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How to Make a Yo-Yo String

A yo-yo is a toy that uses simple physics to stun audiences and entertain people for hours. But a yo-yo isn't any fun without its string. If your yo-yo string breaks, you don't have to go out and buy a new one: creating a yo-yo string is a relatively simple process that requires only a little skill and some easy-to-obtain supplies.

Things You'll Need

Hammer
Nail
4-inch-by-4-inch scrap board
Coat hanger
Wire cutters
2 bobbins of overlock polyester thread
Cordless drill

Instructions

- 1
  Hammer a nail into the center of your 4-inch-by-4-inch board.
- 2
  Cut off a four-inch segment of the wire coat hanger with your wire cutters. Bend two inches of one end to create a hook. Insert the straight end into the head of the cordless drill and tighten the drill head until the hook is secure.
- 3
  Tie one end of the overlock thread to the nail.
- 4
  To ensure a perfect fit, your yo-yo string should be three inches longer than the distance from your waist to the floor. Pull the string so that it roughly measures double the length of the yo-yo string you would like as your final product, plus 10 inches. (The final yo-yo string will be doubled over for strength, and will lose about 10 inches in length during the twisting process.) But do not cut the thread. Loop the end of the string around the coathanger hook in your drill.
- 5
  Pull the string back to the nail. Loop it around the nail.
- 6
  Repeat steps 4 and 5 roughly six more times to create a strong, sturdy string that is made out of 14 threads. Cut the string from the bobbin and tie it onto the drill's hook.
- 7
  Adjust the drill so that it is on the lowest setting. Press the lever so that it spins for one minute or until the string shortens about 10 inches.
- 8
  Remove the loop from the hook on the head of the power drill. Walk towards the nail, pinching the string at it's center. Slip the string's loop over the nail head and allow the string to twist together.
- 9
  Remove the string from the nail. The string should be doubled over so that it is less than 1/2 the length of the original string. Tie both loose ends of the string together to create a new loop that is large enough for your finger to comfortably fit into (one inch in diameter is generally standard).
- 10
  Hold the yo-yo string so that you are looking at the un-looped end. Untwist the bottom of the string to create a loop wide enough for the yo yo to fit into. Slip the loop around the girth of the yo yo and re-twist the string so that it fits tightly around the yo-yo's middle.

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