The Basic Macramé Knots to Learn First
Macramé looks intricate, but almost every piece is made from just a few knots repeated and combined. Learn these basics and you can follow most beginner patterns. Here are the knots to start with.
- Almost all macramé is built from a handful of knots: the lark’s head, the square knot, and the half hitch (and its double).
- The lark’s head knot is how you attach your cord to a dowel or ring to start almost any project.
- The square knot is the workhorse, worked over two "filler" cords with two "working" cords, and it makes flat patterns and spirals.
- The half hitch and double half hitch create diagonal, horizontal, and angled lines, which is how you make chevrons and shapes.
- Use cotton macramé cord and keep even tension; consistent knot tension is what makes the finished piece look neat.
Starting on: the lark’s head knot
Almost every macramé project begins by mounting your cords onto something, a wooden dowel for a wall hanging, a ring for a plant hanger, and the knot that does this is the lark’s head (or cow hitch). You fold a length of cord in half, lay the loop over and behind the dowel, then pull the two loose ends through the loop and tighten, so the cord hangs down in two strands. Repeat with as many cords as your pattern calls for, and you have a row of cords ready to knot. There is also a "reverse" lark’s head with the bump on the back, but the basic version is where to start. This single knot is how nearly everything begins.
The workhorse: the square knot
The square knot is the knot you will tie most, and it is worked with four cords: the middle two are "filler" cords that stay put, and the outer two are "working" cords that do the knotting. You take the left working cord over the fillers and under the right cord, then the right cord under the fillers and up through the loop on the left, and tighten, that is one half. Repeat mirrored (starting from the right) for the second half, and you have a complete square knot. Tie square knots in rows and alternate which cords you group to make the classic net and diamond patterns; tie only the first half repeatedly and it twists into a spiral (a half-knot spiral). The square knot alone, repeated and alternated, makes a surprising amount of macramé.
Making lines and shapes: the half hitch
Where the square knot fills areas, the half hitch makes lines. A half hitch is a single cord wrapped once around another; the double half hitch (two wraps) is the one you use to create the crisp diagonal, horizontal, and angled lines that form chevrons, diamonds, and outlines. You pick one cord as the "holding" cord, lay it across the others at the angle you want, and tie double half hitches over it with each cord in turn, and a clean line appears along that angle. Combining rows of double half hitches at opposing angles is how you make the V and diamond shapes that look so intricate. With the lark’s head to start, the square knot to fill, and the half hitch to draw lines, you have the toolkit for most beginner patterns.
Keep your tension consistent, pull every knot snug with the same firmness. Uneven tension (some knots tight, some loose) is the main reason beginner macramé looks lumpy or crooked, even when the knots themselves are correct. A little attention to tightening each knot the same amount makes a huge difference to the finished look.
Common questions
What knots do I need to learn for macramé?
What is the easiest macramé knot?
How do you tie a square knot in macramé?
What can I make with just basic macramé knots?
What cord should I use for macramé?
Gear guides for Macrame
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