Macrame Patterns
Start from one of our own patterns (wall hangings, plant hangers, keychains, a bracelet, a bookmark or a garland) or write your own: the number of hanging ends, then one row of knots per line. The chart draws the cords from top to bottom with every knot over the ends it uses, numbers the ends and rows, and writes the steps for you. Use square knots and sinnets, spirals, half hitch chains, rows of double half hitches, gathering knots and overhand knots. The cord calculator says how many cords to cut and how long, using the 4 times rule of thumb, and the PDF for US Letter or A4 holds the chart, the cords and the steps.
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Steps
Pattern
SK = square knot (4 ends), SK4 = a sinnet of 4; SP12 = spiral of 12 half knots; HH = half hitch (2 ends); DHH>8 = double half hitches across 8 ends; GK8 = gathering knot; OK4 = overhand knot; _2 = skip 2 ends; *4 repeats a knot 4 times.
Cord length
Runs in your browser with our own code: nothing is uploaded and nothing is saved. The starter patterns are our own. You may use what you make here, including commercially, with no credit needed.
How to make a macrame pattern
- Choose a starter pattern, or type the number of hanging ends and your own knot rows.
- Check the chart: each box is one knot over the ends it uses, read from the top down.
- Type the knotted length, the loose length and the fringe to get the length of each cord.
- Read the steps under the chart, or download the PDF with the chart, the cords and the steps.
- Cut the cords, mount them and tie the rows in order.
What you can use it for
- Planning a wall hanging before buying cord
- Working out cord for a plant hanger
- Keychains and bracelets for gifts and markets
- Workshop and class handouts
- Writing down a pattern you made up
- Trying a new knot sequence on paper first
Starter patterns
| Pattern | Project | Hanging ends | Cords to cut | Knots used | Each cord | Cord in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square knot net wall hanging | Wall hanging | 16 | 8 folded | LH, SK | 310 cm | 24.8 m |
| Diamond wall hanging | Wall hanging | 16 | 8 folded | LH, DHH, SK | 350 cm | 28 m |
| Spiral fringe wall hanging | Wall hanging | 12 | 6 folded | LH, SP, SK | 330 cm | 19.8 m |
| Chevron bars wall hanging | Wall hanging | 12 | 6 folded | LH, DHH, SK | 280 cm | 16.8 m |
| Tiered fringe wall hanging | Wall hanging | 20 | 10 folded | LH, DHH, SK, HH | 340 cm | 34 m |
| Classic plant hanger | Plant hanger | 16 | 8 folded | GK, SP, SK | 710 cm | 56.8 m |
| Simple plant hanger | Plant hanger | 8 | 4 folded | GK, SK | 640 cm | 25.6 m |
| Mini plant hanger | Plant hanger | 12 | 6 folded | GK, HH, SK | 410 cm | 24.6 m |
| Square knot keychain | Keychain | 4 | 2 folded | LH, SK, OK | 86 cm | 1.7 m |
| Spiral keychain | Keychain | 4 | 2 folded | LH, SP, GK | 84 cm | 1.7 m |
| Square knot bracelet | Bracelet | 4 | 4 single | OK, SK | 68 cm | 2.7 m |
| Bookmark | Bookmark | 6 | 3 folded | LH, SK, OK | 142 cm | 4.3 m |
| Feather strip | Wall hanging | 10 | 5 folded | LH, DHH, HH | 180 cm | 9 m |
| Mini garland | Garland | 8 | 4 folded | LH, SK, GK | 94 cm | 3.8 m |
The starter patterns are our own. Cord figures use each pattern’s own lengths with a 10 cm mount allowance and no spare; change them in the calculator.
