Rope Brush strokes

Create a Pattern Brush to create this rope look. Add ends to the brush to create tassle ends to the rope. Draw any shape and apply the rope brush for a cool effect. 

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Start with a rectangle, filled with a color and a heavy stroke. 

Use the Free Transform Tool (E) to skew the rectangle.

Arc the top lines using the Curvature Tool, pull the top and bottom to a slight arc.

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Draw a line at the top of the rectangle. Draw another line at the bottom of the rectangle and set the stroke weight lighter. 

Select both lines and choose Object > Blend > Blend Options…. Set the spacing to Specified Steps and 5 steps. 

This will blend the lines from thicker to thinner lines. Choose Object > Blend > Expand. Choose Edit > Cut to cut the lines. 

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Select the rectangle and click on the Draw Inside Mode at the bottom of the Tool Bar. 

Choose Edit > Paste In Place to paste the lines into the shape. Click on the Draw Normal mode.  

Duplicate the shape. Draw a rectangle over the shapes to define the what the brush will use to create the pattern. Send the rectangle to the back and select all the object, then group them. 

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Open the brush Panel and drag the grouped shapes into the Brushes Panel. This New Brush dialog brush will open. Select Pattern Brush and click OK. 

Name the brush in the Pattern Brush Options. 

Draw a shape and apply the new rope brush to the stroke. If the brush appears large, set the stroke weight to a smaller size. 

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In the Brush panel and the Brush options, there are 5 boxes showing how the brush will work on the the start and finish, inside and outside corners and the straight runs. Usually three are empty; the inside corner and the start and finish ends. 

To create these missing pieces (in this case, the ends) create what you want the end to look like. OPTION/ALT + DRAG the newly created shape into the brushes panel in the appropriate location on the stroke. 

Create the other end and. OPTION/ALT + DRAG the newly created shape into the brushes panel in the appropriate location on the stroke. 

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In the Brushes panel, the sections of the Brush are: Corner, Run, Inside Corner, Start and Finish. ​

Apply the Brush to a path and you can see the ends that are applied. 

Create any path to add the Rope Brush stroke to any shape, open or closed.