Macramé is the hobby of tying knots out of cord to make decorative patterns. Thankfully, you don’t need to know lots of types of knot to get started, as most beginner macramé projects use a small number of basic knots.
There are many things you can make once you know a few common knots, including wall hangings, keyrings, coasters, bookmarks, and other decorative projects.
What Are Macramé Knots?
Macramé knots are the tied sections that create a shape and pattern of a project. Some of these knots are used in order to attach the piece to a ring or dowel. Others are used to create decorative sections such as rows, diamonds, twists, or lines.
Even the same knots can look different depending on factors such as the type of cord you use, how tightly you pull that cord, and how far the knots are spaced from each other.
For complete beginners, the most useful knots are; the lark’s head knot, the square knot, half square knot, spiral knot, half hitch knot, double half hitch knot, and gathering knot.
Lark’s Head Knot
The lark’s head knot is one of the first types of knot that beginners often learn. It is used to attach cords to a dowel or ring.
The lark’s head is often used in wall hangings, plant hangers, keyrings, and hanging decorations.
To make this knot, you fold the cord in half, place the loop over or under your support, then pull the loose ends through the loop.
Whilst it’s more of a starting knot than a proper decorative knot, it’s still important to be able to hold things in place.
Square Knot
Square knots are one of the most fundamental knots used in macramé. They are strong and simple yet still decorative.
Square knots are made out of four cords. The two middle cords stay in the centre, whilst the other two cords wrap around them.
Square knots are great for plant and wall hangers, bracelets, bag straps, keyrings, and decorative panels.
Half Square Knot
A half square knot is made from the first half of a square knot. If you repeat the same half knot, the cord will naturally start to twist, creating a spiral effect.
Half knots are great for creating spiral plant hanger sections, twisted straps, or decorative hanging cords.
This is a particularly useful knot for beginners, as it can make even a very simple project look more interesting.
Spiral Knot
The spiral knot is made by repeating half square knots in the same direction. As you keep making knots, the cord twists into a spiral shape.
This type of knot is often used in plant hangers because it adds nice decoration to the long hanging sections.
A spiral knot can be a great choice for plant hangers, hanging shelves, key chains, and straps.
Half Hitch Knot
A half hitch is a simple knot that is made by looping one cord around another. Whilst it can be used alone, it is more often used in a double half hitch knot (detailed below).
Half hitches are great for lines, curves, diagonal patterns, borders, and shaped sections. Whilst it’s more fiddly to do than a square knot, beginners can definitely master it with some practice.
Double Half Hitch Knot
The double half hitch is one of the most useful macramé knots for making lines and shapes. It is made by tying two half hitch knots around a guide cord.
This knot is most often used to make diagonal shapes, V shapes, diamonds, leaf shapes, borders, and wall hanging patterns.
The guide cord controls the direction of the line. If you hold the guide cord diagonally then the knots will form in a diagonal row. If you hold it horizontally, they will form a horizontal row instead.
Once you are comfortable making square knots first, the double half hitch is a very useful knot to learn.
Gathering Knot
A gathering knot is used to wrap several knots together. It’s often used at the top or bottom of plant hangers.
To tie this knot, you use a separate cord to wrap around a group of cords, and then tuck the end away so that it looks neat.
Gathering knots can be useful for things such as plant hangers, tassels, finishing off projects and grouping cords together. Is knot is an excellent way to make pieces look more finished.
Final Thoughts
Macramé may seem like a complicated hobby but it’s important to realise that most beginner projects are actually made out of a small set of basic knots. Once you learn the lark’s head, square, half square, spiral, half hitch, double half hitch, and gathering knot, you can make interesting beginner projects with confidence.