Knots in the chart
| Code | Knot | Ends it uses | How it is tied |
|---|---|---|---|
| LH | Lark’s head mount | 2 (one cord folded) | Fold the cord, loop it over the dowel and pull the ends through the loop |
| SK | Square knot | 4 | The outer ends tie a left half knot, then a right half knot, around the two middle ends |
| SP | Spiral | 4 | The same half knot again and again, so the column twists |
| HH | Half hitch | 2 | One end loops around its neighbour |
| DHH | Double half hitch row | Any | One end is held across the others and each end ties two half hitches over it |
| GK | Gathering knot | Any | A separate cord wraps tightly around a bundle of ends |
| OK | Overhand knot | Any | The ends are tied together in a simple knot |
A number after the code sets the size, such as SK6 for a sinnet of six square knots, DHH>8 for a row across eight ends, or _2 for two ends left loose.
Cord length, worked out
| Knotted length | Loose length | Fringe | Cords | Each end | Each cord | To cut |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 cm | 10 cm | 20 cm | folded (+10 cm mount) | 150 cm | 310 cm | 8 cords, 24.8 m |
| 60 cm | 60 cm | 15 cm | folded (+10 cm mount) | 315 cm | 640 cm | 4 cords, 25.6 m |
| 16 cm | 0 cm | 4 cm | single | 68 cm | 68 cm | 4 cords, 2.7 m |
| 100 cm | 20 cm | 30 cm | folded (+10 cm mount) | 450 cm | 910 cm | 12 cords, 109.2 m |
Rule of thumb: each end is 4 times the knotted length plus the loose length and the fringe; a folded cord is twice that plus the mount, as in Marching North’s cord-length guide. Thick cord and tight knots use more.
Which tool to use
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| Macrame knot charts and cord lengths | This page |
| Knitting or crochet charts | Knitting Chart Maker or Crochet Chart Maker |
| Quilt blocks | Quilt Pattern Maker |
| Friendship bracelet knot patterns | Friendship Bracelet Patterns |
For other fibre crafts, try the Knitting Chart Maker, the Crochet Chart Maker or the Quilt Pattern Maker. Change cord lengths between units with CM to Inches, and pick cord colours with the Color Palette Generator.
Tips for neat macrame
- Hang the dowel at eye level so both hands are free.
- Keep the filler ends straight and the working ends doing the knotting.
- Slide each square knot up to an even gap before tightening.
- Cut a little more cord than the calculator says for your first piece.
- Trim the fringe last, once the piece hangs.
More free tools
More free craft pattern makers
Charts and calculators for crafts that run privately in your browser, with no sign-up.
Frequently asked questions
How much cord do I need for macrame?
A common rule of thumb is to cut each end 4 times the knotted length, plus any loose length and the fringe. Cords folded in half over a dowel or through a ring need twice that, plus a little for the mount. Denser knots and thicker cord use more; the filler ends inside square knots use less.
How do I read the chart?
The cords hang from the dowel or ring at the top, numbered from the left. Each box is one knot over the ends under it, and rows are tied from the top down. A tall box is a sinnet: several of the same knot stacked.
What do LH, SK and DHH mean?
LH is a lark’s head mount, SK a square knot (4 ends), SP a spiral of half square knots, HH a half hitch, DHH a row of double half hitches, GK a gathering knot and OK an overhand knot. A number after SK, SP or HH is how many are stacked; after DHH, GK or OK it is how many ends the knot takes.
How do I make alternating square knots?
Tie a row of square knots on ends 1 to 4, 5 to 8 and so on, then start the next row two ends in, on ends 3 to 6, 7 to 10 and so on. Type it as SK*4 on one line and _2 SK*3 on the next, and repeat.
Can I write my own pattern?
Yes. Type the number of hanging ends, then one row per line, such as LH*8 for the mount, then SK*4 and _2 SK*3. The tool checks that each row fits the ends and writes the steps.
What is a sinnet?
A sinnet is a chain of the same knot tied one under the other on the same ends, such as SK6 for six square knots in a column, or SP12 for a spiral of twelve half square knots.
Does the cord length include the fringe?
Yes. Type the fringe you want; it is added to every end. Choose 10% or 20% spare if you are unsure, as cord is easier to trim than to add.
Can I use inches?
Yes. Switch the units to inches; the lengths you typed are converted and the results are given in inches.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The charts are worked out and drawn by JavaScript in your browser, and the PDF is made on your device. Nothing is sent anywhere and nothing is saved when you close the page.