My Top 10 Macramé Tips and Tricks That You Should Know
Macramé is manna for the soul, a space where you can let your mind wander and recharge.
Struggling with fraying or tangled cords or a fringe that just won’t do what you want it to, defeats that purpose.
That’s why we rounded up our favorite macramé tips and tricks to make your life easier.
With these tricks up your sleeve, you’ll macramé like a master and avoid unnecessary hassle as you enjoy the flow of knotting.
If you’d like more tips and tricks, why not join our Bochiknot Macramé community on Patreon?
Here, we share new, exclusive projects and techniques regularly, along with step-by-step tutorials so you can fast-track your progress from beginner to macramé master.
You also get access to an entire community of knotters and one-on-one support from me.
Maybe you’re new to macramé, and not sure that you like it yet? We have just the thing for you.
Our Kami Wall Hanging Starter Kit is a beginner-friendly kit containing everything you need for a small macramé project.
Here, you get a step-by-step guide and access to a video tutorial, along with all the materials and supplies you need for the project.
It covers the six basic knots of macramé, and it’s easy enough for just about anyone to complete.
At the same time, it’s involved enough to give you a good feel for what macramé is all about.
And with that, let’s jump into our top 10 macramé tips and tricks:
Top 10 Macrame Tips and Tricks
Tip 1: Measuring cord doesn’t have to take forever. If your project requires many cords of the same length, we have a shortcut.
Tape two dowel sticks to your working surface, at half the cord length you need. Now, wrap your cord around these dowels, once for each cord length you need. Cut through all the loops at once.
Voila!
There you have all the cords you need at precisely the right length.
Tip 2: Making a straight row of double half hitch knots can be tricky, especially if you’re new to macramé.
Use a dowel stick to ease this process: place the dowel where you aim to create the row of double half hitch knots and get started!
Tip 3: Cutting the fringe on your latest creation can be a pain in the neck because the fringe is always moving or shifting.
Use tape to hold the fringe in place, then cut underneath the tape.
Now, you have a perfect fringe that didn’t move around as you cut it.
Tip 4: Still struggling to cut the fringe straight?
Use a working cord to tie the fringe together, then cut the fringe underneath the knot.
When you undo the knot, the fringe should be reasonably straight. You can always trim this a bit until you’re satisfied.
Tip 5: We all make mistakes, and sometimes that means untying an entire section of work. Luckily, it doesn’t always have to be a mission.
To untie a row of double half-hitch knots, pull on the anchor cord. The entire row should loosen up easily.
Tip 6: Measuring the right cord length can be tricky, especially if you’re creating your own design instead of following someone else’s pattern.
Luckily, there’s a hack for that:
The number of knots you’re using determines the amount of cord you need.
A good rule of thumb is to measure cords at least four times the desired length of your project.
Double the length if you’re attaching these cords with lark’s head knots.
For simple projects that use simple knots and have lots of fringe and space in the design, 3.5 times the project length will suffice.
Intricate projects would need 4.5 times the project length.
Tip 7: Cord often unravels while you’re working on a project.
To stop this from happening when you’re working with a 3-ply cord, knot the cord ends or wrap them in tape.
Tip 8: When working on a large project, you have insanely long cord lengths lying around.
These often get tangled up, and it’s a mission to keep things neat as you work.
So, why not roll these long cords into balls and tie them with a rubber band? This keeps the cords neat.
As you progress with the project and need more cord to work with, pull a bit from the balls.
Tip 9: Struggling to create even spacing between your knot patterns?
Use a spacer! Here, you could use a ruler or dowel or cut a piece of cardboard to the desired size.
Now, you can create perfectly spaced patterns in your macramé masterpiece.
Tip 10: Fringes on completed projects often does what hair does at the beach: fly everywhere and look like a mess.
To prevent this from happening, steam and brush the fringe, then treat it with some fabric stiffener or hair spray.
Now, you have a perfect fringe that will stay put, no matter what.
And there you have it! We hope these tips and tricks help you along your knotting journey :)
Much love,
Thank you so much for very useful tips. I love Macrame craft.
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