be in a neat row and form a barrel shaped knot. Tie a number of knots equal to the number of vows you made or the number of vows your character made if you are wearing a costume.

Hold the both tasselled ends of the cincture up to each other and place them in your left hand. Take a hold of the looped end of the other side of the rope with your right hand and wrap the rope around your waist, holding the ends at equal lengths in front of you.

Drape the tasselled end over your left arm. With your left hand, pick up the loop in the end of the rope and bring it up over your right wrist. Slip the loop over your right hand. Pick up the tasselled end and insert it through the loop. Feed the rope through the top of the loop and down towards your feet. Tighten the loop to finish tying the cincture.