How to Make a Macrame Wall Hanging

Making your own lampshade is a lot easier than you might expect! And when you DIY, you have the power to control the design details, like the pattern, color and size, so that you can make a lampshade that perfectly matches your home's decor. All it takes is a little bit of creativity, some lampshade-making materials, and an hour of your time to make a totally unique drum lampshade that you can be proud of.

Estimated Project Time

1.5 - 2 hours, depending on your personal knotting speed

Here's What You'll Need

A Makely Macrame Wall Hanging Kit, or the following materials:
100 feet of single strand cotton cord
1 x 12 inch long wooden dowel
12 x decorative wooden beads
A pair of scissors
Hooks to hang your piece with

Step-by-Step Instructions

STEP ONE

Unravel and cut your cotton cord. You will need 10 pieces of 9.5 foot long rope.

STEP TWO

Take one piece of cotton cord and fold it in half, making sure the ends are even. Attach it to your dowel using a Lark’s Head Knot (We have a great video tutorial on basic knotting techniques). Repeat this process until all of your cord pieces are attached to your dowel.

STEP THREE

You’ll now have 5 groups of 4 pieces. Working right to left, take the first group of 4 cords, and tie two full Square Knots (To learn how to tie this knot, take a look at our video tutorial on basic macrame knotting techniques). Repeat this step for the remaining four groups.

STEP FOUR

Now take two strands from Group A (the two on the right side) and two strands from Group B (the two on the left side) and leaving approximately 2 inches of space, tie another two square knots. Repeat this step for the remaining groups. You will be left with two loose cords on the left side and two loose cords on the right side.

STEP FIVE

Now take the 4 pieces on the left (Group A), leave approximately 2 inches of space, and create 2 more full square knots. Repeat this step for all of your groups. You should see a pattern emerging.

STEP SIX

Repeat step 4, taking two pieces from Group A and two pieces from Group B to form two more Square Knots.

STEP SEVEN

Repeat step 5, creating two Square Knots with the four pieces on the left (Group A).

STEP EIGHT

Each set of Square Knots will have four pieces of cord hanging down. Take the middle two strands and add a bead to them.

STEP NINE

Use one of the non-bead exterior cords, and create a Half Hitch Spiral Knot beneath the bead to keep it in place. Repeat this step for the remaining 4 groups. Then cut your cords so that they’re all even at the bottom.

Lastly, use the remaining 5 feet of cord to hang your piece.