Creative & ArtBeginnerPreview
Macramé
A hands-on beginner course that takes you from choosing cord to finishing a complete fringed wall hanging, with every core knot taught through worked examples.
For complete beginners and casual crafters who want to make polished, sale-ready macramé wall hangings rather than tangled experiments.
Course content
Workbook & downloads
Put the course into practice — a printable workbook plus editable templates you can fill in and reuse.
Preview the workbook
This workbook turns the macramé course into hands-on practice. Work through each section alongside its matching module: plan your cord and budget, drill the knot families, follow a full wall-hanging pattern, and finish with colour and trimming. Fill in the worksheets as you go so you build a personal reference you can reuse on every future project.
Cord, Tools and Your Workspace
Plan your materials, set up your workspace, and learn to estimate cord so you never run short mid-project.
Worksheet: Cord Selection Worksheet
Before buying cord for your first project, fill in each field. Use this to choose the right fibre, ply, and diameter for the wall hanging you have in mind, and to record what you actually purchased.
- Project type (wall hanging / plant hanger / other)
- Will it have a combed fringe? (yes / no)
- Chosen fibre (cotton / jute / polyester / other)
- Chosen ply (single-twist / 3-ply / braided)
- Chosen diameter in mm (3 / 4 / 5 / 6+)
- Colour(s)
- Supplier / brand
- Price per metre
- Reason this combination fits the project
Exercise: Cord Estimation Drill
Practise the length-multiplier method on three imaginary projects before you cut anything real. Show your working for each. Remember: cords mount folded in half, so cut length is double the working length, and add fringe to each end.
- Project A: 40 cm of standard-density knotting plus 15 cm fringe. Calculate the cut length per cord using a multiplier of 6.
- Project B: 60 cm of very dense square-knot panel plus 20 cm fringe. Calculate the cut length per cord using a multiplier of 8.
- If Project A mounts 12 folded cords, how many total metres do you need to buy (round up)?
- Tie a 10 cm test section, measure the cord it consumed, and write down your own personal multiplier for that cord.
Checklist: Workspace Setup Checklist
- Mounting point chosen (dowel, branch, or ring) and within reach
- Support set up so the dowel hangs level at chest height
- Knotting area sits between collarbone and waist when upright
- Sharp fabric scissors located
- Wide-tooth comb or pet slicker brush ready for fringing
- Measuring tape and masking tape on hand for labelling bundles
- Good light on the work surface
The Square Knot Family
Drill the square knot and its alternating, spiral, and switch variations until tension and spacing are consistent.
Exercise: Square Knot Consistency Drill
On a single set of four cords mounted to your dowel, build a vertical sinnet. Focus entirely on even tension and even spacing — speed does not matter yet.
- Tie 20 full square knots in a single column. Are they evenly spaced? Note where spacing drifts.
- Identify which step is the first half and which is the mirror second half on each knot.
- Tie a second column where you deliberately alternate sides every time — confirm it stays flat.
- Tie a third column from the same side every time — confirm it spirals.
Worksheet: Variation Planning Worksheet
Plan a small sampler panel that uses all four square-knot family members. Sketch the layout in the margin and record your choices here.
- Number of cords in the sampler
- Where the flat alternating-square-knot net goes
- Row spacing for the net (tight / 2 cm / 3 cm gap)
- Where the spiral column goes and its length
- Half-knots per quarter-turn for the spiral (4 / 5 / 6)
- Where the switch-knot ladder goes and gap size
- Cords used as fillers vs working cords in each section
Checklist: Square Knot Quality Checklist
- Each square knot is two mirrored halves, not two same-side halves (unless spiralling on purpose)
- Filler cords stayed in the middle and did not get tied
- Vertical spacing between knots is even down the whole column
- Alternating-net rows borrow neighbour cords correctly
- Panel edges stayed straight (did not widen or narrow)
- Spiral lengths are at least 8 to 10 cm so the twist reads clearly
The Half-Hitch Family
Practise horizontal, diagonal, and vertical clove hitches and combine them into a diamond motif.
Exercise: Clove Hitch Bar Drill
Mount at least eight cords and practise drawing lines with the holding-cord method. Keep the holding cord taut throughout — pin or clip its end if needed.
