Have you ever wanted to try your hand at macrame only to be deterred by all those intricately detailed knots? Then you will love today’s DIY mini macrame wall hanging tutorial. Using just one knot you’ll be able to create this beautiful diamond-shaped pattern in under an hour.
I am not kidding – it’s that easy.
Once you get the hang of this one knot, then you will want to try your hand at another, and another, and another. It’s that addictive.
But before we get carried away with ourselves with all those knots 😉 let’s try learning just one simple knot to create this mini macrame wall hanging (and you’ll see what I mean about the addictive part later 😉 )
MATERIALS
You will need only 3 materials to make this piece.
- dowel (mine is 12 inches long & 1 inch thick)
- macrame cotton cord (I used a cord 0.1 inch/3mm thick)
- scissors
STEPS
Step 1: Anchor Dowel
Before you start, anchor your dowel. You can either hang it directly on the wall or lay it on a table as I did here.
If you decide to lay it down, you will need to create a temporary anchor for it. Cut a small piece of your cord, tie around the middle of the dowel and place a heavy object on the end. I used a paint can.
Step 2: Cut Cord Lengths and Attach To Dowel
To create the same pattern for this size of dowel, cut 8 cord lengths. When cutting, make sure each cord is at least 3-4 X the length that you wish to achieve in the final product. As you create your knots, the cords will get shorter and shorter along the way. My suggestion is to cut a little more than you think you need.
Once your lengths are cut, attach each one onto the dowel.
Lark’s Head Knot
To attach each cord, you will be using what’s called the lark’s head knot. So, technically, you will be learning how to create 2 knots in this tutorial 🙂
Start by folding one cord in half. Taking the folded portion, place over the dowel and then tuck it underneath. Taking the cut ends of that same cord, feed them through the opening and pull down to create your first knot.
Continue in this way until all your cords are attached.
Step 3: The Square Knot
Now, the exciting part: creating your first decorative macrame knot.
One of the most basic knots you can create is the square knot. It is exactly as you would imagine it to look like – i.e., square(ish). For this wall hanging, we will be using the square knot to create a lovely diamond pattern.
To create your first square knot, start on the left side by separating out 4 cords.
1. Taking the cord on the far left, lay it over the 3 cords to the right to create what looks like a sail on a sailboat (see step 1 in the picture below).
2. Then, taking the cord on the far right, place it on top of that same cord that came from the far left.
So far so good. Now comes the part where you create your first knot (follow the steps and the accompanying picture below):
1. Taking the end of the same cord on the far right, feed it underneath the 3 remaining cords so that the tip ends up in the middle of the ‘sail’ on the left side.
2. Pull the tip of that cord up and over the left cord.
3. Keep pulling until you have created 2 symmetrical ‘sails’ – one on the left, one on the right.
4. Now pull the outermost cords in opposing directions.
Continue pulling in opposite directions until the ‘sails’ disappear. This creates the top half of your square knot.
I left a bit of space between the dowel and the top half of the square knot, but you don’t have to.
This first ‘knot’ actually comprises the upper half of the square that you are creating.
To create the bottom half of your square knot, you will repeat the same steps with one important exception. You will start with the cord on the far right first (instead of the far left). If you started on the left again, then your knot will begin to twist. By alternating, you will ensure that the completed square lays flat.
So, let’s see what that looks like:
Pull the cords on the far left and far right in opposing directions – as you did with the upper knot – to bring the two knots close together. This is what creates the square shape of this knot, shown below.
Now that you’ve completed your first square knot, you can create all sorts of lovely patterns. To create the pattern of this particular mini macrame wall hanging, follow along with the rest of the instructions:
For this piece, you will want to create a second square knot directly below the one you’ve just created.
Repeat this pattern going across to create your first row of square knot pairs.
Step 4: Creating A Diamond Pattern
Now that you’ve mastered the square knot, it’s time to create a pattern from this knot. For this piece, you will be creating a lovely diamond shape.
To create this shape, you will begin by grouping together a different set of 4 cords for the next row.
Starting from the left side, set aside the 2 cords furthest to the left. Then group together the 4 adjacent cords to the right.
These are the 4 cords you will use to create the next pair of square knots. You can already see how this is going to create that diamond shape.
Repeat the same steps to create your pair of square knots as you did in the row above.
Continue making pairs of square knots going across to complete the second row. When you are finished, you should have 2 spare cords on the far left and two on the far right.
When beginning your next row, simply group together the original sets of 4 cords.
Make your next row of paired square knots.
Make as many rows as you like, alternating your grouping of cords as you go from row to row.
Step 5: Cut the Bottom Ends
Once you are happy with your pattern, cut the length of cords you want hanging along the bottom. You can cut a straight line, angled line or jagged edge with cords of different lengths (which is what I did for my macrame piece).
Step 6: Display
Now, simply attach a cord to the dowel and hang your lovely DIY mini macrame wall hanging!
The fun of creating a DIY mini macrame wall hanging like this one is that you can create lovely patterns just by using a single knot. If you do a quick google search of macrame wall hangings, you’ll be able to spot this knot being used often alongside other knots to create unique, one-of-a-kind pieces.
If you are willing to try making your own DIY version, however, you’ll find yourself wanting to learn more (and more). The variety of gorgeous patterns that you can create is simply mind-boggling!
If you haven’t yet tackled macrame, I hope this tutorial takes some of the intimidation out of it for you.
Happy macrame-making!
For more craft and decor tips from some of my other fave bloggers, see The Creative Gallery link party.
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