- Tie one horizontal clove-hitch bar straight across all cords. Is the bar straight or does it bow?
- Tie a diagonal bar at roughly 45 degrees from the left. Note how the angle changes the look.
- Tie two diagonals meeting at a point to form a V.
- Lay a contrasting cord as a vertical-hitch traveller down three rows and observe the colour stripe.
Exercise: Diamond Motif Build
Combine both knot families into one self-contained diamond, following the outline-fill-close sequence from the course. Filling before closing keeps your cords accessible.
- Tie the top two diagonal bars to make an open V.
- Fill the V with alternating square knots down to the widest point.
- Tie the bottom two diagonal bars to close the diamond.
- Check symmetry: do the left and right halves mirror each other? If not, which side had looser tension?
Checklist: Half-Hitch Quality Checklist
- Each clove hitch is a full double half-hitch (two wraps), not a single wrap
- Holding cord stayed taut so bars read as crisp lines
- Diagonal bars are at a consistent angle on both sides
- Vertical traveller cord kept even width top to bottom
- Diamond outline is symmetrical left to right
- Allowed extra length for any cord used as a vertical traveller
Pattern, Finishing and Colour
Mount cords, follow a full wall-hanging pattern, finish the fringe professionally, and plan colour with intent.
Exercise: Full Wall-Hanging Pattern Run
Work the complete beginner pattern from the course end to end. Read the whole pattern first and tick off each row as you finish it.
- Mount your cords with reverse lark's head knots and count your working cords (mounted cords times two).
- Work the square-knot and alternating-net rows with consistent 2 cm spacing.
- Add the central diagonal-hitch diamond and a closing horizontal clove-hitch bar.
- Identify any term in the pattern you were unsure of and note which lesson to revisit.
Worksheet: Finishing and Colour Plan
Plan the finish and colour scheme of your piece before you cut or comb anything. Record decisions so you can reproduce them next time.
- Fringe silhouette (straight / V / inverted-V / curve / tiered)
- Combing tool to use (wide-tooth comb / slicker brush)
- Will you mist with water before combing? (yes / no)
- Hanging method (cord loop / sawtooth hanger)
- Colour technique (blocking / ombré / dip-dye / natural)
- Colour order across the width (list left to right)
- Cord brand and colour names used (for reordering)
Checklist: Sale-Ready Finishing Checklist
- Combed the fringe from the bottom upward before any trimming
- Marked the trim line (e.g. with masking tape) before cutting
- Trimmed below the line first, then refined upward
- Wove all stray and colour-change ends into the back with a crochet hook
- No loose ends visible from the front
- Piece hangs flat and level on its hanger
- Recorded cord brand, colours, and any dye used in the project log
Your Action Plan
- Complete the Cord Selection Worksheet and buy 50 to 60 m of 4 to 5 mm cotton in a natural colour.
- Set up your workspace using the checklist so the work hangs at chest height.
- Drill 20 square knots in a column until tension and spacing are even.
- Build a sampler panel covering the alternating net, a spiral column, and a switch-knot ladder.
- Practise horizontal, diagonal, and vertical clove-hitch bars on eight cords.
- Tie one complete diamond motif using outline-fill-close order and check its symmetry.
- Mount cords and work the full beginner wall-hanging pattern from top to closing bar.
- Comb, shape, and trim the fringe following the finishing checklist.
- Weave in ends, add a hanger, and confirm the piece hangs flat and level.
- Log the cords, colours, and dye used so you can reproduce or scale the piece later.
Pairs well with
Courses members commonly take alongside this one.
Flagship CoursePreview
Freelance Business Foundations: Position, Price, Sell, and Deliver High-Value Services
Freelancing · Beginner · 16h
Self-pacedPreview
Client GrowthPreview
Freelance Client Acquisition: Outreach, Leads, Referrals, and Deal Flow
Freelancing · Beginner · 15h 30m
Self-pacedPreview
Sales SystemPreview
Freelance Sales & Proposals: Discovery Calls, Scoping, Objections, and Closing
Freelancing · Intermediate · 16h
Self-pacedPreview